THE ABC's two new chiefs, Kate Torney and Kate Dundas, will be spearheading the
national broadcaster's transformation into a truly multimedia platform..
Both women were chosen for their skills in multimedia and managing people but
that doesn't mean the way ahead won't be bumpy as the broadcaster continues to
deliver content not just on television and radio, but also online and on
mobiles.
Dundas, appointed director of the sprawling radio division last week by
managing director Mark Scott, has warned of a "challenging era" as staff adapt
to the rapid change in technology.
The ABC's existing five analogue radio networks -- Radio National, NewsRadio,
Triple J, Classic FM and Local Radio -- will be supplemented by digital radio
from July 1.
"The major challenge will be to integrate media-rich services so a network is
not just a radio station with a website added on," Dundas told Media.
"Each network needs to be really integrated to include everything from
podcasting to user-generated content and that's hard -- that's cultural change."
While Triple J has made the leap into being a truly multi-platform network with
a magazine, a TV show, games, original music, photos to accompany radio
programs and other innovations, the more staid Radio National is yet to be
fully converted.
Radio National has, however, been the leader in podcasting, with millions of
podcasts being downloaded of programs from Philip Adams' Late Night Live to
Fran Kelly's Breakfast.
"It's a different way of thinking," Dundas said of expecting broadcasting staff
to create additional content for the web.
"And I have to look at the resources available to do that and see that people
are skilled enough to do it. It's interesting to watch younger people coming
through who do it with ease."
Dundas's examination of radio resources is a formal review which has been under
way since late last year when her predecessor Sue Howard axed The Religion
Report and several other shows to move resources online.
"Technology's made a huge difference," Dundas said. "Technology can help you
produce different versions of things. Tape is so long gone.."
Scott appears to have been grooming Dundas for the position, moving her from
radio to run the newly named department of People and Learning for 18 months.
Making his announcement last week he said her experience in staff development
would be important as the review of the ABC Radio division continued in the
coming months.
"Kate will continue this work from the radio division, where the opportunities
of new technology and the implementation of digital radio can be fully
explored," Scott said in a statement.
"The ABC is currently in a strong position and we want to maintain that
leadership in digital media, capitalising on our strengths in the key content
areas of news and radio; the work of the directors of news and radio will be
integral in this endeavour."
The other Kate, Kate Torney, who was appointed director of news last week and
replaces John Cameron on April 14, also faces managing a huge cultural shift as
the ABC moves to desktop editing of stories by reporters and fully automated
news studios around the country.
Body:
Torney was head of Asia Pacific News, a job which involved managing the largest
cross-platform international newsroom in the Asia-Pacific region, responsible
for more than 60 journalists. She introduced broadcast technology to the
Australia Network newsroom.
The two Kates have a lot in common. Apart from being directors of content at
the ABC and sharing a name, they both have three children.
Dundas, 50, has twin boys, 15, and a 19-year-old son. Torney, 41, is still
juggling a young family, with children aged two, six and 11. Her husband, John
Duggan, is a photographer on The Age.
While Dundas succeeds Sue Howard, who was the first woman to run radio, Torney
is the first woman to head the ABC's national news and current affairs empire.
Her appointment is akin to print journalist Michelle Grattan's when she became
the first female editor of a metropolitan daily newspaper as editor of The
Canberra Times in 1993. She returned to The Age in 1995 as political editor.
Both women attribute being able to balance challenging jobs with raising
families to a supportive workplace and family.
"I have an incredibly supportive husband and a terrific network of support to
keep us going," Torney says.
She says it's a "great honour" to be the first woman to run the division but it
didn't cross her mind when she went for the job and was shortlisted with three
men. "I'm incredibly proud to work for an organisation that promotes on merit,
and if it's an inspiration to other women who work in the media, that's
terrific," she says. "But there's a range of extraordinary women working in
senior roles at the ABC."
The real focus for Torney, who will soon be responsible for 700 journalists
working on everything from The 7:30 Report to ABC News to Foreign
Correspondent, is the journalism.
"Our commitment to independent and quality reporting is central to what we do
and it will continue to be vitally important to me to protect journalistic
excellence. We must remember that is the core of what we do."
(australianit.news.com.au)
________________
Jaisakthivel, Chennai, India
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