You are joking, right? The ABC broadcasts free-to-air, and media-monitoring companies tape the broadcast. There’s no cooperation between media outlets and monitors. It takes a lot of resources to tape/scan a vast majority of broadcast and printed media, thus the cost – and believe me, businesses (and government, and until recently – thanks to the pressures of the Howard government and its panic about left-wing bias – the ABC itself) are happy to pay that cost.

If you identified yourself as a journalist in search of research materials, I can see why the response offered you such an option – they’re suggesting the only feasible access to the material available. I’m surprised that they mentioned the firm by name but since MM bought out its only competitor several years ago, it makes some sense. The ABC is not supposed to endorse or promote any commercial entity, so it sounds as though the person who wrote to you was going out of their way to help you out.

I’m not that familiar with the ABC’s charter but I’m pretty sure it would be unable to charge for content made with taxpayer funds, unless that material were repackaged in a plastic form (book, DVD etc) and sold through ABC Commercial.

The resources to record all broadcast material (do you have any idea how many metropolitan and regional radio stations the ABC broadcasts?) and then off it via podcast is utterly unfeasible, given that very few people would access it. I don’t doubt that the ABC is expanding its podcast offerings but I doubt any of the non-national programs would be on that list. Radio is an ephemeral medium and while you might find it boring, it plays an important role in the lives of many people, particularly those in regional areas and in older demographics.

Note: I do not and have never worked for the ABC. I did work at a media-monitoring firm at one time, so I understand how that industry works. I do not endorse it but I acknowledge that it’s the commercial reality.

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