Dundas “don’t pull back from digital”

The ABC's Director of Radio Kate Dundas finished with the national broadcaster this week, and in an excellent interview from The Australian's Michael Bodey, she has spoken of her plans, and her pride at the the achievements at the ABC.

Dundas is, overall, very pleased with where the ABC suite of stations sit; “I think radio’s in a pretty ­robust condition, I’ve got to say. It has a strategy".

She is particularly pleased with the push to digital during her tenure, however worried about recommendations in the Lewis Efficiency Review that the ABC withdrawal from digital transmission;

“Personally and professionally, I find it difficult to contemplate a government could consider stranding radio in an analog world, it’s problematic as a whole (and) the commercial side of the industry is really unhappy.”

“You look at Europe, they’re talking switch off dates for analog and I’d hate Australia to now lag back.”

When Dundas began in her head role 6 years ago, she championed a strong push into digital through DAB+, social, online and podcasting, and states this as her proudest achievement;

“We were on the fringes of all those things and radio could be a vulnerable medium if you don’t start pushing out into other areas, the Triple J line that you need to be wherever the audience is, we needed to push that right out.”

The renewal of ABC Local Radio, with a 'down-aging' of some presenters has been controversial at times, however Dundas said this process is necessary and will continue;

”You do need renewal and across the Local Radio line-up the last five years we have done it and done it systematically and strategically".

There has been no new Director of Radio appointed, Michael Mason occupies the role in an interim capacity.

read the original article in The Australian here.