Sign the petition against changes to ABC’s jazz programming

The Federal Government’s major cuts to the ABC’s budget have already had an immediate and significant negative effect on the jazz scene. Perth-based producer and announcer Doug Spencer announced his retirement late year. Gerry Koster’s “Jazz Up Late” (introduced in 2006) ceased on January 16, and Jazztrack (with Mal Stanley) will not be broadcast on ABC Classic FM after January 18, but moves to Radio National from January 31 on Saturdays and Sundays, in the marginal time slot of 11.05 pm. The number of ABC recording sessions is also yet to be confirmed.

ABC Radio has been one of the few forums for the national promotion of contemporary Australian jazz music, and such a regression can only further limit the already modest media promoting Australian jazz. An online petition, ‘Keep JazzTrack and Jazz Up Late on ABC Classic FM’ has been started on Change.org, which now encompasses all aspects of the negative changes that an earlier petition did not.
from the Melbourne Jazz Co-Op