ABC South East Radio will no longer broadcast funeral notices, a service that has been a regular part of listeners’ mornings ahead of the daily 7am news.
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The change coincides with a new program format, as well as new personnel for the station, which has undergone significant restructuring of late.
While Bega Valley funeral director John Whyman is understandably disappointed, so too are some in the wider community.
Long-time Bega resident Nigel Wiggins wrote in to the BDN after an “unsatisfactory” response from ABC management as to its reasoning for the programming change.
“I am stunned, as many in the Bega Valley are, that ABC South East will no longer place funeral announcements at 6.58am on weekdays,” Mr Wiggins said.
“I contacted the new manager at ABC and her reply was ‘no other ABC station does this’. So what?
“Listen to your listeners. We are locals, ask us what we want to hear instead of what you think is best,” he said.
ABC South East wrote to all funeral directors in advance of the change to alert them of the decision, saying it had been considered several times in recent years, but with the introduction of a new format from May 23 “we believe it is the right time to finally make the break”.
“We understand and accept that this will not be popular with some in our community,” the notice read.
Mr Whyman, who has operated as a funeral director in the Bega region for 33 years, termed the change “an absolute affront, an insult and a stab in the back” and asked the local station to “show some compassion”.
He was also upset the notification from ABC was sent via bulk email on Friday, May 20, “not even giving us a full business day’s notice” of the change that came into effect the following Monday.
“It is a blatant act of discrimination against the community and especially the over 50s who may well not have a computer or a smart device let alone a connection to the Internet,” he said.
“I spoke to mourners at a funeral yesterday who said they only knew about the death and funeral because of the ABC radio notice. They would have been heartbroken had they not known,” he said.
“This issue is not about funeral directors such as myself seeking commercial advantage and none is sought.
“No mention has ever been made in the notices of the funeral director’s name or even a phone number.
“Our invoices to our client families have always listed the ABC Radio notice as a no charge item, showing appreciation to the ABC for the service provided.
“We may well be the last region to receive this service from the ABC, but that is no reason to end it,” he said.
“It is a golden opportunity for the ABC to show some genuine care for the community it is meant to serve.”
- HAVE YOUR SAY: Email ben.smyth@fairfaxmedia.com.au