https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/oct/31/catalyst-staff-to-be-sacked-and-weekly-tv-show-format-scrapped

ABC’s Catalyst staff to be sacked and weekly TV show format scrapped
Broadcaster’s board approves plan to end weekly program and introduce series of hour-long specials under same name in wake of editorial lapses

The ABC’s Catalyst program is to lose its weekly slot and its 11 staff – including the suspended presenter Maryanne Demasi – will be made redundant under a radical plan approved by the ABC board.

Under the plan the in-house magazine-style program will be replaced by 17 one-hour science specials, mainly from the independent production sector.

But senior ABC program makers have warned that ditching the weekly half-hour program and disbanding the science unit would lead to a dumbing down of science programming and effectively kill off Australian science on television.

Demasi has been on leave since a review of her Wi-Fried? program – which linked Wi-Fi and mobile phones with health risks including brain cancer – was found to have breached the ABC’s impartiality guidelines.

The discredited program was the second Catalyst story by Demasi to be found in breach of the ABC’s editorial policies and to be removed from the website. In 2013 Demasi kept her job despite an editorial breach for a program about statins.

An internal management review, commissioned in the wake of the Demasi breaches, has now recommended that the entire weekly program be axed along with its presenters, producers and researchers.

Senior program makers and independent producers claim that middle management has “absolved itself” of any responsibility for the the lack of editorial control at Catalyst that led to the two programs being cleared for broadcast.

There’s always the BBC.

What has science ever done for us?

I’d like to see a weekly show: “Fat mechanically inept bloke fixes stuff pissed.”

Ian said:

What has science ever done for us?

I’d like to see a weekly show: “Fat mechanically inept bloke fixes stuff pissed.”

What Demasi presented can hardly be called science…

The decision is not surprising after those two very major blunders.

Ian said:

What has science ever done for us?

I’d like to see a weekly show: “Fat mechanically inept bloke fixes stuff pissed.”

lol

• I’d like to see a weekly show: “Fat mechanically inept bloke fixes stuff pissed.”

James May: The Reassembler Series in which James May explores the intricacies and engineering marvels of various objects by putting them back together again from a pile of hundreds of their component parts.

• The decision is not surprising after those two very major blunders.

Bit harsh to sack everyone for the incompetence of one person…

furious said:

• I’d like to see a weekly show: “Fat mechanically inept bloke fixes stuff pissed.”

James May: The Reassembler Series in which James May explores the intricacies and engineering marvels of various objects by putting them back together again from a pile of hundreds of their component parts.

There was a good but shortlived pommie show, a bloke made telephones, photocopiers, fridges etc out of odds and ends explaining how they worked.

furious said:

• The decision is not surprising after those two very major blunders.

Bit harsh to sack everyone for the incompetence of one person…

Well the other 10 staff weren’t much use in ensuring those programmes were better informed.

The bathwater is obviously off. The baby can be replaced.

furious said:

Bit harsh to sack everyone for the incompetence of one person…

It sounds like a thin excuse for more cost cutting.

Bubblecar said:

furious said:

• The decision is not surprising after those two very major blunders.

Bit harsh to sack everyone for the incompetence of one person…

Well the other 10 staff weren’t much use in ensuring those programmes were better informed.

You might find that the makeup, film crews, and logistics are all shared staff across the department and those fired were the editorial and program specific staff.

Peak Warming Man said:

Ian said:

What has science ever done for us?

I’d like to see a weekly show: “Fat mechanically inept bloke fixes stuff pissed.”

lol

It might just be a ratings winner.
Like drunk history. Oh I laffed.

furious said:

• The decision is not surprising after those two very major blunders.

Bit harsh to sack everyone for the incompetence of one person…

It wasn’t the fault of a single presenter.

So they had 11 staff to do a half hour weekly show?
Crazyneutrino could do that on his own standing on his head.

Peak Warming Man said:

So they had 11 staff to do a half hour weekly show?
Crazyneutrino could do that on his own standing on his head.

Probably not biased enough for ABC management.

dv said:

furious said:

• The decision is not surprising after those two very major blunders.

Bit harsh to sack everyone for the incompetence of one person…

It wasn’t the fault of a single presenter.

Catalyst wasn’t a very good show at all…

Ian said:

What has science ever done for us?

I’d like to see a weekly show: “Fat mechanically inept bloke fixes stuff pissed.”

we could have Gabriel Gaté do a segment on the weekly cheese selection and how to pair it with an inexpensive merlo

Fuck Gabriel Gaté!

just keeping in practice during the off season

sibeen said:

Fuck Gabriel Gaté!

just keeping in practice during the off season

cricket start this week… I suspect you will get plenty of practice for your FUCK’s

I suggest a children’s science show in its place

the show could look at computer programming for children using Scratch

as well as simple chemistry

Dr Karl perhaps or someone else

CrazyNeutrino said:

I suggest a children’s science show in its place

the show could look at computer programming for children using Scratch

as well as simple chemistry

Dr Karl perhaps or someone else

Not in an evening time-slot on a school night.

I would create another science show run on a monthly basis discussing latest developments in science

bring back inventors

CrazyNeutrino said:

I suggest a children’s science show in its place

the show could look at computer programming for children using Scratch

as well as simple chemistry

Dr Karl perhaps or someone else

like Scope

party_pants said:

CrazyNeutrino said:

I suggest a children’s science show in its place

the show could look at computer programming for children using Scratch

as well as simple chemistry

Dr Karl perhaps or someone else

Not in an evening time-slot on a school night.

Just rename it to Craptalyst to suit woo woo fringe science

Tonight on Craptylist: How Reiki and prayers helped the Apollo 13 astronauts get back to Earth safely. Join in next week to see how ordinary honey cured this guy of every ailment known to man (spoiler: he added essential oils).

Cymek said:

party_pants said:

CrazyNeutrino said:

I suggest a children’s science show in its place

the show could look at computer programming for children using Scratch

as well as simple chemistry

Dr Karl perhaps or someone else

Not in an evening time-slot on a school night.

Just rename it to Craptalyst to suit woo woo fringe science

Just a normal science show without any woo or controversy.

Divine Angel said:

Tonight on Craptylist: How Reiki and prayers helped the Apollo 13 astronauts get back to Earth safely. Join in next week to see how ordinary honey cured this guy of every ailment known to man (spoiler: he added essential oils).

it’s ABC’s science-themed version of A Current Affair

We need a regular science show.

CrazyNeutrino said:

We need a regular science show.

A show that teaches programming logic would be great

Teach yourself to code
http://imgur.com/gallery/1tdFi

CrazyNeutrino said:

CrazyNeutrino said:

We need a regular science show.

A show that teaches programming logic would be great

Teach yourself to code
http://imgur.com/gallery/1tdFi

A science show for children that teaches programming logic would be of great value.

Programming logic could be made to be creative and productive.

Having seen what’s being covered this week I suspect that Catalyst might go up in the ratings with some people here.

Might even be good for a conspiracy theory or two.

The Rev Dodgson said:

Having seen what’s being covered this week I suspect that Catalyst might go up in the ratings with some people here.

Might even be good for a conspiracy theory or two.

Obviously nobbled by Big Pharma.

The Rev Dodgson said:

Having seen what’s being covered this week I suspect that Catalyst might go up in the ratings with some people here.

Might even be good for a conspiracy theory or two.

Yep. I have to say one thing. Bringing science news is good, popularizing science news is a smidge better. Making stuff up, well that’s the domain of newspapers.

We need a regular science show that looks at the latest science developments

for the month of oct, these science stories were in the headlines

http://futurism.com/thisweekinscience

there’s no storage of science stories

How many made coverage to the ABC?

CrazyNeutrino said:

I suggest a children’s science show in its place

the show could look at computer programming for children using Scratch

as well as simple chemistry

Dr Karl perhaps or someone else

Ugh, not another one.

I’d like to see a TV show based on Theo Gray book “Mad Science”.

Catalyst filled the role left vacant after the old TV show “Australia Advances” shut down. Both showcased Australian Native Scientists.

I met Graham Phillips from Catalyst recently. Was very surprised to learn the he left my CSIRO section (the fluid dynamics group) just one year before I joined it.

How about a TV science show called “Life, the Universe and Everything”?

mollwollfumble said:

How about a TV science show called “Life, the Universe and Everything”?

They could cover a lot in a show like that.

All the columns for the verandah, breezeway and solar hot water have been grouted in place now. All the boxing is finished for the concrete in those areas. Tim the termite man has been and installed termite stuff. The boxing and concrete sub-grading for the garage is nearly finished. Original concrete car parking pad has been cut. I only sieved about half a cubic metre of sand today. That’ll be used up by early morning, and I’ll have to do much more tomorrow…

Today was hot. I didn’t check my instrument, but the BoM tells me it was over 32°C.

Sorry, I didn’t mean to put that there…

Apparently last night’s Media Watch denied there would be sackings.

“And just before we go, there’s been plenty of speculation today about the future of ABC TV’s science show Catalyst – which has been under review.

The program will return next year, as 17 one hour programs.

And we’re told it will be produced in-house and that it’s not true 11 staff will go.

We’ll see what else we can find out.”

That’s what MW said. They did not say there would be no sackings. They said the number of people who will go is not 11.

So Aunty has officially denied it, must be true.

I’d have the entire catalyst crew whipped to within an inch of their lives then force them to become card carrying national party members for good measure

People wanted to see real science like how to make pipe bombs or incendiaries not the rubbish they served up

wookiemeister said:

People wanted to see real science like how to make pipe bombs or incendiaries not the rubbish they served up

Yeah, Real Science, not woo.