THE AUSTRALIAN Broadcasting Commission (ABC) has announced the December 4 launch of ABC Comedy, a new multi-platform brand that spans a TV channel - replacing ABC2 - ABC iview, ABC listen and key social media platforms.
A statement from the ABC said the new brand would be "devoted to providing Australian audiences with an unrivalled comedy offering". ABC Comedy is a mix of scripted and non-scripted, long and short form TV shows, and podcasts.
THE AUSTRALIAN Broadcasting Commission (ABC) will invest $50 million in new content and create 80 new jobs in rural and regional Australia under a new strategy and transformation program.
The program announced by ABC managing director, Michelle Guthrie – named Investing in Audiences – involves a number of interlocking initiatives “designed to strengthen the corporation and enhance its ability to deliver on its Act and Charter and serve the community”.
THE Walkley Foundation has launched a new national award for exceptional industrial relations reporting by the Australian media.
The Helen O’Flynn and Alan Knight Award for Best Industrial Reporting was created in partnership with the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance, Unions NSW, AiGroup, the Australian Council of Trade Unions and the University of Technology Sydney, and with the support of an anonymous donor.
THE moving photojournalism series of a bombed Médecins Sans Frontières hospital in Afghanistan, The Man on the Operating Table by freelance photographer Andrew Quilty, has won him the 2016 Gold Walkley Award.
It was a memorable choice in a Walkley Awards event which also presented cartoonist Bruce Petty the Walkley for Outstanding Contribution to Journalism, and acclaimed the professional life of news journalist the Rebecca Wilson, who passed away in October, with the Walkley Award for Journalistic Leadership.
ABC INTERNATIONAL’s multi-platform international media service Australia Plus (A+) has announced new partnerships to boost Australia’s regional multi-media presence and extend ABC content to neighbouring countries.
The foundation partnerships are with Monash University, the Victorian State Government and Swisse Wellness, in what is ABC’s hybrid development of collaborative commercial relationships.
THE Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has released a Media Code of Conduct which aims to clarify the way media and the public can comment on the commission’s enforcement activities.
ACCC chairman Rod Sims said the ACCC would implement the code as recommended by the Harper Review. 
“The code strikes a balance between fairness to the individuals and businesses under investigation or involved in enforcement actions, and transparency in informing the media and the public about matters of interest,” Mr Sims said.
“It is also important that the ACCC seeks to raise awareness among both consumers and businesses about their rights and obligations under the Competition and Consumer Act.”
“At the same time, we recognise it is important that businesses and individuals subject to ACCC investigations are afforded appropriate confidentiality and procedural fairness,” Mr Sims said.
Mr Sims said the Code spelled out the considerations the ACCC takes into account when commenting on investigations and court cases, and the limitations it observes in making public comments.
“Informing the public about our enforcement work in a balanced and objective manner is an important part of our role but there are situations where, with good reason, we refrain from comment,” he said.
Mr Sims said media communication was one of the most effective ways of educating consumers and businesses about their rights and obligations.
“By explaining our enforcement activities through the media, we hope to see a multiplier effect in terms of deterrence and compliance with the law. “It is also important that consumers have confidence in the market economy and see our laws working for them.”
The ACCC held a public consultation in developing the code. This included input from business and consumer groups, the legal community and journalists.
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ICONIC luxury market experiential magazine and online catalogue, the Robb Report, is launching its inaugural Australian edition.
It is no surprise that the local version, a quarterly at this stage, aims to showcase the latest in luxury living in Australia and around the world. 
Robb Report Australia, which will go from quarterly to monthly publication in April 2017, is the 17th international edition of the popular US title, currently celebrating its 40th anniversary.
The first upper-luxury print and online publication of its kind in Australia has curated a collection of finely crafted products and experiences that distinguish true luxury – from watches, jewellery and fashion, to boats, travel, wine, dining and property.
Michael Stahl – a journalist of more than 30 years’ experience in automotive, design and luxury – is editor-in-chief of Robb Report Australia.
“The launch of our first issue is the culmination of months of work in gathering the most interesting, authentic and unique of products and experiences from Australia and internationally,” Mr Stahl said.
“Robb Report Australia will celebrate the best of the best, and brings out the stories of the artisanal skills and the dedication to excellence that give these things the emotional value that is, I believe, one of the definitions of luxury. I’m sure that our readers will relish the unfolding of these stories as much as we do.”
The Australian launch issue also includes a comprehensive look back over Robb Report’s 40 amazing and influential years, celebrating the moments and milestones that have shaped the connoisseur’s world.
Brett Anderson, Editor-in-Chief of the New York-based Robb Report group, said, “Robb Report has rapidly evolved from the undisputed US-based authority on connoisseurship since its launch in 2004. The Australian partnership serves as a fitting tribute to the brand’s founding premise - that the ultimate luxury experience is a shared passion for greatness.”
robbreport.com.au.
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