Future Remains Uncertain For 'Film Buff's Forecast' As Mediation At RRR Continues

Managers at public radio station RRR are in talks to save its popular Film Buff’s Forecast program from being "killed", contradicting Facebook posts by the show’s presenter Paul Harris.

The veteran broadcaster has pulled no punches in claiming the show – which has been a cornerstone of the radio station’s arts programming for 36-years – is under threat. In a Facebook post in March under the heading “Death in Brunswick”, Harris wrote that he had been summoned to a meeting with the station’s managers. “I was informed that the station was taking away my 12- 2pm slot [on Saturdays], which had been a constant in my life for so long,” he added. The reason for moving the show from its usual time slot is to fit with the station’s move to an all-music line-up as part of a shakeup of its weekend programming.

Far from threatening to cancel the show, RRR’s program manager Bec Hornsby confirmed in a statement, issued 9 Mar, that the station’s management had proposed to move the show to a Sunday slot at the same time to fit with the broadcaster’s specialist talks programming on Sundays. However, Harris has refused to agree to the change citing “family and work reasons,” adding that he “would never agree anyway, on principle.” Harris volunteers his services at RRR and is not paid to present  Film Buff's Forecast.

Since the first shots were fired in this ongoing falling out between Harris and RRR, Harris has upped the ante in his online campaign to retain his existing slot via the Save Film Buff’s Forecast Facebook group, launched 14 May. The page encourages fans of the show to contact RRR management to register a complaint. Among the page’s posts is a banner reading “Film Buff’s Forecast Is A Melbourne Institution, An Australian Institution, Don’t Let Triple R Kill It.” A Change.org petition has also attracted more than 1300 signatures. The petition’s outline reads “We the undersigned from the radio-listening and film-loving community believe it is more important to keep this valuable show alive in its current format rather than replace it with a show to "open up our Saturday afternoon programming to focus entirely on music".” However, it does not mention the Sunday programming slot offered to Harris by RRR management. Among the most high-profile champions of Harris' cause are TV critic Debi Enker and filmmaker Richard Lowenstein.

Harris’ campaign has clearly had an influence on RRR management. The original timetable change planned for the end of March was stalled, and a mediation process between Harris and station management begun. At present, there appears to be no clear indication if and when Film Buff’s Forecast may be moved to the proposed Sunday slot, but it seems Harris himself may choose to pull the show from RRR if a resolution cannot be found. He suggested in an interview with Fairfax, published in May, that he may choose to turn the show into a Podcast.

The Age has published two extensive features admonishing the station for its attempts to move Film Buff’s Forecast, adding information about the financial struggles affecting the publically funded radio broadcaster, which is also a registered charity. According to The Age, since 2012 RRR's subscription income has remained relatively static  – $935,449 last financial year – and other income has only increased by 7.4%. However, the station’s overheads have increased from $1.05 million to $1.59 million over the same period. Programming alterations, such as those that would require Film Buff’s Forecast to change its current slot, are part of a strategy to attract new listeners and increase the station’s subscription base.