Four Corners (TV series)
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Four Corners is Australia's longest-running investigative journalism/current affairs television program. Produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) in Australia, it premiered in 1961 and is still running. Founding producer Robert Raymond (1961-62) and his successor Allan Ashbolt (1963) did much to set the ongoing tone of the program.
Based on the Panorama concept, the program addresses a single issue in depth each week, showing either a locally produced program or a relevant documentary from overseas. The program has won many awards for investigative journalism, and broken many stories that had previously had no exposure in the Australian media. A notable early example of this was the show's epoch-making 1962 exposé on the appalling living conditions endured by many Australian Aborigines living in rural New South Wales.
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[edit] Notable Episodes
In 1983, Four Corners aired allegations that former NSW Premier Neville Wran had tried to influence the magistry over the dropping of fraud charges against Kevin Humphries, charged with misappropriation of funds from the Balmain Leagues Club. Wran stood down and the Street Royal Commission, headed by Justice Lawrence Street, was set up to inquire into this matter. Street exonerated Wran of all allegations laid against him.
Together with articles in The Courier-Mail, a 1987 Four Corners reported on police corruption in Queensland. The subsequent royal commission, known as the Fitzgerald Inquiry, found systematic corruption in various levels of government and led to the resignation of Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen.
The same programme has also investigated other cases of corruption in the New South Wales and Victoria police forces.
Another memorable report from 1985 helped to reveal that the French secret service had been responsible for the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior.
A 2006 episode titled Greenhouse Mafia, exposes the influence of the fossil fuel lobby on Australian climate change policy.
[edit] Comperes
(From Museum of Broadcast Communications)
- Michael Charlton, 1961
- Gerald Lyons, 1962-63
- Frank Bennett, 1964
- Robert Moore, 1964
- John Penlington, 1964
- Robert Moore, 1965-67
- John Temple, 1978
- Mike Willesee, 1969-71
- David Flatman, 1971-72
- Caroline Jones, 1973-81
- Andrew Olle, 1985-94
- Liz Jackson, 1995
[edit] Producers
(From Museum of Broadcast Communications)
- Bob Raymond (1961-62)
- Allan Ashbolt (1963)
- Gerald Lyons (1963)
- John Power (1964)
- Robert Moore (1965-67)
- Sam Lipski (1968)
- Allan Martin (1968-72)
- Tony Ferguson (1973)
- Peter Reid (1973-80)
- Paul Davies (1980-81)
- Paul Lyneham (1980-81)
- John Penlington (1980-81)
- John Temple (1980-81)
- Jonathon Holmes (1982-84)
- Peter Manning (1985-88)
- Ian Macintosh (1989-90)
- Marian Wilkinson (1991-92)
- Ian Carroll (1992-95)
- Harry Bardwell (1995)
- Paul Williams (1995)
- John Budd (1995-96)
