The Age from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia • Page 37

Thursday 8 December 1994 Producer slips from soaps fV Jim Schembri's 10 Commandments of video taping Hinde-sight: film guru's recollection Page 28-29 id to South Africa IrW Rage 5 s- oooo TV RADIO RECORDINGS VIDEO HI-FI PCs 9 December 15 December Edited by MARK LAWRENCE Ptcturat: VI Kl VEMMETAS Ml VJUUVj Ellen Fanning, forthright 'AM' compere, is about to test the TV waters. But Mark Lawrence discovers she remains totally committed to radio. TV is not her Holy Grail. ONT TRY to tell regu lar AM host tlien Fanning that her stint as a television host means her career is on the up and up. She rrr i til ning is irritated.

Her shoulders straighten and she adopts a "listen- up buddy" stare. (So this is what it's like to be a politician facing a fired-up Fanning.) "This is so interesting because this question comes up time and time again. Now do you think," she stress- -es breathlessly, "if someone moved from presenting a national version of The 7.30 Report to doing AM over the summer, that the journalist who came to interview that person would ask: 'Do you think you'U end up in radio one day; do you think you 'll really make That one day, you'll be able to be a radio compereV "Do you know what I mean?" she asks pointedly. It's a query she proffers several rimes during the interview, and it carries with it an implied "of course you "Peter Thompson (heard on Radio National. 6 am weekdays) said he was preparing his speech for the 25th anniversary of AM and someone in his family and he was the AM compere remember, with how many millions of people listening to him every week? still asked 'when are you going to reaally hit the big time pal, when are you going to be a TV FANNING believes television's obsession with personalities detracts from good journalism.

The personality cult is a barrier to it; not totally impenetrable, but a severe obstacle none the less. "AM and PM and the World Today are promoted as that, whereas A Current Affair is promoted as 'A Current Affair with Ray Martin it's Ray', 'join not 'join A Current Affair with a dozen good journos and an Interesting product'. "It's interesting," she continues, barely pausing for breath. "AM and PM have been around for 25 years. won't have a bar of it.

It's not that she underestimates the privilege, importance or challenge of the role; it's just that she believes so fervently in radio, and is resentful of any suggestion that, somehow, working in television is a superior goal for a really dedicated journalist Indeed, after an hour in her company it becomes clear that her passion for radio journalism burns deeply. At the relatively tender age of 24, Fanning was the first female to host the ABC's national radio current-affairs program PM. Two-and-a-half years later she moved to AM as presenter. Now 27, Fanning and as much as she would detest the concept, it is true is one of the ABC's rising stars. just journalist," she insists).

Fanning's vivacious voice and determined style have already earned her a respected place in broadcasting. Now a new opportunity beckons, albeit for six weeks only. From Monday she will host 7.30 National, the The 7.30 Report's summer replacement on ABC-TV. Articulate and thoughtful, she can also be forthright to the extent of being brutally blunt. Asked to describe the greatest challenge she faces as a television host.

Fanning replies: "Not to stuff it up," and laughs. I ask whether, despite her love of and commitment to radio, she might ultimately set her sights on a full-time television position. The choice of words is a big mistake. "Ultimately, eh. Ultimately!" Fan Ellen Fanning: If you attempt to be someone else, the camera will show you up to be fraudulent" in thinking radio is a superior medium in terms of reacting to a fast-moving story." But she acknowledges the power of the picture and Continued: RMSE 6 30 years.

No one says 'Hey, we've got to reinvent this format, we need new presenters, we need groovy new things'. We don't; we need good journalism. The whole basis of it is good journalism, good interviewing, rather than "we need a groovy new format', or 'we need a presenter who can appeal to women', or to kids, and women, and women But she is none the less approaching her new experience with an open mind? "Nope, on the contrary, I'm going 300 YEARS PURCELL 'r" Dido Aeneas Funeral Sentences Chamber Music King Arthur Music for a While Organ Works OPEN BEFORE CHRISTMAS 11th, 18th December, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 6-CD Set $59.95 Only PLUS 1 FREE harmonia mundi SAMPLER 31 Bourke Street, Melbourne 3000 Tel.

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