Four Corners

Four Corners
Genre	Documentary
Country of origin	Australia
Language(s)	English
No. of seasons	47
Production
Running time	45 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	ABC1
Original run	19 August 1961 – present
External links
Official website

Four Corners is Australia's longest-running investigative journalism/current affairs television program. Broadcast on ABC1 in Australia, it premiered on 19 August 1961^[1] 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 Aboriginal Australians living in rural New South Wales.

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 story entitled "The Moonlight State" 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 gaoling of police commissioner Terry Lewis, and the resignation and subsequent criminal trial of Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen.

The program has investigated other cases of corruption in the New South Wales and Victorian 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.

In March 2009 an episode aired entitled "The Dishonouring of Marcus Einfeld" which detailed the events leading up to the first conviction and sentencing of a Australian Judge, Marcus Einfeld ( former Australian Federal Court Judge). Einfeld was convicted for various charges including perjury and perverting the course of justice.

"The Code of Silence" aired 11 May 2009 was an investigative report on the attitudes towards and the treatment of women by National Rugby League players. The report focused primarily on two incidents involving NRL players and women who feel they have had been exploited sexually. The mainstream media reported heavily^[2][3][4] on the subject for a number of weeks following the airing of "The Code of Silence".

Comperes

(From Museum of Broadcast Communications)

• Michael Charlton, 1961
• Gerald Lyons, 1962–63
• Frank Bennett, 1964
• Robert Moore, 1964
• John Penlington, 1964
• Richard Oxenburgh, 1964
• Robert Moore, 1965–67
• John Temple, 1968
• Mike Willesee, 1969–71
• David Flatman, 1971–72
• Caroline Jones, 1973–81
• Andrew Olle, 1985–94
• Liz Jackson, 1995–99
• Unpresented since 1999

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)
• Bruce Belsham (1996–2007)

References

External links

• Official website
• Four Corners at the Internet Movie Database
• Four Corners at the National Film and Sound Archive