The Blue Mountains branch of ABC Friends is hitting the ground running in 2026, with bi-monthly meetings at Lawson’s Mid Mountains Community Centre and a major public forum at Penrith RSL on 14 March. The forum features Dr Michael Ward, Chair of the ABC Alumni, speaking on “Why We Need the ABC Now More Than Ever” — a timely topic given escalating threats to public broadcasting globally.

The newsletter also celebrates the origins of ABC Friends through a screening of A Conversation with Corin, recounting the 1976 living room meeting that grew into a 70,000-strong movement, and points readers to ABC Friends Victoria’s sharp “Who’s Who in the Anti-ABC Zoo” series on the organised forces working against public broadcasting.

If you care about a fearless, independent ABC, sign the petition — and come to Penrith on 14 March.