Four Corners (1961)

Countries - Australia  |  
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Synopsis by Hal Erickson

Debuting over the Australian ABC network in 1961, Four Corners is among the longest-running current affairs programs in world broadcast history. Since its inception, the program has numbered among its hosts and correspondents such prominent Australian journalists as Kerry O'Brien, Mike Willesee, Marian Wilkinson, and Paul Barry (its presenter in the early years of the 21st century was the popular Liz Jackson). Like the American 60 Minutes, Four Corners has broken important ground in covering issues that had previously been sidestepped or ignored, notably the ongoing racial tensions between white and Aboriginal Australians and the growing influence of organized crime in the country's biggest cities. As a result, the program has been literally showered with industry awards during its four-plus decades on the air. Also like 60 Minutes, Four Corners has frequently been at the center of a heated controversy, and on least one occasion has been called on the carpet for a "breach of code" by the Australian Broadcasting Association. Throughout its lengthy existence, the series has been decicated to what its producers label as "strong journalism and an innovative approach to the stories behind current issues and events."