Our ABC under threat

[boris1gary]

Abbott prepares for war on the ABC

Who stands to benefit?

The attacks on the ABC are not solely prompted by the acute embarrassment its news coverage has caused the government. Nor is the budget review simply intended to make the ABC more efficient. The execrable MP Cory Bernadi suggested that the government could “cut the ABC budget and allow the commercial media to compete.”

From 1996 to 2012 the ABC budget actually fell as a proportion of government spending, from .45 to .27 percent. Although inflation has in effect kept its funding unchanged since then, the ABC has somehow managed to introduce new digital and web services and develop its existing operations.

But there’s the rub.

The commercial media bitterly resent the ABC and would dearly love to capture its audiences. They are outraged that its new services have proved very popular, and that ABC kids programs frequently draw the biggest TV ratings in Australia. Media magnate James Murdoch thundered: “There is a land grab, pure and simple, going on, and in the public interest it should be sternly resisted.”

The Murdoch empire’s hatred of the ABC has become obsessive since Sky News, an outfit in which it has a financial interest, was deprived by the Gillard government of an opportunity to take over the ABC’s overseas news service.

And the coalition is backing the privateers. Bronwyn Bishop and Ian MacDonald say the ABC exceeded its charter and is cannibalising legitimate private media business operations.

In contrast, former ABC chairman David Hill has strenuously rejected Abbott’s criticism of the ABC and his vindictive approach to it.

He commented: “It’s an absurd proposition, laughable if it wasn’t so dangerous. This is the first serious suggestion I know of, certainly in the last half century, where a prime minister of the country is suggesting that the Australian public be denied access to the truth, and the first time that a prime minister has seriously intimated that the ABC should censor and withhold information from the Australian public.”

According to a report in The Australian, the overseas broadcasting service, which broadcasts into 46 countries, is likely to be scrapped in the May budget in order to “save money and end the pursuit of ‘soft diplomacy’.”

Other options the government may pursue include reducing the ABC’s budget so it fore goes all but basic news broadcasts, introducing advertising to its broadcasts on the basis of improved economic performance, stripping it of its digital and web services – or even attempting to privatise it, as some coalition MPs would prefer.

The attacks threaten an institution which enjoys nationwide affection and respect and is crucial for the public’s understanding of news and current affairs, as well as its cultural development.

The future of “Aunty”, your ABC, is on the line. 

http://www.cpa.org.au/guardian/2014/1625/05-abcs-future.html

[spotweldersfriend]

Either change.org or Getup! has a petition going, insisting the government keep their hands off the ABC.Sign up please.

[icyfroth]

The ABC did very well out of the Rudd/Gillard Governments - as a result you'd hope it was extra careful about bias.

The ABC tells us it was pleased with the extra financial support that the Rudd and Gillard governments gifted to it.

  On the other hand, the ABC had contingency plans to deal with widely expected funding cuts should the coalition win government.

The ABC should have been aware of the potential conflict of interest it could be accused of in any perceived reporting that favoured Labor.   Where actual complaints of bias were made to the ABC you'd hope the ABC would act swiftly to correct the perception.

And where newsworthy events that reflected poorly on Labor happened,you'd hope the ABC would be assiduous in covering them.

In the context of an extra $190M in ABC funding that the Gillard Government decided on in June this year - smack bang in the middle of the search warrant reports in other media - the absence of any reporting at all on the issue takes on potentially sinister overtones.

ABC Managing Director Mark Scott was equipped with 102 pages of "priority briefing notes" prepared by ABC staffers when he fronted the October 2012 Senate Estimates hearings.

His briefing notes were released under FOI in May this year. Page One of 102 pages recorded how well the ABC had done out of the Rudd years.

The ABC wanted an extra TV network - ABC3 - and it got its way with $67M.

The ABC wanted more money for its local drama producing mates - they're very expensive if you want to see them happy and smiling.   $70 million extra for that.

$15.3 was found for ABC Open - along with an extra $13.6 for some capital spending.   All in all the ABC was very happy.

In 2013-14, government funding to the ABC will total $1.05 billion.

You can add the Australia Network contract worth $233M over the next decade - gifted to the ABC in perpetuity after Julia Gillard's intervention.

Who gave Ms Gillard the mandate to award this service, which is after all the only one currently under review, to award it to the ABC in perpetuity?

From Here

[boris1gary]

froth, 

So that's who Michael Smith is - had never heard of him

below from Crikey - Independent Media Independent Minds

Michael Smith has rushed to the defence of Coalition frontbencher George Brandis, who has been accused of hypocrisy for claiming taxpayer funds to attend the ex-shock jock’s wedding.

Smith — who has hounded union officials, including Craig Thomson, for allegedly misappropriating members’ funds — says Brandis’ expenses claim was an innocent mistake and there is a grey area when it comes to what politicians can and cannot claim as work-related travel.

[spotweldersfriend]

Another shock jock.Say no more.

[icyfroth]

oh yeah, lol.

totally saw that response coming.

[boris1gary]

FROM TODAY'S GUARDIAN

Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull defended the ABC, noting that it’s accountable to its board, not politicians, and has editorial independence by Act of Parliament. He asked whether the alternative was for the Prime Minister to become the ABC’s editor in chief, commenting “ … you can’t tell them what to write”. Nevertheless, it’s Turnbull who will conduct the budget audit.

below is from me

I suppose Ms Gillard forced Turnbull to say this or maybe it was Mr Rudd.

[boris1gary]

yeah like totally...

[icyfroth]

---

@boris1gary wrote:

yeah like totally...

---

So...my question was...

..." the Australia Network contract worth $233M over the next decade - gifted to the ABC in perpetuity after Julia Gillard's intervention.

Who gave Ms Gillard the mandate to award this service, which is after all the only one currently under review, to award it to the ABC in perpetuity?"

[the_hawk*]

The ABC is the closest media we have to being unbiased or controlled by the Government either directly or through the Packers who just happen to support the Libs.

and as for the ABC being more popular than commercial TV this can only happen if they provide better or more interesting content to the viewers, so Mr Packer should have a look to see what he is doing wrong and not try to control the ABC via his puppets