18 January 2022
BBC’s Funding Axe Proves The Days Of State-Run TV Are Finished
The ABC was meant to be a market failure broadcaster, but given it now slithers into every corner and crevice of Australia’s media market, that reason for being isn’t applicable anymore, writes Evan Mulholland. The ABC, as a subscription service, is not as farfetched an idea as you might think. This week Boris Johnson’s Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries announced that funding to
19 January 2021
The Empire Strikes Back With A Wet Lettuce Leaf
After my AFR piece on the weekend, their ABC have responded. Sinclair Davidson writing in the Australian Financial Review has presented a basket case of inaccuracies about the role of the ABC and its value to Australians. A basket case of inaccuracies. Heh. That’s a bit rude. But warming to the theme: Mr Davidson, a professor of economics at the RMIT Blockchain Innovation Hub, is
2 December 2020
Why Is The Coalition Planning To Give More Money To The ABC?
Given the spite and the scorn with which many at the national broadcaster view the Coalition and mainstream Australians, one would think that the last thing that a Coalition government worth its salt would want to do is give more money to the ABC. But this is exactly what they’ve done. Last week the Guardian ran an exclusive that Treasurer Josh Frydenberg plans to add
19 November 2020
Sorry, ABC, We Can See Your Bias
It is revealing that in attempting to demonstrate that the ABC is not biased against the views of mainstream Australians, ABC board member Joseph Gersh, writing in The Australian on Tuesday, used as proof the composition of the panel on the ABC’s premiere discussion and current affairs program, Q&A. He described Paul Kelly and Malcolm Turnbull as conservative, which is false.
3 July 2020
Why The ABC Shouldn’t Just Receive A Funding Freeze, But A Cut.
The ABC using its own airtime to cry poor makes for tedious viewing and ignores the concerns of ordinary Australians. Other than having the host’s position filled by Virginia Trioli, this week’s Q&A was entirely ordinary, with five panellists on the left, a host (also on the left) and the Minister for Communications and Arts, Paul Fletcher, in the hot seat. The questions where no less skewed than usual. There were typical Q&A slanted questions that favour government cash splashes. That
27 February 2020
Poll: Only 32% Of Australians Believe The ABC Represents The Views Of Ordinary Australians
Free market think tank the Institute of Public Affairs has called on the Morrison Government to rule out giving more taxpayer dollars to the ABC that already receives over $1.1 billion per year. New polling data collected by Dynata, undertaken and commissioned by the IPA asked Australians to agree or disagree with the statement “The ABC does not represent the
25 September 2019
Two Days In Bankstown Won’t Change The ABC’s Elitist Culture
The ABC is going to Bankstown. That’s right. In a bizarre move that highlights how insular the organisation has become, ABC chairwoman Ita Buttrose and managing direction David Anderson will join dozens of staff for a two-day visit to the Sydney suburb 17 kilometres from its Ultimo HQ. As the Nine Network’ tabloids reported last week, staff will engage in
5 September 2019
Aunty Complains About A Lack Of Alternative Views? That’s A Bit Rich
Media Watch is everything that is wrong with the ABC, squeezed into 15 insufferable minutes. Smug, elitist and, above all, awash with the misguided idea that commercial media outlets are not to be trusted and that the only place where honest news can be found is in Aunty’s warm, state-sponsored embrace. The program is usually best ignored, but its segment
