This is an important article. It explains by way of example just how destructive the ABC is to competition and diversity in Australian media. If the current government really cares about small business and innovation it would take note of the few recommendations made by Graham Young in this article. It would begin to curb the excesses of this behemoth.

Thank you Graham Young for this important article. The role of the taxpayer funded ABC in Australian politics needs to be reviewed urgently. You have been too gentle with your comments. From my perspective the left-wing/Green bias of the ABC is reprehensible. If it is to continue to exist it must redress this problem and pay due respect to it's charter, which it simply ignores. The ABC political journalists are all of long standing and seem happy to pursue their own left-wing green agendas to the exclusion of all others. Consequently, there is no diversity of views. The extension of the ABC from it's traditional role is another major problem for the nation. It is difficult for non taxpayer funded businesses and organizations to compete with this behemoth - it is not a free market and once again diversity of views is stultified in a big way. If it were up to me (admittedly very unlikely to ever happen), I would be closing half of it down asap. It is not 'my ABC' and I begrudge paying tax dollars to support the Labor Party and the Greens - a pox on them all.

I think I see a glimmer of light here Graham and in relation to your concerns; and that is the re emergence of online opinion pieces by the general public on Aunty? As opposed to the drum, which was rigorously selective?

As for compass it was and remains flawed, inasmuch as it decided I was a labor supporter!? Never happens! I voted for Bob Katter, who does say and do some silly things sometimes, but remains authentic and true to his own core beliefs; and importantly, was the one holdout when Julia Gillard needed crossbench support to form Government! The drum is dead! Long live informed debate!
Alan B.

This is an important and highly relevant explanation of what's wrong with the ABC ethos. ONO is a valuable contributor to political debate in this country because it accepts articles from people holding a wide range of political and economic views. In contrast, the rare times that I've viewed Q&A and most other political programs, I've been appalled at the left-wing bias inherent within the compare/MC, the presenters but also (and this is most important) the way in which alternative views are stifled or criticised. In contrast, I'm a keen viewer of The Insiders because Barrie Cassidy, although he's from the left, always allows the one right-wing journalist to speak freely without interruption.

The death of The Drum should be followed by changes to Q&A to make it fairer for the right-wing presenters to have their say (replace Tony Jones possibly). Of course, it would also require big changes in the way the ABC presents the news to make it an unbiased national broadcaster but that's probably hoping for too much.

It is ridiculous that "our" ABC is permitted to use our money to abuse us. The ABC is best for entertainment on Friday nights and most of the weekend. Opinion - no thankyou.

The Drum. Never really watched it until recently. My last and final look included a nicely dressed, pleasant looking woman of aboriginal heritage, a singer and composer, who screeched at quitely spoken Greg Sheridan every time he opened his mouth. She seemed to have done very well for herself career-wise, but she stilled bemoaned the lot of aborigines, similarly to that other successful person, Stan Grant, who maintains being aboriginal is a handicap, when it is perfectly clear that he, the the screeching woman, and most aborigines, manage perfectly well; the only ones who don't are those who voluntarily isolate themselves from the mainstream. The ABC perpetuates myths and lies, and programmes like The Drum are tediously predictable in their content and message.

No Graham, they were no threat to onlineopinion.
I stopped reading or interacting with this site, beyond the occasional cursory look, simply because of the bias and neo-con rants and bullying of fellow posters.
I stopped because I ended up feeling a little dirty after having visited.
I liked The Drum because it was moderated, although there were some areas they could have improved in layout etc. I still got frustrated at the number of neo-con extreme right views that seemed to dominate, and my views often were opposed by them, but at least it was civil.
OLO gets a clique of posters who dominate and attempt to intimidate.

The Drum was not a threat to OLO success, sanity, civility and bias within OLO are the treat to attracting a wider and growing audience.

I don't even bother with any surveys anymore..