Klaas, what part of the ABC Charter gives you the right to state, “The ABC is not only a balanced and informed news provider……… In many ways it IS the balance in Australian society. “

Are you relying on,
“(2) In the provision by the Corporation of its broadcasting services within Australia:
(a) the Corporation shall take account of:
(i) the broadcasting services provided by the commercial and community sectors of the Australian broadcasting system;”?

Is your interpretation of this clause that the ABC has the right to exercise some kind of moral judgement over the commercial press and resist any transgressions?

If so, then I believe many Australians would disagree with you.

Geoffrey Kelley

klaas, "Of course I am a Friend of the ABC and of the excellent channel SBS as well. Suggesting a merger of these two channels while the number of ethnic groups in Australia is growing all the time is nonsensical"

As nonsensical as those long narrow bridges that claim lives on Australia's Highway One, or ambulances ramped outside hospital emergency departments would you say? There is never enough money to provide for the 'must-haves'. In the following order of 'should-haves' and 'could-haves', the optimal services the ABC wants to provide are definitely in the last mentioned category, the 'could haves'.

Australia has endured a rapidly growing population through migration for donkey's years and it cannot keep up with the demands for new and improved infrastructure. All but very few of the migrants responsible for the large population growth nest in a few capital cities. It is reprehensible that the mandarins of the ABC and SBS haven't got together to achieve savings through reducing redundancy between themselves let alone the duplication of services already provided gratis by others.

Another thing, it is an enduring theme of 'Progressive' ABC political comment shows like Q&A that change should be promoted and all that is traditional must be changed. So why wave the very out of date ABC charter about? It pre-dates and never took into consideration the proliferation of free information and culture that is The New Media Age, or Computer Age.

Anyhow, why should the ABC and SBS continue to be shielded as sacred cows from the efficiency dividends that affect all other government agencies?

Get it through your head, Klaas, that we the taxpayers demand that the ABC try to abide by it's charter to be unbiased. We know that being completely unbiased is unachievable and there will always be a bit of bias either way. But we will not tolerate the ABC making no effort at all and being a taxpayer funded propaganda machine for the loony left advocating their fringe group ideologies.

Either reform, or lose all support and be either shut down for not even attempting to live up to your founding charter, or at least have many of your services curtailed and restricted.

The reason why you lefties want the government to fund your left wing propaganda media is because of the failure of left wing media to attract a viable customer base for their own left wing publications. Your views are so far outside of the mainstream opinions that most people will not purchase your newspapers.

It is alright having a publically funded media wagging their fingers at Australians and lecturing us on what morally bankrupt reprobates we are. But nobody is going to buy any media which does that. And we are wondering why we should tolerate your kind using our taxes to do the same thing.

I know that this is a bit hard for a socialist to understand when it comes to marketability. But upsetting your customers or audiences is a great way to have them turn on you.

Shape up or ship out, Klaas

Not much to add here, but one of the few entertaining things left to watch on the ABC is the way that their presenters have to take a breath when they say "Prime Minister [gasp] Tony Abbott". They still can't quite believe it, the poor dears.

<<1) The functions of the Corporation are [to represent]...iv) the multicultural character of the Australian community >>

This is akin to Pravda having as part of its charter the function of representing the Socialist nature of the USSR

There is a very good reason for the government attacks on the ABC.

It is to silence dissent and minimise criticism and also to soften the public up for a dismantling of the public broadcaster.

If it can't be controlled it must be neutralised.

As for bias, the day the ABC broadcasts a comedy called "At Home With Tony" showing Abbott and his wife having sex in his office under an Australian flag it would only show that they are politically neutral.