Hi Foxy,
don't take this the wrong way. I am happy for you to have found programmes you enjoy on your ABC. Good for you. Sadly the only two progammmes I found grand on my ABC are Death in Paradise and that Australian serial about the Public Prosecutor.
Current Affairs, News and the likes of Q&A leave me frustrated and yelling at my tv.

I would absoluty love to watch a CA program that at least did not disparage the things I value or only continually challenge my beliefs and what I see as truth.

That would be fair.

I don't expect Our ABC to disparage your values and challenge your beliefs. Do you think it right that it does this to me and not to you? Do you think if it provides positive reenforcement of your values and beliefs, as it obviously does, that it should do the same for me. Conversely if you think it should challenge my views don't you think it would be reasonable to challenge yours as well?

We both equally fund the thing so why shouldn't it treat us the same?

Mind regards
Keith Kennelly

Hi Dan S de Merengue

I'm happy to pay my share for ABC, just like I pay for roads, policing, and Defence.

This payment happens already - through paying taxes and rates, etc.

ABC TV, Radio and ABC Online provide important community services especially in rural and remote areas - particularly in community relations, emergency announcements and weather reports.

If you've been to New Zealand you'll see how pathetic the commercial media is in a country without a government provided TV service.

Pete

I do not hesitate to acknowledge there are some really good people at the ABC but those in control seem to have their own news agenda or policy of some weird political view.

Instead of closing the ABC down like some people suggest, I think a Royal Commission would help all Australia.
There appears to be many social and economic opportunities from solutions to collapse of the Australian and world ocean marine environment.
Those solutions do not involve selfish aquaculture or profit from the 70 percent of fish product now imported annually into Australia, or other business associated with lost fishing industry livelihoods.

I would like to be a fly on the wall watching when economists wake up to what is being lost by gagging the real state of the marine environment, and what could be gained from genuine solutions.

No doubt the ABC will continue with it's propaganda about CO2 with 'news' depicting fossil fuel emissions with images of tapered steam cooling towers.

ABC relevant motives should be ascertained because damage to ocean food web ecosystems is compounding unchecked, while CO2 non-sense continues.

Sorry plantagenet, you are not paying enough old chap.

We have bitumen roads, just south of me, being ripped up & returned to gravel, as gravel roads are cheaper to maintain.

We have many in north Qld who get flooded in every wet season, because the roads are inadequate. We even have people just out of Brisbane, who have no road access when ever high water is released from Wivenhoe, because bridges are inadequate.

This while the utter garbage the arrogant ABC produce for the inner city chattering class still goes to air.

There can be no justification for the tripe they produce, if they use public funds to produce it. The ABC is so far past it's use by date, I'm surprised it is audible anywhere but a cemetery.

Dear Keith (ImaJulianutter),

I don't think that a public broadcaster could
possibly pander to all of the political views of its
viewing public.
All it can do is try to maintain
accuracy and balance. Which I believe that it does.
Even programs like "Q and A" have a good mix in its
audience as well as in its panel. I don't think that
the program takes sides. When they for example present
a particular political guest - such as the previous PM
Julia Gillard. Mr Abbott was also invited to appear on
the program (many times). I value its news reporting -
especially programs such as Lateline and many others.
The commercial news outlets are so very narrow (and strident)
and as Media Watch constantly demonstrates - inaccurate.
But as I stated earlier - whatever floats your boat.

Before I forget - have a lovely Easter.
It's good to be talking to you again.

Pete, 
So you're happy to pay for 'Your' ABC. And now we've heard Foxy's reply. That might make two people happy to pay for it. If we can get enough people willing to pay for it, then that would be great. We could put it on pay TV and those that are happy with ABC programming can enjoy it through their Foxtel subscription.

The question is why are we all forced to pay for it through our taxes like other essential services? The government is duty bound to provide for essential infrastructure like roads, water, policing, and defence. The government is not duty bound to peddle someone's philosophical prejudices.

I'm happy that you're willing to pay for it. I am not. It is not required of the Australian people to have pander to some untouchable class with a 'born to rule' mentality, looking down their ideological noses and deciding what we should be thinking.

I'm glad that the ABC reaches into the country areas where they might struggle to support a commercial news service. I like that I can get broadcasts of the cricket when I'm driving in the rural areas. This is useful. 

If facts, at those times, there's even some semblance of balance or fairness. When cricket teams come to play Australia from the Asian subcontinent or the West Indies, there's no slander or bigotry served against those of other ethnicities. They even invite guest commentators from the visiting nations to give the commentary a more well rounded perspective. Perhaps one solution would be to let the cricket commentary team do the news and current affairs programming, or maybe let them teach the others at the ABC the meaning of the words 'balanced presentation'.