If Ben Terpstra is a 'freelance writer from East Anglia (UK)', on what basis does he refer to "our" ABC? Further, it seems obvious from his article that he is basing his opinions derivatively, rather than on direct analysis of ABC programming - which is actually very diverse, particularly if you include radio.

For those of us who live in the Australian bush, there is a strong feeling of 'ownership' of the ABC (so we get a bit touchy when a Pom lectures us about it!). We watch ABC TV and listen to ABC Radio because we trust 'our' ABC to give us accurate information and intelligent analysis, unlike what we get on the commercial channels.

If it's such a left-wing organisation, why do all of us National Party voting rednecks love it so much? Hands off our ABC - and this particularly refers to Poms when we're in the middle of a Test series!!

BIAS is a difficult little beasty to control.
The 'Left'/anti creationist/atheist' mob seem to delight in accusing the rest of it, while denying they are guilty of it.. (it seems)...

A classic but unrelated example, is this from The Age (a leftish rag now) today where in a column on 'intelligent design' the claim is made

"Creationists deny that the evolutionary process described by Darwin ever took place"

Which is either an admission of ignorance by the author, or a willful barefaced lie.
Creationists DO accept natural selection as a means of change and adaptation within species. We don't accept that new species are brought about this way.

The same type of bias, is manifest in all media it seems and in the opinions of most posters here. Example "If you oppose migration of Muslims" = "You HATE Muslims".. I suppose the 'right' is as guilty in some ways when suggesting of the Left "You want open slather and all and sundry to come". (or are they ?)

My observation of the ABC is that when labor is 'in' it gets filled with Lefty Labor types, and when the Coalition is 'in' they try to shift things back, only to find a kicking and screaming of opposition etc.... (which kind of comfirms the theory, why kick and scream unless one is afraid of the ideas the new appointees may bring ?)

The Coalition has been 'in' since 1996 yet we still get people like Ben Terpstra alleging ABC left-wing bias. Why this paradox? After all, when it comes to ABC appointments the buck stops with the government of the day. Why isn't the Coalition doing its job properly and getting an ABC that tows its party line?

Partly it goes back to my earlier point. If you want more Mike Munros or Ray Martins in the ABC, you'll have to pay 'Ray Martin wages' - just like Packer does now. Conservatives, particularly intelligent conservatives, don't work for peanuts. Someone like Janet Albrechtsen might be happy to be on the ABC Board. But she's hardly likely to give up her contract with Rupert Murdoch to front an ABC current affairs show for sweet FA. She's got a lifestyle to support.

Forgive me, but what on earth does an article in 'The Age' about creationism have to do with Terpstra's article here about supposed left-wing bias at the ABC?

Did I miss something?

Mauswara, I missed something too. But since you brought it up Boaz, since when has The Age been a "a leftish rag "? I would also think evolutionalist theory is not exclusive to the left side of political theory.

Anyway, as Mauswara reminds us, we are talking about the ABC. Thank the heavens the ABC can't afford the likes of Ray Martin and Mike Munroe. At least the ABC (along with SBS), seems to still have a grip on the concept Current Affiars, eg Four Corners, Lateline, 730Report, etc What do the networks call Current Affairs huh? Today Tonight and Current Affair? Chasing single mothers with kids to 5 different fathers, around suburban shopping centre carparks? (That was Today Tonight) Providing a list of possible benefits (including remote location assistance), then iferring the poor woman they are harrassing is claiming them all at taxpayers expense. Then they forgot to tell us she was working? Well Media Watch on the ABC, picked up on that poor excuse for "journalism" and told us the truth. I think that example goes to sum up why we need the ABC (and SBS).

Any so called bias within the ABC is actually of no relevance because so few people actually watch it.
My only problem with the ABC is that they should have advertising.
They are allowed to advertise all their crap like bananas in pyjamas and merchandise associated with programs but no-one else is allowed to peddle their wares on the station. This is anti-competitive. They either allow all adverttising or none. They can't have their cake and eat it (That's another cliche especially for DavidJS).

t.u.s