Chris,
I agree with you, let's sell it, after all the ABC is the only FREE channel who tells the truth, time for a carve up, I reckon Packer, Stokes and Fairfax media would pay a packet to have the truth and independent thought removed from our lives.

This would allow their biased reporting to completely dominate our lives, and tell us anything. Some of us value the truth more than money Chris, it will come as a shock, but some things, to some of us ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN MONEY, AND ONE OF THOSE THINGS IS THE TRUTH!

While formulating these new laws howard met with the biggies in the media field constantly it seems. Now I am beginning to see why rupert has been so obsequious to howard and the libs especially in the 'australian. Again rupert is in the bush camp as well, just what news are we going to be fed in the future? I wonder if the libs will get larger donations from rupert now. I mean rupe is the consumate business man and howard the same in politics. numbat

Granted that the ALP has blocked changes to media policy since 1996, the main problem with Coalition policy is that is has never put consumer choice first. We should be able to get any content on any media as we choose. The potential of the net in Australia was set back years by the data-casting nonsense designed to protect incumbent FTA tv owners; those same owners were given valuable spectrum free to subsidise them bringing in HDTV long before there was a market for it, the government once again deciding what technology we should have (HDTV) rather than letting us have what we wanted (open slather on the net). And they are always years behind the technological frontier. I think Coonan actually has some grasp of what's required, but the PM is not interested, he can see political pain but no gain from market- and consumer-driven media change. The same attitude underlies the sweetheart deal with Qantas on trans-Pacific flights and the see-no-evil attitude to the AWB. The absence of a viable opposition allows such behaviour.

The Right Honourable John Howard PM is a brilliant tactician... This man should get the Gold Medal for divertionary politics.

In a time when his party is going to dramatically reduce restrictions on Aussie Media Ownership, playing right into the hands of multi-millionaire media barons even some overseas ones, he has all these things to divert our attention 1. The Commonwealth Games 2. The Labor party infighting 3. The AWB enquiry and just to make sure we are truly diverted from what he is up to he mentions Prince Charles & the monarchy non issue.

Now of course he didn't choose the Commonwealth Games timing nor the Labor Party infighting but he did choose now to announce the proposed changes, what a perfect opportunity for a political opportunist.

He's a tricky little fellow ....

This bushy eyed bloke is a classic... His coup de gras is he has given the mega rich media barons just the story they need so they don't have to mention much about how they are going to soon control everything we hear, see, and read, whilst we're all watching other things.

Little Johnny Howard I dips me lid to ya... you're a shifty little thing now aren't you?

How to divert a whole nation playing just a few cards... whilst giving the media barons everything they want...

The only question is - "Is this tactic "UnAustralian"? Is this deliberately tricking Australian voters? Is this stiffling debate in the media a core part of our National Interest?

If the Labor party sneezes John Howard quietly announces all us little Aussies have a cold! We liitle Aussies can now look forward to the occasional "token" naughty Johnny story in the media ... but the rest will be "he's our best mate stuff" only using other words!

How does this guy sleep at night?

Yeah Chris, let's privatise the ABC. That way we'll only hear what the government wants us to hear and we'll all walk around like braindead drones with our minds numbed by neo-conservative propaganda from media sources receiving generous government handouts and tax cuts.

I'd rather have the rich receive more tax cuts than hear the truth. After all, the truth only gets in the way of my neocon views and makes me fell like an ignoramous. Luckily Murdoch and his Goebbels-style media corp comes to my rescue.

Heil Murdoch and the Fox Reich!

Opinionated 2,
He sleeps at night knowing he is serving his masters well, as long as labour costs go down {except for C.E.O.'s of course} he is a happy and contented man. The gulible ordinary Australian is unable to see past the facarde, so roll on Johhny for another 3 years. Ughhh!

Chris bases his reasons for privatising the ABC on the idea that many object to paying for it. He very selectively implies that it is used by only one in five. Each week it is used by a much higher proportion than that ! Many who don't use commercial media also object to paying so much for those too. If privatising the ABC meant a higher cost for the same service, (and it probably would), then we are worse off. If it's the nature of the service that worries him, then maybe it's time to legislate for all electronic content to be financed directly by subscription, or other user pays models. The technology exists and the abolition of all "free to air" (euphemism extrordinaire) would be welcomed by many. If I could opt out of indirectly paying for electronic advertising on radio & TV, I suspect I could well afford a substantial subscription to a much better ABC. ABC TV has now been so degraded I no longer use it, nor the commercials.
But I still pay for them all.
PS If the remaining bits of high quality Radio National content disappear, then we're completely stuffed.

Whilst we're watching the games the Howard Govt is continuing on strongly in the background selling out what tiny hope we have left for independence in our media.

Did anyone see Helen Coonan on late line the other night?... she seemed to have trouble convincing herself that the new media laws the Govt propose for Australia will be better for the Aussie National Interest let alone us the voters.

But what are the Democrats saying about the proposed media ownership laws

http://www.democrats.org.au/news/index.htm?press_id=5041&display=1

And Labor

http://www.alp.org.au/media/0306/msrd210.php

The multi-millionaire media barons will soon decide what you hear, see and read in this democracy and Little Johnny is selling out the National Interest for his own political agenda once again.

At a time whe the Commonwealth Games are taking attention, this is taking place alongside the AWB scandal, and the most extreme Industrial Relations legislation in Australian history.

This of course has not been intentional at all, now we can see why the rush was on to get workchoices through the senate without scuritny, timing is a precious commodity, by the time the ordinary employee finds out what has hit them, the only reaction will be to vote the liberals out at the next federal election.

Shonga you are correct Aussies have way too much to divert their attentions away from the failings of this Government and the Opposition and the Govt is loving every minute of the diversions.

Just some of the things that have come out in the last few days :

Liberal Factionalism

http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2006/s1598492.htm

AWB

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,18575532-29277,00.html

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200603/s1594202.htm

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,18561922-29277,00.html

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200603/s1598365.htm

The Govt is winning Gold Gold Gold for untruths, "I know nothing", misleading parliament, diversionary tactics. Ah that's a strong democracy for you!

Next we'll be deporting Australian citizens.... OOps I forgot we already have!

Opinionated 2,
Yes anything goes in this brave new world of "the new right" but please don't speak too loudly, sedition laws are in place...shhhhh!

Actually I am impressed with the media at the moment regarding the Cole enquiry.

news.com have created a whole thread covering it in detail

The threads at http://www.news.com.au/index/0,10121,37435,00.html

The only thing missing is the comments from the smaller parties like the Democrats

http://www.democrats.org.au/news/index.htm?press_id=5045&display=1

It is all interesting reading and it helps to create confidence in what our forefathers wanted ... an honest democracy where the States are properly represented in the Senate.