Who else but good old Aunty even attempts to "keep the bastards honest" ?

If the ABC ran a ticket in the Federal elections, they would have my vote.

Yes, let's privatise the national broadcaster, because god forbid, it may challenge the government.

Yes, and private enterprise wouldn't dare challenge the government as they are too busy making donations and quietly (not) lobbying for their interests.

Shame on you.

When people like Stickman trot out as 'fact' that “…The exodus of ABC staffers into Labor preselection is hardly an advertisement for a wholly impartial staff, is it?”, you have to ask: Why has the myth – or more accurately, the lie - of a natural ALP/ABC nexus developed? Why is that lie so often trotted out by critics of the ALP? Why don't people who accuse the ABC of political bias never mention the Coalition-ABC connection? Bias or ignorance?

While everyone points to the well-known faces of Kerry O’Brien and Barry Cassidy as former ALP staffers and Maxine McKew and a few others as ALP-endorsed candidates, Johnj provides some names - which I can add to - of ABC staff or former staff with known Coalition political affiliations. And it’s just as long as that for Labor.

In alphabetical order, here’s some Coalition-ABC staffers:

Jim Bonner, Eoin Cameron, Peter Collins, Ken Cooke, Ian Cover, Pru Goward, Gary Hardgrave, Rod Henshaw, Cathy Job, Peter McArthur, Rob Messenger, Chris Nicholls, Stephen O’Doherty, Cameron Thompson, Vicki Thompson, Grant Woodhams, Bruce Webster, and Chris Wordsworth.

Jockeying for preselection, yes, and if that fails, for a position as an ABC Board member. If Janet Albrechtsen, Ron Brunton and Keith Windshuttle can be appointed to the Board, Felicity would have to be up there with a chance, especially after flaunting her credentials so superbly with this petulant and long winded rant.

We all see our taxes being spent on things we don't agree with but on this issue, Felicity, you are totally out of touch with public opinion. By your own acknowledgement, the ABC rates consistently highly and the responses here to your article again demonstrate a very high level of support for the ABC.

I have a good suggestion. Give up this nonsense about HD TV and make room for an additional right wing station.(Government sponsored of course).

Felicity can watch it to her hearts content and the rest of us can watch the left wing version. As well as being fair to both sides we will then find out which is the most popular.

Good on you, Felicity, for having the courage to publish your politically incorrect views without fear or favour. As for the huff and puff of your gainsayers, well that's all it is - mirrors and smokescreens. Not a single one, repeat, nary a one, has picked up your principal arguments and addressed them in a cogent manner. How intelligent is that?

Burkey said: It's so sad to see someone as young as you still fighting the cold war. No, it's *great* to see someone as young as you still fighting for what you believe in. You're the wave of the future. Let the huffers and puffers fade away in their armchair politics and recycled, shop-soiled ideas. Time is on your side. Go for it.