It does not take long in this election year if one listens to or sees ABC current affair programs to detect left wing bias in spades. The ABC has been constantly warned but it just goes on. I agree, privatise it let people who want to hear this stuff pay for it. If it cannot survive on its own..too bad.

I give thanks every day that we have a public funded ABC despite the fact that successive Governments have sought to tailor it to their own particular bias
I am disgusted at the antic of commercial TV & Radio that their bias employs the parrot and Laws while they insult us with cheap american soapie crap.My radio is tuned to the ABC channels such as the News Channel; Radio National and the local FM channel. I was disappointed when Radio Australia closed down in the N.T and switched their transmissions to Melbourne.
The services the ABC provide are second to none.
If Australian TV & Radio services emulate privatised Fox and CNN you would really have something to complain about.
VIVA Aunty

Felicity says “It is wrong that taxpayer money is pumped into an organisation which is motivated to provide a platform for particular political opinions.”

Like the Liberal Party, you mean, which receives a tidy sum from the taxpayers?

Felicity also claims that ABC programming is geared to an older, wealthier audience; that's not entirely true. A quarter or more of ABC weekday viewing is programs for children; and families with small children are not all fabulously wealthy.

Of course, I am concerned about bias in some children's show. Take Thomas the Tank Engine, for example, extolling the virtues of hard work, following the rules and obeying the boss without question. Blatant right wing propaganda if ever I saw it!

Still, if the Liberals are so set on privatising the ABC, they know what to do. Run it as an election issue at the next federal election. I’d love to see the reaction from the voters!

Cheers!

What exactly is Felicity soliciting? Does she want our ABC to become yet another Channel 9, 7, 10, where programs are indecently interrupted every 5 minutes to make exhorbitant profits for the owners? I rarely miss a '7.30 Report' or 'Lateline' and I must confess that finding bias in either program's convenor must be a fertile mind's imagination. If Felicity McMahon worries about 'taxpayers' funds', she should seriously consider publically reprimanding John Howard for the millions of dollars of taxpayers' money spent on blatant political advertising.
Why didn't Felicity explain what would be achieved by privatising the ABC? Why doesn't she explain what privatisation caused to the railways, to the electricity supply, etc. Just keep off the ABC........

As Felicity rightly points out, the ABC maintains a strong position in the ratings.

My view will always be, if a QANGO is worth the effort, it will be able to maintain its existence in the same jungle as the rest of us, the private equity jungle.

Many of the ex-government homes for the incontinent have made the transition from the public teat to the real world QANTAS, CBA, GAF to name but three. The ABC should be a prime object for private investment and not treated as some sacred cow (of the left).

One thing is sure, they will be driven by the competitive spirit, which is the only motivator for excellence. No longer able to slink back into promoting the negative values of socialism, which are in direct conflict to what really works in a real world.

To all those who think we are morally uplifted by demeaning dross and censored coverage of politically incorrect views of the fallacy of global warming, let them pay for it as private subscribers and leave my tax dollars in my pocket for me to spend on the news/entertainment media of my choice.

The less government involvement in everything, the better

I guess when you are so very far to the right, everything else must seem to be on the left.