I was pleased to see the majority of the posts are in favour of keeping the ABC. Compare the current affairs programmes which you would get on any of the commercial networks and there is no comparison. Consequently I rarely watch them. If by chance there is something worthwhile then it automatically gets recorded so that I can zap the advertisements at a later date. If you want to watch crap like "dancing with the stars" and "Neighbours" good luck to you, just don't foist it on the rest of us. It was a sad day when SBS started to include commercials, but again, at least I can record some of the very good productions presented there. If the ABC ever sold out and went "commercial" I think I would sell my TV.

Please! Sell the ABC - are you crazy or an american. If you are the latter, I can understand your irritability, but if an australian - come, come, enough. The ABC is needed by us aussies. Who would we kick and scream at? Leave my ABC alone and go back to your 'foxhole'.

It is time the ABC was sold. People with interests in the Arts,history etc that (the hopeless) commercial TV ignores can now get plenty of what they want from Pay TV. As far as the news programs go there have been a lot of criticisms of them. If the ABC news programs were on Pay TV and people supported them good luck to them. If on the other hand they were not supported then goodbye. The point is why should the public have to pay?

Sell the ABC -you,ve got to be joking. I use the fact as to whether some one watches the ABC or commercial TV as a quick intelligence test. Usually the same people read broadsheets or tabloids. The incredibly dumb level of news, current affairs presented on the commercials is just incredibly sad(newest bra/granny bashed/celb. crap) If you have been to the States you would have to believe the tabloid media has been responsible for the massive dumbing down of the population. Guess what no ABC/BBC equivalent apart from PBS which is viewed by a tiny percenatge of the population. I honestly believe a solid ABC is at the core of keeping Australia an outward looking educated nation.

Sell it? I'll buy it! For the same reasons I read good books, not trashy newspapers.
I get my all news and analysis from the ABC.
Its initials reflect its demographic - A's,B's and C's....the thinkers. If you don't like it, join the bogans watching Channel Ten.

FrankGol, this blog post is part of our feature of the 40 Best Blog posts for 2007. OLO is running this feature in conjunction with Club Troppo and this post was chosen by a panel (as were all the others). You can find more details about the feature and who are on the panel here: http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=6817. Susan Prior (ed).