Dear me, what a target rich environment, as they say. The ABC regularly advertises its own shows with promos all day long - and then you get the hypocrisy of interviews and commentry on radio on for example, the evils of gambling while during these they promote footy-tipping, and the Melbourne Cup events, wonderful stuff and none of the commentators/hosts see anything wrong with this as they gleefully party on. So what you don't like is anyone else advertising on ABC is that correct? Or anyone using ABC content, paid for by taxpayers, for anything else?

Quoting Crikey.com(.au?) is quoting a gossip site isn't it, hardly a good reference.

"Quality programming", oh please, the ABC is full of opinionated presenters who ascribe to the celebrity stream, there are some good shows which deserve a good showing though. Why should we, the taxpayer, be so captive to the vagaries of the presenters?

I have no problem, obviously, in the ABC taking in advertising as it may have some influence on the staff being somewhat more balanced and less socialist and left in their leanings - the board has no effect on the staff, maybe it's time for another approach. Not everyone feels that the ABC works for them.

Sign a petition .. Dumbing down the ABC, what .. further than it is now? I know lots of folks who would gladly sign a petition to have the ABC given a good flush to get rid of some of the rubbish. Don't get me started!

I would love to see the ABC fully funded from advertising, as that would reduce its dependence on my taxes. I am not at all worried about the effect on programs, as I have given up watching it already, as I am sick of having my news and entertainment filtered through one of their editors, who adds indigenous, lesbian and other issues that I don't want. It is wonderful to have the internet as your main information source, and to able to get a variety of views, not just the standard PC socialist left journalistic ones peddled on the ABC.

Well I am one of those strongly opposed to advertising on the ABC and the increase in advertising time on SBS (ie. during rather than in-between programmes).

I mainly watch the ABC,a couple of good shows on SBS and the odd commercial channel show thrown in here and there. The ABC provides a broad range of shows for a broad range of people including indigenous people. Would a commercial channel be predisposed to airing shows for minority groups if the motive was purely profit?

The range of shows on the ABC is very broad and there is something for everyone (all taxpayers). I find ABC and SBS presenters in the main to be equally scrutinising of those on the left and right of politics.

The ABC has been pushing it's luck lately with it's own Ads but in moderation this is preferable to being presented with a barrage of inane and annoying Ads on a regular basis on the commercial channels.

Pelican

You stole my thunder, I watch a lot of ABC & SBS as well.

I loathe the commercials that now interrupt the flow of narrative on SBS programs.

And while I appreciated the cleverness of the advertising for the Gruen Transfer as well as enjoying the show, I feel the ABC audience are gradually being softened up for further commercial intrusion.

Plerdsus

If your preference is for 'vanilla' programs, then the commercial channels supply such fare in abundance and there is no need to watch ABC or SBS. For the rest of us who enjoy variety, being informed and sometimes challenged both the ABC and SBS offer plenty for wide range of different people. Long may the ABC continue to provide an alternative to the bland fairy floss offered by the commercial networks.

Should "Today tonight", "60 minutes" and endless C grade American shows be your pleasure, then enjoy.

As to the ABC being controlled by socialists, then maybe those who think so, should get out more or turn off your Foxtel!

Fractelle,

I can assure you that I cannot remember the last occasion I watched any of the c**p on commercial TV stations.

The day of the free to air TV station is over. You may have noticed that Packer and all the other smart boys got out a year or two ago. The stations won't go away, but the programming on all will just steadily get worse.

Young people don't watch TV, as TEN admitted recently. Neither do I. If there is a program I am interested in, I download the podcast and watch the bit that interests me.

I get most of my news from overseas sources (they actually have different views, unlike here, where you could watch 2,7,9, and 10 news and watch the same stories, and see the same people on all of them). I continue to be amazed at the important news stories that are never mentioned here, but at least I can now follow them using the internet.

In the near future, when the internet will carry live TV, the demise of the local rubbish will be complete.

P.S How long before the Sydney Morning Herald stops publishing a paper edition? It can't happen to soon, as far as I am concerned. I haven't purchased a copy for years. Read it all online.