So much for ABC bias.
Paul1405,
Well, we now have conservative edge to edge so even the ABC crowd know which side their bread is buttered on. They really should call it FSBC as in Fence Sitters Broadcast Corporation..
We could also call it the hypocrite channel.

Paul1405, I too watched Q&A last night and found Pyne quite well spoken and reasonable about the topics brought up.
Certainly he speaks much more clearly and explains himself more effectively than the PM!

Spindoc, I don't see how we can express our opinions about whether to keep, scrap or change the ABC without mentioning our personal preferences?

No taunting or verbal tennis needed here.
It is true out back and some rural areas of this country would never support slashing or getting rid of the ABC.
Fairfax is our only true balenced media out let show me honesty in any other,major.
ABC is like the SMH the choice for those more interested in truth than junk.
Wait long enough and this thread will become great Aussie humor.
Murdock switches sides in his insane wish for control.
A day will come that see,s our author and his side kicks damning those they today try to kill the ABC for, commercial self interest/Liberal wishes to hide the truth.

No taunting or verbal tennis needed here.
It is true out back and some rural areas of this country would never support slashing or getting rid of the ABC.
Fairfax is our only true balenced media outlet show me honesty in any other,major.
ABC is like the SMH the choice for those more interested in truth than junk.
Wait long enough and this thread will become great Aussie humor.
Murdock switches sides in his insane wish for control.
A day will come that see,s our author and his side kicks damning those they today try to kill the ABC for, commercial self interest/Liberal wishes to hide the truth.

The ABC-Keep, Scrap or Change?

Given the amount of commercial media out there playing the same roles as the ABC ..... yes we need to redefine what the ABC is to do.

The biggest problem is their inherent political bias ..... its not needed we have Fairfax to play that role.

Do we need a poor rating bland news outlet on the tax payers dime ?

They really should only show locally made entertainment, I think that's fine.
Shows like Landline are ok as well as their science shows ..... but the news should be just cut back to reporting not opinion or Q&A type shows which bring out their obvious bias.

It seems the ABC is a hot topic, yet I avoided entirely any reference to political bias in my post as I didn’t want the debate to degenerate in to political bias.

As we can see unfortunately, there is little else on offer.

What we can definitely conclude without any further debate is that opinion is in fact polarized along political lines, which endorses the accusations of the ABC’s political bias. Not because of any protestations by the ABC, but because they have created a politically biased audience.

If some “see” a difference in ABC N&CA it can only be from a political perspective because the sources are now the same. QED.

It is only by examination of what the ABC was first established to accomplish, with its relevance to the current globalized News and Current Affairs markets, that will establish what is needed from the ABC now.

Radio National seems to be as relevant to Australia today as it always has been, particularly for remote/rural communities, there is little national commercial radio coverage for this market.

There would have to be questionable rationale for the ABC owning and operating retail outlets.

Modern, Global news syndication provides little if any product differentiation and as such, N&CA has no intrinsic market value to the ABC. Much of this is also available increasingly through electronic media in many forms.
Such elaborate, repetitive, multi-format, costly and grandiose productions are an anathema in today’s media environment.

Why would any government invest so heavily in a market that has already reached saturation coverage?

ABC’s general programming appears to be its remaining “unique” and differentiated market however, by its own admission it has to buy in much of its content and produces less of its own due to costs.
Surely if the ABC were to concentrate on what it could excel at, and not be involved in the investment needed to compete in a crowded marketplace, it could liberate funds from its costly competitive activities and effectively invest in market gaps and its own competitive advantage?

Cont’d