Belly,

You are off on another irrelevancy. The ABC take is a cool $billion from the taxes government levies compulsorily from taxpayers a year. As well there is a huge sum tied up in rapidly aging technology.

Of course the ABC has to be accountable.

However government is also required to demonstrate that it is applying the money taken from taxpayers to good use, to priorities and that value for money is always being obtained.

At the end of the day, the question that must be put is whether the workers that Labor claims to represent would prefer to have over-paid ABC presenters and redundant management structures instead of better roads, hospitals and so on.

That lazy billion dollars that goes into running the ABC could do a lot of good out there for common folk. It could get rid of narrow bridges on Australia's national highway for a start. That has got to be an improvement on endless political comment and re-runs of BBC programs available on the Net.

Good post Belly, if we ever get to the position where Yankee Rupert, controls everything you hear, read and see, it will indeed be a sorry day for Australia. One saving grace is, he's 82 and no one lives forever.
"Of course the ABC has to be accountable." that depends on how you interpret the word "accountable". For some it could simply mean, being a sycophantic government mouthpiece, simply reporting "good" news stories about Abbott and his cronies, whilst attacking those evil ones who would oppose such "good" government. Such an organisation would be most accommodating to anyone Rupert sent their way.
I will say I still find the SMH a good independent news outlet. The less said about News Corp the better.

Paul1405,

It is probably a Leftie/Greens thing, but it is a bit 'off' to disrespect an elderly person, and wishing him dead is abuse. The Greens are calling for euthanasia too. Maybe demonstrate some respect for the old first.

You are unnecessarily wild and woolly about accountability, again a Greens thing, most likely. You are probably unaware of the Australian Accounting Standards (AASB) and The Australian National Audit Office's best practice guides including its 'Administering Regulation' booklet.

Sure makes one wonder how the NSW Greens manage their governance responsibilities, especially where political donations are concerned.

Dear Paul,

If it wasn't for voices such as yours - this forum
would definitely be an intellectual desert.
And I feel the same
about "Our," ABC. I don't even want to imagine
us receiving our information only from strident
narrow-minded sources - owned by Mr Murdoch.
The ABC is worthy of our support - and Thank
Goodness most Australians agree.

I on this occasion must be unpleasant.
No other course can get this done.
At least 5 times I have asked a troll to ignore me/not refer to me in his/her posts.
And got replies that are meaningless ;lies.
See he/she informed me I did not own the forum, by inference saying I wanted to stop him/her from posting here.
Not true, and known not to be true, by that poster, but convenient.
So here it is, not a sign of weakness but strength.
I will never again refer to that poster, please consider being half decent and doing the same for me.

Dear Belly,

I know how you feel and it's a tactic that is used
by cyber bullies to either solicit a response from
you or to upset you that greatly so that you would
leave the forum. It is harrassment - plain and simple
and it must be stopped. Telling you to ignore it and
not respond to it has not worked and the only thing
that I can suggest is for you to seek legal advice.
If asking someone to leave you alone and not address
you any further - is ignored - there must be
legal action that can be taken. This is serious stuff,
especially if it is affecting your mental health and
well being and causing you distress. Look what
happened to Charlotte Dawson. I wonder if this poster
would even stop for a minute and consider the
consequences of his actions and the distress he's causing
to other people.