"Also Emma Alberici will now become the ABC's Chief Economics Correspondent and Stan Grant has been given the job of Chief Asia Correspondent"

Proving that the $1.3 billion p.a. national broadcaster is still capable of humour, albeit unintended.

My concern is with the intellectual quality of the ABC rather than the perceived political barrow some may perceive it to push or want it to push. Hence the focus on dumbing down.

Parliament , ABC News and docos are aimed at the 11 year old market.
Intellectual quality is awesome and xclnt.

Dear EJ,

Did you happen to watch Q&A tonight
Monday, 11th December 2017?

It was a Prime Ministerial program with
the only panel member being the PM -
Malcolm Turnbull.

Your concerns of the ABC "dumbing down" should
have been put to rest. The questioners, the host
of the show, and most importantly - the Prime
Minister, all performed beautifully. An excellent
program. And certainly very revealing.
The ABC does this so well.

Q&A, especially with Virginia Trioli epitomises the shallow end of the pool.

Q&A is a modern day Roman Colosseum where an overpaid celebrity 'host' with an ever-active earphone with a faceless director, plays provocateur and ringmaster to the baiting and scourging of perceived anti-'Progressive' invitees to the entertainment of a rude Ultimo hipster mob.

Q&A is the antithesis of the sober and deep investigative journalism of the past ABC, 'Aunty', that earned the reputation of independence that is now being trashed by the opinionated, adversarial, face-pulling, celebrity talking heads like Trioli.

However I would add that the hours, years, of time wasted on the stationary cameras focussed on swimming and cricket should also be criticised as lost opportunities for better services, eg informative programs on ordinary everyday needed information/skills for the less advantaged in the community.

Accepting though that the day of 'The Box' is done and the millions being poured into the ABC should be put into community initiated and administered programs and to giving the disadvantaged, which includes pensioners and others on fixed incomes, greater access to the digital revolution, digital technology, that they are largely being excluded from, but is now crucial to keeping involved and to improving their quality of life. The radio services are useful to some areas, but it shouldn't be dominated by pretentious, self-promoting political wafflers like Phillip Adams.

Don't like the ABC. Don't watch the ABC. End of story.