Foxy,
The reason the ABC came into existence had nothing to do with
programming. It was all about people in the country not being able to
hear the city stations during the day.
No one had the risk capital at that time to set up local stations and
the cost of news gathering was high.
So the politicians agreed to set up a national broadcast network.
After its radio network was established like all public service
organisations it looked for more to do and settled on more networks
and an FM station and Radio Australia.
After the war then came TV. A bonanza for the public ABC & SBS.

Quote:
In relation to news and current affairs the ABC and SBS
provide independent, fair, and balanced reporting, analysis
and investigative journalism.
Unquote
Are you kidding ? Some good investigating stories but that is the
best that can be said of your quote.
They no longer even pretend to be unbiased Foxy !

They no longer even pretend to be unbiased Foxy !
Bazz,
That is a truth they can't even pretend to hide anymore !
They are a major factor in the dysfunction we're battling in our society !
They should really have funding cut until they actually get near comprehending the meaning of integrity !

The fact of the matter is: whether it's biased or not, the ABC is here to stay. It also has nothing to do with the topic because it isn't getting any extra money out of the budget - which is the topic!

I will bet my bottom dollar that no Australian government will ever defund or close down the ABC. If they did, they would waste the money on something else, and we would be no better off. So, complaining about the ABC is a bit like whingeing about multinational companies not paying tax. The government is not going to do anything about it, and we would be no better off if they did.

Tonight, I'll be watching Father Brown and The Split on ABC. Tomorrow night, I'll be watching Grantchester. For the rest of the week, I will not touch the ABC with a barge pole; and that is the only way to avoid their bigoted, biased, boofheaded propaganda and apologies for comedy. Try it. That's what most Australians do, despite the obsessing and emoting of half a dozen people on Online Opinion.

I would be opposed to the ABC being closed because they do provide a
service that is needed in certain places and they can provide some
otherwise ignored fields such as children's shows.
They do need a firm hand otherwise they will have the girls being boys
and vice versa just because the ABC said so after all it is Their ABC.
The need for the ABC has reduced dramatically and it could be halved
and almost no one would notice.

I'd like to see the ABC doing more Australian-based productions instead of relying so much on overlapping current affairs programming.
I'd love to see the ABC doing documentaries on on subjects such as the Bradfield Scheme, a National Service, railway Infrastructure etc & have the relevant politicians appear in them.
Make top bureaucrats answer why so many sensible projects are always sidelined.
Interview people other than 'Experts' & Academics to get their for/against views.
Do a documentary on black deaths in custody from a police perspective. Do a documentary on crime featuring the failings of our Judiciary etc.
Real documentaries instead of the outcome-less Customs shows. There's more material out there than we can poke sticks at yet here the ABC keeps showing repeats after repeats.
Give the Australian independent filmmakers a shot in the arm by showing their stuff ! We need diversity !

Accusations of bias according to The
Sydney Morning Herald are useful tools to
undermine confidence and support for the ABC, just
as fake news and misinformation is deployed by
Putin's Russia to undermine social stability and
confidence in institutions of the West.

In fact we're told that some bias in the ABC is not a
vice but a virtue, and is mandated in its charter.

Specifically the ABC is required:

a) To provide within Australia innovative and
comprehensive broadcasting service of a high standard as
part of the Australian broadcasting system consisting of
national, commercial and community sections and, without
limiting the generality of the foregoing to provide:

i) broadcasting programs that contribute to a sense of
national identity and inform and entertain, and reflect
the cultural diversity of the Australian community.

Commercial media, especially TV has no such mission. Long
ago it shed its public service based costing obligations
with the blessings of politicians.

The ABC (especially ABC radio) devotes airtime to issues
that are largely ignored by other media: religion, feminism,
Indigenous issues, Muslem and other minorities interests.

In doing so it paints a picture of an Australia that is at
odds with some people's beliefs about Australia, for whom
Australia is still white, European, Christian and male.

In their minds this is bias, but it is bias or a reflection
of the modern reality of Australia, warts and all. And to
some it is at odds with entertainment and profitability.

However looking at things objectively, Australia's mix of
public service and commercial media serves our social
entertainment and political needs well. Diverse, accurate,
and informed media is a corner stone of our
democratic processes because choice only
means choice when you know the alternatives.

When media content is driven only by entertainment values and
profitability, not to mention the influence of large
advertisers and political parties, alternative views are not
encouraged.

Public service broadcasting ABC and SBS is vital in
providing alternative ideas and understandings. Without
alternative ideas we don't have
democracy. And its worth discussing this issue -
as a "Model for Our Future".