We can have private news agencies and we do that can be rcognised to represent diverse views. We do not need a publicly funded broadcaster that is not the voice of the Government to the people. Of course its flavour will change as the people change the government. But currently it is anti- Australian and anti Government. For instance it should be reporting views without an agenda, but they have an agenda they are pushing. for instance: On Climate Change it should be presenting both sides of the argument but they are committed to one side and demonise those that disagree.

I might point out the BBC is a subscription service still I believe.
They do not seem to have much problem attracting viewers.
I acknowledge that they have been accused of being lefty biased.

Dear Josephus,

Oh come on mate.

At some stage equal time to holocaust deniers, or tobacco executives claiming smoking doesn't kill, or James Hardie executive claiming asbestos is safe, has to end.

Now that the Murdoch press has finally jumped the shark and stopped throwing shade on the climate change that most of the sane world knows is happening is really is game over.

We most certainly “need a publicly funded broadcaster that is not the voice of the Government 'for' the people.”

What we don't need is a foreign owned multi national setting the political agenda for this country. That is most certainly as anti- Australian  as it gets.

ttbn,
The ABC could be more even handed in its presentation of views, that’d be a good start.
But generally they are so far ahead of the commercial channels that we never turn the commercials on.

To Individual- Yes the head of the ABC "Ita" has an interesting background- nominated by Scott Morrison- raised Catholic- doesn't seem to be a lefty per se- but seems to have become softer with the ABC- some don't like her- I've heard she can be hard to work for- I get the impression that she has a good work ethic- perhaps like "Nuclear Wintour" on valium- their hair seems to be similar. There was a scandal regarding her father-journalist Charles Oswald Buttrose- but she was named after her Maternal Grandmother- Ita Clare Rodgers (Rosenthal). It seems the Rosenthal surname (Rose Valley) has been in publishing related businesses for a while- and has been disproportionately influential.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ita_Buttrose
http://selectsurnames.com/rosenthal/

Despite all this the ABC should go.

Maybe with different hiring policies a new broadcaster could be created but sadly the HR profession too appears to be corrupted. I can emphathise with Is Mise's view that in the country side there isn't much else- though many don't watch the telly much now- a dying medium perhaps- like the unions perhaps filled with communists.

Is Mise

Yes. That's one of the main problems with the ABC. It is not even handed. It has never been even handed. It will never be even handed voluntarily. No government seems capable of insisting that it be even handed in exchange for its billion dollars of taxpayer money. So, no hope of reform there.

It is your opinion that the ABC is "far ahead" of commercial TV. About one third ( and falling) of Australians agree with you. But, that is no recommendation. Criticism of crappy commercial TV , which lives or dies on its own efforts and revenue, does not excuse the publicly funded ABC.

Bazz

You say that, "They do not seem to have much problem attracting viewers".

Sorry, Bazz, but they do. Most Australians never switch on the ABC. Even prior to this damning report, ABC aficionados have made up only about 30% of the Australian population