The future of the ABC - Guthrie sacked

[Maggie5]

Nothing will stop that. I fully expect Bolt's tombstone to read "reports of my death are greatly biased".

(Murdoch won't have a tombstone - he'll be hooked up to a respirator as soon as his body gives up, to avoid any inheritance taxes or secession plans)

Or maybe he will be put on ice to melt down and resuscitate in some distance future.

 

[JoseMourinho]

Will be eventually cut and sold off like most Federal Assets. People didn't think they'd sell off Telstra and Medibank now!

I'd expect ABC to fetch quite a good price if they did flog it off. The radio stations and their existing TV contracts would be very popular with the mum and dad investors and of course Rupert/Fairfax.

 

[swingdog]

Will be eventually cut and sold off like most Federal Assets. People didn't think they'd sell off Telstra and Medibank now!

I'd expect ABC to fetch quite a good price if they did flog it off. The radio stations and their existing TV contracts would be very popular with the mum and dad investors and of course Rupert/Fairfax.

I'd question that - too much unnecessary political risk. The BBC didn't get sold off despite everything else getting flogged in the UK.

 

[pazza]

Will be eventually cut and sold off like most Federal Assets. People didn't think they'd sell off Telstra and Medibank now!

I'd expect ABC to fetch quite a good price if they did flog it off. The radio stations and their existing TV contracts would be very popular with the mum and dad investors and of course Rupert/Fairfax.

Selling off the ABC will only do one thing - we would become the USA.

Outside of them, every other country in the world has a national publicly owned broadcaster. We need to keep it that way, as it isn't a drain on the Budget compared to other instruments.

 

[Power Raid]

Selling off the ABC will only do one thing - we would become the USA.

Outside of them, every other country in the world has a national publicly owned broadcaster. We need to keep it that way, as it isn't a drain on the Budget compared to other instruments.

but there is little value in the service these days with a global network of news sources

perhaps it just needs to modernise

 

[The Punter]

Some would argue it needs to modernise, others that it needs to continue to provide basic services to those who are not served by commercial media outlets.

I don't for one minute think its about to be sold off.

 

[Mofra]

perhaps it just needs to modernise

Modernise?
It's already leading the way in user generated content, led the way for FTA on demand access, and is held to far higher standards than other media outlets (ABC Charter vs Broadcasting codes of practice).
What other ways does the ABC need to "modernise"?

 

[Gough]

It's developing it's onlive presence, it's on demand is doing well, they've scaled back their foreign bureaus, what more modernising do you want?

 

[sherb]

Modernise?
It's already leading the way in user generated content, led the way for FTA on demand access, and is held to far higher standards than other media outlets (ABC Charter vs Broadcasting codes of practice).
What other ways does the ABC need to "modernise"?

Clearly it is not showing enough reality programmes for PR's liking.

 

[JoseMourinho]

Selling off the ABC will only do one thing - we would become the USA.

Outside of them, every other country in the world has a national publicly owned broadcaster. We need to keep it that way, as it isn't a drain on the Budget compared to other instruments.

Generally, you need to sell off an asset when it isn't a drain on the public budget otherwise you'll have to flog to the institutions for less.

But I bet Fairfax and Rupert will be biting at the bit to ensure that they have a majority share of it. The best way to sell off the ABC will be exactly what was done with Medibank as it'll either force Rupert or Fairfax to launch a takeover bid if they want it.

 

[swingdog]

Generally, you need to sell off an asset when it isn't a drain on the public budget otherwise you'll have to flog to the institutions for less.

But I bet Fairfax and Rupert will be biting at the bit to ensure that they have a majority share of it. The best way to sell off the ABC will be exactly what was done with Medibank as it'll either force Rupert or Fairfax to launch a takeover bid if they want it.

Won't happen. It's such a minor issue in the minds of voters and only a major issue in the minds of a few ideologues in Sydney.

 

[pazza]

but there is little value in the service these days with a global network of news sources

perhaps it just needs to modernise

As Shaun Carney mentioned today in the Herald-Sun, there is more to the ABC than as a news source. Any attempt to sell it off would result in a dilution of services to children for one, the lack of promotion for independent musicians (Carney named Grammy nominated artists Courtney Barnett and Tame Impala as great discoveries of Triple J) and a destabilisation to the balance of viewpoints.

 

[Admiral Byng]

Can't we just axe Q & A, or sell it off to a commercial network... and solve all the problems?

 

[Power Raid]

As Shaun Carney mentioned today in the Herald-Sun, there is more to the ABC than as a news source. Any attempt to sell it off would result in a dilution of services to children for one, the lack of promotion for independent musicians (Carney named Grammy nominated artists Courtney Barnett and Tame Impala as great discoveries of Triple J) and a destabilisation to the balance of viewpoints.

I must admit the work triple J has done to promote australian artists, over the years, has been excellent. that said just as double J evolved into triple J, the station needs to move forward with the times.

 

[Patrick Bullet]

I must admit the work triple J has done to promote australian artists, over the years, has been excellent. that said just as double J evolved into triple J, the station needs to move forward with the times.

You use words like "modernise" and "evolve" but it's not at all clear what you mean. Can you be more concrete? From your example, it sounds like you just want them to add another "J".

 

[WA ROO]

it needs to continue to provide basic services to those who are not served by commercial media outlets.

This is where the ABC should begin and end

 

[The Punter]

The stuff Triple J has done over the course of its existence is certainly a service not provided by commercial media outlets, although not essentially "basic".

In the final analysis, the issue over the ABC, particularly in urban areas, is an issue primarily for the political class.

 

[John]

In the final analysis, the issue over the ABC, particularly in urban areas, is an issue primarily for the political class.

So "In the final analysis" what is the "the political class"?

 

[sherb]

Some would argue it needs to modernise, others that it needs to continue to provide basic services to those who are not served by commercial media outlets.

I don't for one minute think its about to be sold off.

It provides quality news, quality current affairs and quality programming in general.

In other words, it exists to provide a service to those with a brain and who can think.

Which makes it mutually exclusive to commercial media and also makes it perfectly justifiable in its current form.

 

[pazza]

So "In the final analysis" what is the "the political class"?

In short much of the world that bags the crap out of them.

Conservative politicians
Conservative media outlets
Conservative journalists

The ones who claim to speak for "the silent majority"....

 

[The Punter]

So "In the final analysis" what is the "the political class"?

People who are engaged with politics. If I went to my old footy club and talked about the future of the ABC, I think the subject would get changed to something else pretty quickly. Every now and then we get an issue that gets more discussion that it probably deserves because the "political class" gets a bee in its collective bonnet. It was the same with the RDA and when Senator Conroy was trying to increase regulation on the commercial media in response to bad press.

It provides quality news, quality current affairs and quality programming in general.

In other words, it exists to provide a service to those with a brain and who can think.

Which makes it mutually exclusive to commercial media and also makes it perfectly justifiable in its current form.

There is plenty of stuff around for people who can think that isn't provided by the ABC. If The Guardian is not Commercial Media, then what is it?

Programming is subjective. It provides "quality" because it provides stuff you enjoy. Other people like other things.

 

[Maggie5]

There is plenty of stuff around for people who can think that isn't provided by the ABC. If The Guardian is not Commercial Media, then what is it?

Programming is subjective. It provides "quality" because it provides stuff you enjoy. Other people like other things.

Can you tell me where else I can get to watch programs the quality of Australian Story, 4 Corners, Foreign Correspondent, Lateline, 7.30 Report, The Business, etc without paying an extra $30 per month?
Note: Not all that are on those programs do I always agree with but still enjoy the differing views.

 

[John]

It was the same with the RDA and when Senator Conroy was trying to increase regulation on the commercial media in response to bad press.

Indeed. It is every Australians democratic right to receive a US corporate robber barons bad press. Mind you I read the Curious Snail the other day for the first in years and call it bad would be too kind. Appalling is the word that comes to mind.

 

[PetrikDngerfild]

dnt bthr. ebc is now a rite wing kontrold midia owtlet

 

[madmug]

but there is little value in the service these days with a global network of news sources

perhaps it just needs to modernise

So instead of the news we'd get infotainment or some such trash.
How would proper investigative journalism go? Down the toilet as well.