In the latest attempt to turn the ABC into a compliant mouthpiece for the government, the anti-Auntie brigade were demanding to have their 'test for bias' imposed upon satirical and comedy shows like The Chaser and The Glasshouse.
I was rather agape at this. The proposal is a blatant attempt not to have the shows censored, but to have them axed. They would be unworkable under the new provisions. As it is, such shows have been exempted from the new provisions, but not without an almighty fight from the pro-Howard ABC haters. It just shows how humourless these wankers are.
Personally I like our national broadcaster just as it is. I'm not such an idealogue that I see bias in everything, and in the case of opinion-based shows such as Phillip Adams' radio show, I simply choose not to listen in the same way that I choose not to read the opinion columns in the SMH. I don't want what I see as my reliable news source interfered with to ensure that 'good' news of a school being painted somewhere in Iraq gets equal time with the umpteenth suicide bombing that has killed 150 people.
The ABC provides intelligent, well-researched fare for Australians who choose to listen or view, and right-wing conservatives who misguidedly or deceitfully try and claim they have the middle ground deserve no place in dictating content. Australian governments have always whinged about the ABC. The Howard government is the first to have been given enough power to start taking it apart, and it's a sorry sight indeed.
7 comments:
I couldn't agree more. Tim at Road to Surfdom also made the excellent comment that they way to correct bias isn't to add more bias, it's to stay objective.
Besides which, the abc is plenty objective, anyway, I say as both a viewer and employee. You should see their editorial policies for news; holy shitballs, they're massive, very tight and you can get in real trouble for being perceived as breaking them.
Fuckers. I hate how the government is will brand anything that it disagrees with as bias or lies. The state should always be separate from the ABC, and the way they've stacked the board - even more than Labor ever did - really make smy blood boil.
I was just reading the post by Tim at RTS... it's a very good point, but a sound argument will never sway the axe-wielding ideologues intent on taking out the ABC.
the liberals think they'll be in forever. just wait till the whinging when a labor govt. uses their legislation to beat them.
I came here to write an angry comment about the nasty government, but I'm too tired! Stupid government.
Ah but glass house and chasers don't actually have to be balanced if the ABC has a countering program.
So which comedian is going to do a show to balance the perceived leftism of the glasshouse? Austentayshus?
Schindler's list would be funnier.
What do the Libs expect? They're the ones in power? ALP copped it from the ABC when they were in federal govt.
I find it interesting that win the Libs got in they ensured all the statewide 730 reports were cut. Then they lost power. So all the attention that would have been on the governments of the day - all ALP state govts - not there.
Sucked in. Shot themselves in the foot.
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