The destruction of the ABC, which was started by Liberal prime minister John Howard and aided and abetted by News Corpse, is almost complete.
“I have not seen an Australia before whose cherished public broadcaster has been so devalued and subjected to such sustained attack from those who would seek to neuter it, or worse, destroy it. And yet, in these complex, challenging times, the ABC has never been more important in my lifetime.”
— Kerry O’Brien, May 16, 2022 in Crikey
The conservatives, not content just with funding cuts, appointed their mates to the ABC to oversee the destruction.
Consider this:
• The axing of Lateline and then Emma Alberici, in her case for simply doing her job in calling out (politicans’) lies.
• Appointing ex-Murdoch employee Michelle Guthrie to be managing director of the ABC.
• Appointing Ita Buttrose, Scott Morrison’s “captain’s pick” as chair.
• Reducing flagship programs The World Today and PM to half an hour in 2017.
• Axing the 15-minute news bulletin at 7:45am.
• The constant interviewing of LNP shadow ministers instead of government ministers on Insiders.
• The continued use of News Corpse employees such as James Campbell and Samantha Maiden on the panel of Insiders.
The following things have happened under the ALP’s watch but it appears the damage has already been done.
• The appointment of another ex-News Corpse employee, Kim Williams, as chair. (This was done under the ALP’s watch but at least the appointment was made by an independent panel — unlike the appointments of Michelle Guthrie and Ita Buttrose)
• The sacking of excellent political journalist Andrew Probyn.
• The replacement of The Drum with repeats of Hard Quiz.
• The reduction of Q&A from 40 to 24 episodes this year.
• The lack of support from ABC management for Stan Grant and more recently Lara Tingle.
It all boils down to the “dumbing down” and commercialisation of the ABC and in trying to appear balanced it is giving more and more time to right-wing and crazy views, regardless of their merit.
It's no longer your ABC, it’s ‘theirs’.
This is a tragedy for democracy and all Australians!
Written and contributed by Ern Meherry