It’s time to defund the ABC and let them fend for themselves

It’s fairly obvious, even to the casual observer, that the taxpayer funded ABC is completely out of control.

I know there is talk about selling it, but I seriously doubt there would be anyone who’d be interested in acquiring it (mind you, what a laugh it would be if News Ltd bought’em!)

Given the ABC completely disregards its commitment to “deliver content with integrity, diligence and transparency and to act in the interests of citizens” the Abbott Gov’t should put the ABC on a one way path to full privatisation.

According to the ABC’s 2013 annual report, the ABC was allocated $1,030.2 million in the May 2012 Federal Budget and $12.1 million in the 2012–13 Additional Estimates process, totalling $1,042.3 million for the 2012–13 year (The May 2013 Federal Budget maintained the ABC’s funding base, provided a $90 million loan from government over three years to assist with the cash flow requirements of the Melbourne Accommodation Project, and provided additional funding for journalism, digital content delivery, increased digital television coverage, and ANZAC Centenary programming.)

Surprisingly, the ABC also received $158.2 million from other sources, including ABC Commercial.

So here’s what I’d do going forward. As I’m a rather generous person, I’d cut the ABC’s 2014-2015 gov’t funding allocation by 10% from $1,042.3 million to $938.07 million and keep reducing the ABC’s taxpayer funded allocation each year by 10% (if the Gov’t have to amend the ABC Act to allow the ABC to advertise then they should do this ASAP).

So when we hit the 2024 – 2025 financial year, the ABC will be 100% privately funded and then they can do and say whatever the hell they like.

Update:

No wonder Fairfax Media is going broke…70% of SMH readers polled think the ABC is “an excellent and essential service, they deserve more funding.”

 

Update:

Those bed wetters over at ShutUp! GetUp! have put up a petition to “Save the ABC.”

Their argument that the ABC needs to be saved…”free to remain fair and balanced.”

Foxtrot me dead…

 

Feel free to tell us your thoughts.

 

  

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Comments

[Justin Teal]

1.

How about just publicly list it and raise some money to service the debt? A share issue would be great.

[Account Deleted]

2.

I seriously doubt you'd be able to float it as the ABC has no revenue record so it would be a massive leap of faith to buy shares in it.

I'd do what I said and let the ABC advertise. Given they have a 10 clock, either they'll get their act together or they will fail like Fairfax media

[pk]

3.

I've said it before, i'll say it again. If you want to send Jemima and little ted out on the streets to sell their little cloth bodies to multinational animal, you watch the mothers and fathers of Australia rise up in their millions against you.

Just love this little sideshow BTW - keeps the chatters looking away from the shambles of the indonesian relationship, the shambles of the Chinese relationship, a spy scandal, and education lie and backflip, an immigration problem and senate blockade (woo hoo!).

[Account Deleted]

4.

Salient facts
The Indonesian spying happened with Labor were in Gov’t
The relationship with China is fine
What education lie? It was Labor that took $1.2b of funding out and the LNP put the dough back. Plus, under Labor’s watch, our education standards have declined sharply when compared to our Asian neighbours.

So again, PK, you’re just being a typical ALP Leftard agitator

[Justin Teal]

5.

The ABC is a long running problem and the topic of this article. Try and stay on topic without running to every little storm in a teacup you can find.

[ibbit]

6.

I don't know what the answer for the ABC is, but it is certainly not $1.1 billion of taxpayer money.

To my mind, it should be sold off and Australia never see another public broadcaster of its ilk. A fair minded public broadcaster, which observes its charter to the nth degree and which broadcasts across the spectrum of voters would be nice, but certainly not the mob we have.

I can no longer bear to watch any of their new/ current affairs programmes, so have subscribed to pay television, the foibles of which can be tolerated because I choose to subscribe to it rather than be forced to fund it.

[Account Deleted]

7.

Mate I really think it would be hard to sell the ABC for the reason I gave at 2 above.

In my opinion, the best course of action is to allow the ABC to advertise like any other commercial broadcaster and reduce their taxpayer funding by 10% each and every year. If they want to then survive, then the ABC mgmt will need to begin to cater for a broader and more open minded audience than what they currently cater for.

From a political point of view, my idea would involve the least amount of political damage to the LNP Gov't. a 10 year path to privatisation is very generous.
Better, the Gov't doesn't need nor want to be seen stacking the board etc but this action will force the ABC to change or they die commercially.

[ibbit]

8.

You are probably correct about selling off the ABC - just who would pay good money for them. However, if Rupert Murdoch bought them, that would be poetic justice. The idea of a 10% reduction in funding per year, thus hopefully forcing them to look to a fairer form of comment would save political pain - maybe.

I am so angry with the ABC I just want them gone, dead, beaten to a pulp, in their death throes and the sooner the better. Safe to say many feel the same way by the pressure that's growing against them.

[pk]

9.

, then the ABC mgmt will need to begin to cater for a broader and more open minded audience than what they currently cater for.

But please exclude (In keeping with commercial networks) - toddlers, and children, aboriginal australians in fact any non-white aussies (except football players), anyone who prefers news over consumer advice and tabloid scandal, anyone who like to keep up with international news, anyone who thinks relaity shows are not the topmost in 'entertainment' and who prefers the Sopranos and Blue Murder over Underbelly.

Murdoch's commercial empire is expiring Viva our ABC and Netflix and online piracy!

[Armchair Beak]

10.

"Better, the Gov't doesn't need nor want to be seen stacking the board etc but this action will force the ABC to change or they die commercially"

Whereas I agree with your sentiment, I think the board should be stacked, just like the luvvies do when in power. The balance needs addressing.

[AlterEgo]

11.

Don't mind the ABC programming, except for -

https://shop.abc.net.au/products/jamie-private-school-girl-dv?WT.srch=1&WT.mc_id=Commercial_Shop-ShopOnline|JamiePrivateSchoolDvd-1435_AdWords_:ja'mie_e_s_33419320117_&gclid=CKWR-oOSlrsCFUkdpQodkGsAEQ

Even I have my limits!

[Michael Smyth]

12.

PK, taking away 10% of their funding a year at a time isn't going to hurt the ABC. They make plenty of money from merchandise. If the ABC can't do news properly, then they shouldn't bother trying to do anything else.

While I would prefer the ABC to remain government owned, it needs to be shaken up so that it actually adheres to its charter, rather than parroting whatever pinko tripe the Guardian feeds it.

[Allan]

13.

I agree with your suggestion that the board should be sacked. It is an excellent way to stop the rot and shake the organisation back into the real world. I assume that you would also include the CEO Mark Scott and senior programming staff would also be replaced.

However, I also agree with Cory Bernardi when he says that the ABC should be split up into two distinct arms, television and radio, with the on-line print version being closed down.

[Terry]

14.

Typical leftard arrogance, pk. If the abc were a staunchly conservative media organisation then you'd be saying exactly what I'm saying right now. No taxation without representation. I pay hard earned tax money to fund an organisation that is diametrically opposed to almost all I stand for and believe in. And given that about half Australians (more if we refer to the recent election) are conservative leaning, why should we pay for dissemination of the leftist and green bile you wish upon us all? I am passionate about justice for conservative opinions and we don't get it with your abc, so I want it sold, privatised, defunded and having to stand on its own feet in the commercial world.

[Jim Witt]

15.

I do not mind the principle of having an ABC, but the severe left wing bias and open treason has to be addressed. Mark Scott and a couple of other top executives would have been shot for what they have done in many nations, and should be imprisoned for treason here. Several of the top leftist / socialist presenters should also be sent packing. All should be replaced and informed that their personal political opinion is to be kept to themselves and not be evident through audience stacking or one sided only opinionated guests. I do not mind clever comedy shows that take the piss even if it is mostly against my personal political leanings, but garbage like Q&A has to go if it cannot be presented in a rational manner.

[DavidM]

16.

Why not go to 8 cents per day!!

[Ulla]

17.

Andy where on earth do you get the strength from to reply to the "pk's "of this world?
I need some of this portion please lol.

[Account Deleted]

18.

Lol...mental chain balls like PK are just sport as far as i'm concerned.

They're arguments are very easy to shoot to pieces...

You also need the skill of dismissing their BS.

[Peter Simmons]

19.

The fact that pk and his other Leftist cronies fight so hard to defend "Their" ABC is the perfect reason for scrapping this Socialist sinecure.

The ABC and SBS will see the biggest cuts to their Leftist Utopia in the MYEFO and far more in the May Budget in their respective histories.

The ABC Fact Checkers program will NOT be getting a $10,000,000 gift from this Government. The ABC will be giving it, and more, back.

[Grumpyoldman2]

20.

Seems to me the point at issue here is," Does the ordinary man in the street get value for the taxpayer dollars governments feed into the bottomless pit at the ABC?"

If the ABC has a charter to report news in professional fashion why not have the Productivity Commission run its ruler over it.

If the ABC displays open bias, prejudice, and treasonable discussion surely this is a matter that its management must be called to account over and either its direction changed or the management itself.

[JB O'Reilly]

21.

Turnbull is in the wrong party.An interesting article about that can be found here, and other good posts.
http://morningmail.org/turnbull-abc-indonesia-apology/#more-3478

[pk]

22.

Comment deleted for failing to stay on topic

[dB]

23.

Comment deleted for failing to stay on topic

[Account Deleted]

24.

Message to PK, dB and any other dumbass who doesn't stay on topic - I'll delete your dumbass comments.

[pk]

25.

Comment deleted for failing to stay on topic

[dB]

26.

Comment deleted for failing to stay on topic

[pk]

27.

Comment deleted for failing to stay on topic

[Edward Carson]

28.

As much as decreasing funding by 10% per year and allowing advertising would be an improvement, I am not sure it would be the most expeditious manner to remove the ABC’s stain on free, fair and responsible speech in Australia.
The groupthink collective of bureaucrats who run it would probably go into ‘last stand’ mode, selling off the furniture or closing down or minimising classical music, sport and other non-political departments to concentrate on propaganda defending the ‘People’s Voice’ network and supporting fellow traveller pollies for as long as they could. The concept that certain public servants don’t have the right to spend taxpayers’ money to push their own ideological wagons would never get through to them.

Without doubt the best way for Abbott is to screw his courage to the sticking place and drive a stake through its heart in one go. Sell it off, either all together or piecemeal.

Just to show it was not to deprive anyone of free speech, as well as how considerate he was, Abbott could offer to pass special legislation to allow all ABC employees, and for that matter all public servants, to cash in, pro rata, their long service and pensions early, so as to buy shares in this efficiently run and ‘popular with the public’ media network.

[Account Deleted]

29.

Fair enough, Edward. Look, you could defund the ABC at 20% per year or even 25% per year and in the end, the MGT would have to change otherwise they'll be the next dead duck.

I just can't see anyone wanting to buy it.

[Allan]

30.

Edward, an interesting comment and I for one would agree with your prediction of the likely actions of "The groupthink collective of bureaucats . ."

"Without doubt the best way . ." is a pretty big call. There is much to consider when promoting the outright sale of the ABC and it is not as simple as it may at first appear. I am not sure that the result of that is in the best interest of anyone, especially regional Australia who could be severely disadvantaged.

On the other hand the dismissal of the current board and senior management, and maybe even extending into senior editorial/programming/presentation staff, the splitting of the organisation into two separate entities - television and radio - and ditching the on-line print news service would most certainly clear the decks for a fresh start.

Cashing in super etc to purchase shares may sound attractive but, if the government were to sell the organisation off then they should keep their noses right out of it and leave it to the new commercial operator.

[menzieshousemyarse]

31.

Your all full of shit, really

[Michael Smyth]

32.

*you're

[ibbit]

33.

You are correct in your assertion that rural Australia would be disadvantaged by a complete sell off of the ABC.

I well remember the only broadcaster we could get in the country was the ABC which kept us reasonably well informed. Thinking back, I can remember topics of great interest and indeed, crucial to farming communities. Is it the same today? I don't know, but doubt it might be so.

The only programmes I watch on ABC TV are to do with country issues, some of which are very good and without too discernible a bias.

However, I still am inclined to agree with Edward Carson at comment 28 about screwing up political courage to drive a stake through its heart.

Arguments about the difficulty of dealing with the ABC often seem like rationalisations for continuing with the yearly wastage of taxpayer funds, currently $1.2 billion or thereabouts. And for what – a deplorable, self- centred organisation which thinks it is ordained to undermine any – consider the constant attacks on Howard, and now Abbott - conservative government and prop up incompetent leftist ones which accord with their world view.

What stunning arrogance – voters are wrong, ABC is right – so the ABC feels duty bound to ignore voters other than lefties, even though their money comes from taxpayers of all political persuasions.

Just what is so sacrosanct about the ABC that it cannot be touched? I wonder if a certain senior, well-regarded journalist might agree that it should be beyond control?

And I wonder just how many have watched a breathtakingly biased programme, protested about it and received a white wash letter dismissing the complaint as a figment of the complainants imagination – not couched in those terms, of course.

Surely this has to stop, particularly so in the straightened climate Australia finds itself in after Rudd/Gillard/Rudd’s audacious money splash.

It occurs to me there are better ways to use $1.2 billion usefully.
Perhaps the removal of Mark Scott and the board might be a good start and some balance with presenters such that they are not uniformly leftist where it really matters – news and current affairs.

But then, beware the bureaucrats and unions. We will never have a good ABC, as with our failing education system, until self-righteous, self-interested unions who do so much damage are pulled into line, which just might happen next year with an inquiry into unions likely.

That their charter should be observed to the nth degree goes without saying. The many ideas put forward such as limiting operations and size - on line e.g., taking back the Australia network and some privatisation of areas (news, current affairs are contenders) after all, this is where rigid leftist bias least serves the whole community.

If the ABC want to pursue a rigid leftist bias, then let them raise their own funds as do commercial stations. Competition might be the cure for what ails the ABC – disdain for the majority of voters and that inconsequential thing called balance, together with love of taxpayers needfully deep pockets.