Getting Vocal

According to the Sydney Morning Herald's Gerard Henderson, vocal critics of our public broadcasters are being given plum positions to get them onside,

When one-time ABC critic Ron Brunton was appointed to the ABC board in 2003, he ceased writing his regular column and effectively dropped out of the public debate.

When former ABC critic Janet Albrechtsen was appointed to the ABC board in 2005, she ceased criticising the public broadcaster in her weekly column.

It is unlikely, now that he is an ABC board member, that (Keith) Windschuttle will repeat the strong criticisms he made of the ABC in his 2005 Earle Page memorial oration.

Commentator Christopher Pearson is on the SBS board and no long publicly criticises SBS.

Yesterday afternoon I pulled into the ABC headquarters at Ultimo to find three luxury vehicles waiting on bookings - one Silver Service taxi and two chauffeur-driven hire cars. (and that's just the front door, who knows what's going on out the back, stretch limos?)

Bullshit I thought, what's going on here ? Is our ABC too precious to book cheaper transport ? How much is the taxpayer coughing up to subsidize this elitist service ? And they cry poor every year !? What about working class cabbies scratching to make a living ? Not good enough for the taxpayer-funded public broadcaster ? It's outrageous !

I should become a vocal critic, like, um...how about the endless credits which run after every television show ? There's more production and support personnel than you can poke a stick at. For making stuff modern digital equipment can easily do in a bedroom.

And what about that talking head who introduces Parliament each night, 'Tonight's session of Parliament comes from the Senate'. That's it !? How much are they paying him for what is essentially a ten second recorded message ? Call that cost efficiency ? Pfffat.

So you see ABC, I'm vocal and I blog. Now, about your juicy transport accounts....

Comments

[HRT]

Greetings,

It isn't just the vehicles that are eating up your eight cents each day.

Try listening to the news.

We have the presenter who tells us the hotel in Woomerincka burnt down. We then cross to the ABC's reporter in Woomerincka who again tells us the hotel burnt down. And, just to make sure you understand this complicated item, we then have a few words from the Woomerincka Hotel owner along the lines of: "Yeah mate she burnt down alright."

Your ABC - spending it like there's no tomorrow.

[John49]

Thank God for the ABC. With idiots like you lot, all we would have is the endless & mindless commercial rubbish dished up to us from all angles.

How about arguing for a decent aloocation from the Governments budget so that it can produce more quality Australian programs.

[ab]

HRT - I understand well what you are saying, however I suspoect it might be more indicative of rural news than ABC news, particularly in a place called 'Woomerincka' - don't u guys all live out there to get away from all the newsie stuff that's happening?

[Meg]

In Brisbane this happens a lot - the presenter, the reporter and the 'talent' all saying exactly the same thing, it drives me crazy. Is Brisbane rural?

[huggies]

Are we sure that these Limos e.t.c. are not for guests of the ABC and the guests paid for the limo out of their own costs ?

Sometimes I wonder about the presenters on the ABC and how many hours they put in for what sort of pay. I would say just because they are only on air for a limted time doesn't mean they aren't always working and no doubt doing some work behind the scenes.

I'm looking forward to your appointment to the ABC Board ;) .

[adrian]

Are we sure that these Limos e.t.c. are not for guests of the ABC and the guests paid for the limo out of their own costs ?

Thanks Huggies, you've just undermined my case, sheesh. Now I'll never get any ABC account work. Better go check out SBS.

[Paul Wallbank]

I think you'll find those cabs and limos were either for guests or the ABC board members. It certainly isn't ABC staff swanning around in limos. I do a couple of regular radio spots at Ultimo and I always get a Cabcharge for a trip.

Funny enough, when Jonathon Shier was running the show, there was always a big limo idling out the front.

As to HRT, at least the ABC is reporting news from Woomerincka. Leave it to the commercials probably won't get reported unless it happens in Sydney or Melbourne. And not at all if it happens on a weekend.

[HRT]

A little more on the subject of "actuality reporting" as it is called by the ABC. During the night it is a pleasure to listen to the relay of the BBC and Deutsche Welle on ABC NewsRadio. I am on the Gold Coast and listen until it ends at 0530. I then listen to ABC NewsRadio - well I try...

I have yet to last more than 20 minutes before turning the station off. This morning we had the presenter report the double murder suicide on the Sunshine Coast. This was followed by another ABC reporter speaking on the subject, who was followed by the local State MP in full blather.

I cannot see the point in the repetition and like Meg, it drives me crazy.

HRT

PS. There is no Woomerincka. I made it up from Woomera and Innamincka to illustrate my point.

[John49]

ABC Radio Albury/Wodonga is fabulous.

The commercial FM stations all sound the same.

God bless the ABC and it's going to be a laugh watching Keith Windshuttle thrashing about with self importance on the ABC board.

[ab]

HRT - oh well, no wonder there's no news to report out there in Woomerinka!

[az]

I used to work for SBS in a technical role, and I can assure you, that public broadcaster is tight on its budget and makes the most of what it's got. We got less than half of what was allocated to the ABC(and if it wasn't for us, soccer on Australian TV wouldn't have had a chance to grow). No limos, even for the higher-ups, and a lot of work functions held within the station instead of at swanky hotel lobbies(and the station building itself is far from grand - about 2 stories high - even the car park is taller than it).

[lg]

A few years ago I was friendly with an ABC announcer from a regional station in up north Queensland. He regularly used to complain about the lack of non-spending by the ABC. From what I could gather, the ABC didn't waste money on frivolous things and unnecessary expenses.

I prefer listening to and watching ABC any day. ABC Coast FM here where I am plays great music and has very interesting, informative segments/interviews. At least the ABC don't play the same songs over and over until you want to scream! Plus..ABC2 TV...has some brilliant music segments...yep...I'm a bit of a fan of the ABC!

[John49]

az and Ig talk some sense. A pity about some of the other "Lettuce Heads".

Where is Harry Tuttle? Our great supporter of Keith Windschuttle,"The post-modern selective" historian.