Crikey

Bored with the Board? Well, many Crikey readers don’t seem to be. More than a week after I wrote a piece canvassing possible appointments to the ABC Board, followed by another piece containing readers’ nominees, I am still getting a couple of e-mails a day making fresh suggestions, as well as lobbying for and decrying of those already mentioned.

In the meantime Minister Stephen Conroy, who declined to comment for Crikey’s original story, has been putting himself about elsewhere promising to honour the Labor commitment to reappoint a staff-elected director, and foreshadowing that the positions to fall vacant early next year (those of John Gallagher and Ron Brunton, in February and May respectively) may be left vacant while an “arms length” apolitical appointment machinery is put in place.

So that gives lots of time for even more suggestions!

First to the lobbying, though. The suggestion of Louise Adler, head of Melbourne University Publishing, provoked a storm of both support and opposition, suggesting a whole different kind of culture war underway among the latte sippers of Carlton and elsewhere. Meanwhile it is clear that as many people loath Julian Burnside as love him, while many people love Peter Bartlett and are prepared to testify to his intestinal fortitude.

Two former ABC employees swung into action to support Julianne Schultz, editor of Griffith Review and former ABC Executive, who as an ersatz Queenslander might be in with a chance. Opposition to Schultz centred around her role trying to negotiate the sale of ABC online content to Telstra. This deal, led by Brian Johns and scuppered by Jonathan Shier, would have seen great riches flow into the ABC coffers but was opposed by many as undue commercialisation. As one correspondent said:

“I worked with J Schultz. One of the smarter bureaucrats I have ever seen… Funny thing is I don’t see any telcos offering anybody $70m for content anywhere, certainly not the ABC.”

Now, deep breath.

We need to remember that what is needed on the Board of Australia’s most important cultural institution is not just good blokes and lasses, but hard experience in media organisations, an appreciation for the importance and potential of new media, and ideally an understanding of journalistic cultures. These are the things so notably lacking on the present board. It should also be kept in mind that given that the two soon departing directors are from Queensland, at least one of their replacements will probably also have to hail from that state.

The reappointment of a staff-elected director would help with some of this. Quentin Dempster (an expat Queenslander) was elected by staff, but never took up his post due to the Howard Government’s abolishing the position. Presumably, if Conroy delivers, Dempster will get the gig, initially at least – although other staff names that have come up from readers include Jim Middleton and Kerry O’Brien.

But Dempster alone is not enough.

Many of the new suggestions from readers do not reflect these criteria – but for what it’s worth, here are some of the most interesting.

• Investigative journalist and journalism educator Wendy Bacon
• Maureen Barron - Lawyer, AFC Chair, Former head of Business Affairs at Southern Star, former board member of Belvoir St Theatre, Company B.
• The Editor of Greek Newspaper Neos Kosmos, Fotis Kapetopoulos, suggested that special consideration should be given to Australians of a culturally diverse background, and put forward the names George Miller (Miliotis) of Happy Feet, Mad Max and Babe fame; sociology professor Andrew Jakubowicz; Hass Dellal OAM, head of the Australian Multicultural Foundation, and comedian Mary Koustas (otherwise known as Effie).
• Richard Goodwin, manager of public affairs in Attorney-General’s department in Western Australia, put in a plea for a west coast perspective with the names of author Tim Winton, journalist and author Estelle Blackburn, business leader Janet Holmes a Court and former vice chancellor of Curtin University, Lance Twomey.

And Robin Howells suggested himself:

I have the decided advantage that although I was a long-time staffer at Nation Review (writing under many different names), nobody seems to remember me. The other big advantage I have is that I am a definite has-been with no loyalty or love of any political party! While happy the Libs have been booted out, I am not pleased with the Tweedledum and Tweedledee approach of Rudd and his 07 hangers on. I find the fight for the “CENTRE” appalling and yearn for some true Left-action . I find I am becoming really attracted to the idea of being a TRUE anarchist.

Hmm. Probably shouldn’t wait by the phone.

That’s it for now. Watch this space…

Declaration: These declarations of conflicts and connections are difficult. Fail to do them and you look like a shonk. Do them thoroughly and you look like a wanker. The declaration on my last story covers most of it. My publishers past and present are all on my website. If there are any other egregious conflicts or close connections that I have not already covered, I will declare them. By the way, readers’ nominee Jock Given was not at the Swinburne University’s Institute of Social Research Christmas party last week after all. He should have been. It was a good one.