Comments on: Your ABC’s celebrity tarts

By: mike crook

mike crook — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Richard Alston and Jonathon Sheirs did their job to perfection didn't they? To emasculate a once great organisation and turn it into the commercially driven parody that it is today was an achievement indeed.
Our conscience and soul have been destroyed by the decline of the ABC, how can we change it back?
Could I suggest that those who would like to do so make their voices heard in the corridors of power.
Go on, start agitating.

Mike Crook

By: Stilgherrian

Stilgherrian — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

If the ABC presenters do their programs and fulfil their obligations to the ABC, what’s wrong with them doing something else in their own time including — shock horror! — having and expressing their own opinions? Given that ABC salaries are hardly up to Donald Trump standards, what’s wrong with them pocketing a few bucks for their efforts? Or does working for the ABC mean you forgo all rights to independent thought and expression?

If any other employer gagged their employees like this, we’d complain about interference with their democratic rights, wouldn’t we? How does having an opinion and expressing it threaten the independence of the ABC? A strong, truly independent ABC would recognise that its staff do have opinions, and be comfortable with that, I say.

[Disclosure: I worked for ABC Radio 1985-1991. During that entire time I had no opinions on anything ever. Ask my colleagues. Then again, maybe don’t.]

@Tom McLoughlin: You’re thinking of Mike Bailey. He’s now with Channel Nine after his unsuccessful run as the ALP candidate for North Sydney.

By: Chris from Canberra

Chris from Canberra — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

The practice you mention are not confined to the State Capitals. Here in Canberra one of our local ABC radio personalities Andrea Close also fronts TV and radio ads for a local furniture retaller. Previous to her time at the ABC she was a weather person on one of the local commercial TV station so she is a local celebrity. Andrea has been doing her commercial stint for the past few years with the apparent blessing of the ABC chiefs. When you say staff are forbidden from commercial work is this official policy or some unspoken rule?

By: roger gestetner

roger gestetner — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

a very apposite item. the abc long ago stopped being independent and an alternative to the private sector media. its news divisions and some of its current affairs output are little more than cheap and nasty versions (if that is possible) of the daily telegraph. it is not doing its basic daily news job, it is not fulfilling its wider role as a national public broadcaster, its staff are compromised to the point that abc + professionalism + ethics are contradictions in terms, and its executive judgment is dreadful (vide the recent puff piece for John Howard). If what your correspondent says about Ms King et al is true, then they and Mr Scott should be brought before the board or the abc’s ethics committee (if it has one any more). And the abc should not receive one more cent in public fundiing.

By: Tom McLoughlin

Tom McLoughlin — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Not really on point but the Sydney weather man, alp federal candidate against Joe Hockey, sorry can’t remember his name, was doing the weather on a commercial station last night here. Fair enough as he’s moved on from that long haul working for the ABC in the demise of the Howard machine. But it was a surprise which shows the power of the abc branding, and he looked a tad uncomfortable.