Why so scared of the ABC?

The ABC must be doing something right if the firepower currently focused on it by News Ltd and Fairfax is anything to go by.  

In News Ltd’s Weekend Australian, Malcolm Colless launched a preemptive strike on speculation that the ABC might launch a 24 hour news channel, which would of course create competition for stablemate Sky News. Somewhat hyperbolically, Colless described such a move as: “a taxpayer-funded declaration of war on commercial media outlets in Australia”.

Meanwhile, today’s Sydney Morning Herald, from Fairfax, takes a different tack. The letters page features a large cartoon headed “Spending your taxes wisely”. It features a big nosed, slightly unkempt ABC announcer talking into his microphone as he reads aloud from the SMH saying: “Here is the news.”

Looks like somebody is feeling threatened.

Tim Burrowes

January 18th, 2010 at 11:58 am

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Comments


  1. Tim Bennett
    18 Jan 10
    12:16 pm

    2. Happy to fund the ABC news. Maybe we can shut it down when the country overwhelmingly agrees that commercial services provide enough breadth and value that public-funded media isn’t necessary.

  2. j davison
    18 Jan 10
    12:24 pm

    3. Good on the ABC if it does go ahead with a 24hr News channel . . . .
    We need a service that does not get compromised by a sponsor, advertiser, owner, staff member on a bender . . . .

  3. POMSTAR
    18 Jan 10
    2:08 pm

    4. We desperately need another news channel that can offer a less compromised / sensationalist (why does Sky News have to make every new piece of news a news flash?!) view.

  4. MitchP
    18 Jan 10
    3:32 pm

    5. I would happily see another news channel added in Australia. With respect to Sky, it really does scrape the barrel, it’s outside broadcasts are of poor quality and it seems to feel the need to sensationalize absolutely everything. It was also a shame to see John Gatfield go as one of the more respectable readers at Sky.

    I don’t understand people’s frustrations in the idea of the ABC launching such a service. They already have a Breakfast show, a Midday report, Evening News, Bulletins, an online news portal… It’s all the same content in a different form, what’s the difference. I’m sure the ABC could do a better job than Sky currently does, and maybe Fairfax (should it ever try something slightly challenging or risky), probably could do better, too.

  5. Carrob
    18 Jan 10
    3:46 pm

    6. aaah,

    But will the ABC be anywhere near as cool as channel 9? They have a skybox laptop thing. So they will obviously crush the ABC who clearly have an inferior service. Because who needs a decent news service if you can just run enough ads to convince me that you have the best news service? Marketing your news service is clearly more important than having a decent news service…

  6. David@luvyawork
    18 Jan 10
    4:30 pm

    7. I’d watch it.

  7. Anonymous
    18 Jan 10
    9:42 pm

    8. Great news!!

    Sky News is absolutely rubbish, its like a Today Tonight and ACA mashup replayed every 5 minutes, I throw up a little everytime i watch it.

  8. Andrew Juma
    19 Jan 10
    8:08 am

    9. I hope the 24 hour news service goes ahead. Some of the ‘news’ on commercial television is shockingly bad. Some may even say abhorrent.

  9. CJ
    19 Jan 10
    11:42 am

    10. Yay! 24 hour news means another bunch of people i can harrass with my media releases :)

  10. Matthew Cheyne
    19 Jan 10
    11:58 am

    11. I’d watch it for sure. Most of what goes constitutes news on the commercial channels is rubbish. Entertainment “news” is merely gossip about people who work in the entertainment industries. Today Tonight and ACA claim to be investigative journalists but it seems that a chequebook can go a long way with these people towards getting your product on the air or getting one of their journos off your back.

    Bring back real hard hitting investigative journalism about the issues that affect everyday people and you’re always going to have a hit with the public.

  11. Battler
    20 Jan 10
    2:32 pm

    12. Most Australian’s should be applauding Mark Scott’s plans for a 24 hour news service.

    Keeping Australian’s informed via a balanced, non-sensationalist television news channel is a far better way to spend taxes than some of the other ways the ABC has spent our money in the past.

    In addition, this would be for ALL Australian’s, not just those with pay-tv.

    The ABC already has the most extensive network of journalists and correspondents around Australia and across Asia. It’s actually a waste of these resources that we only see their work during a 7pm news bulletin. A 24 hour news channel would exploit their existing resources for the benefit of all Australians.

    It’s also in Australia’s interests to broadcast such a service into our immediate region in the Asia-Pacific, and could create and promote other ABC productions and services commercially, similar to BBC Worldwide.

  12. Mark
    21 Jan 10
    10:51 am

    13. It’s tough for any marketer to give credit to the ABC, where would the adworld be if viewers actually gave up on commercial providers?

    That aside the ABC is doing great work, as a viewer it feels like most of the innovation is coming from their direction, with commercial stations following…often much further behind than they would admit to.

  13. Anon
    28 Jan 10
    5:11 pm

    14. SBS is the only “real” news channel

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