Catallaxy Files

Australia's leading libertarian and centre-right blog

Defund the ABC

49 comments

This clip has featured in the threads but deserves its own thread.

http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/newsradio/audio/20120914-sheridan.mp3

Greg Sheridan asks the question, why are taxpayers paying for sectarian partisanship?

Written by Sinclair Davidson

September 15th, 2012 at 4:14 pm

Posted in Uncategorized

«
»

49 Responses to 'Defund the ABC'

Subscribe to comments with RSS or TrackBack to 'Defund the ABC'.

  1. What makes them morally any better than pickpockets? As with union bosses purloining members’ fees for their own personal gratification it’s the entitlement culture at work, yet again. But I don’t understand, Sinc, why you suggest defunding rather than selling?

    Ivan Denisovich

    15 Sep 12 at 4:29 pm

  2. A very good question asked by Sheriden, and one that every liberal and national party MP should ask at the beginning, middle and end of every interview they do at the ABC. They should show a bit of contempt towards pathetic pencil necks like Benson and the rest.

    Benson squeaked that he would need to give Marr “right of reply” to what Sheriden said. What? Marr already had a go on Lateline you dunce. Better yet, get Marr and Sheriden on Lateline together and let them thrash it out. That’s the way it used to be done on this day tonight, etc back in the 70′s. Opposing parties would show up and argue.

    Keith

    15 Sep 12 at 4:30 pm

  3. “why are taxpayers paying for sectarian partisanship?”

    Easy. Because the Libs are infected with some mysterious virus that forces them to treat Their ABC as some adolescent family delinquent who will eventually come good.

    Turn Their ABC into a look alike NPR in the US, where they can fund propaganda via subscriptions….but minus the taxpayer input here.

    It’s as if supporting the collective left’s ABC media arm is core Liberal policy.

    Defund it, fix it, lay waste.

    Alfonso

    15 Sep 12 at 4:32 pm

  4. Whatever happened to Lateline having two talking heads debating a topic?

    dover_beach

    15 Sep 12 at 4:47 pm

  5. Whatever happened to Lateline having two talking heads debating a topic?

    The leftist producers got tired of seeing leftist pollies having their lunch handed to them every Friday night despite the best efforts of the shill in the chair.

    JamesK

    15 Sep 12 at 4:51 pm

  6. It used to be a part of each and every program regarding topics beyond politics. Now, all we get is fawning as a leftist gives their monologue to rather inane questions, or if its someone on the Right the interviewer acts as if they have a hostile witness in the dock. It is an embarrassment; I don’t even bother watching any more whereas in the early to mid-90s I wouldn’t miss a program. Even in the late-90s I see who was going to be on.

    dover_beach

    15 Sep 12 at 4:58 pm

  7. I agree that the ABC exhibits gross bias in its current affairs programmes. It has to stop, but no-one on either side of politics is prepared to take the ax to it.

    The other broadcasters have little to recommend them in terms of an alternative. Herein lies a problem.

    I have grave reservations about stopping freedom of speech, even on taxpayer-funded media. Better that voices are raised by all and any against the dissemblings and mendacities of the leftie presenters, without whom we would have fewer examples of such one-eyed drivel.

    By their fruits we know them. Knowing them gives a clear sight on our verbal guns.

    But, that said, I see no reason why the long-suffering taxpayer should continue to have his stores robbed simply to pay those hypocrits.

    Chris Langan-Fox

    15 Sep 12 at 4:59 pm

  8. Ivan

    It needs to be closed down as a lesson to the left. Selling it doesn’t offer the lessons that need to be taught.

    JC

    15 Sep 12 at 5:10 pm

  9. JC, the danger then is that a future Labor Govt will resurrect it.

    Ivan Denisovich

    15 Sep 12 at 5:17 pm

  10. The link doesn’t work anymore. I’m guessing its gone down the Memory Hole.

    Token

    15 Sep 12 at 5:18 pm

  11. The link to find the audio is at the ABC website, but the audio track is no longer working. Anyone get a copy?

    The other tracks at this location still work.

    http://www.abc.net.au/newsradio/listen/daily.htm

    Daily Audio for Sep 14, 2012

    Loading…
    Calls for peacekeepers to be given the same recognition as troops killed in war zones …

    Date: Fri, 14 Sep 2012 15:50:00 +1000

    Laura Tchilinguirian speaks with Avril Clarke, whose son Jamie was killed at the age of 21 while serving as a peacekeeper in the Solomon Islands.

    Keywords: Government – Federal, Politics, Peacekeepers, War Memorial
    “A disgraceful, sectarian, anti-Catholic campaign”, Greg Sheridan on reports of Tony Abbott’s alleged behaviour while in student politics…

    Date: Fri, 14 Sep 2012 08:20:00 +1000

    Marius Benson speaks to The Australian’s foreign editor Greg Sheridan, who was close to the Opposition Leader during his time in student politics

    Keywords: Politics, Politics, Canberra
    Gov’t needs to explain where “120 billion in promises” will come from, says Oppn…

    Date: Fri, 14 Sep 2012 06:45:00 +1000

    For an Opposition perspective on this week’s political issues, Marius Benson spoke to the Manager of Opposition Business, Christopher Pyne.

    Keywords: Politics, Politics, Canberra, Education

    Token

    15 Sep 12 at 5:23 pm

  12. JC, the danger then is that a future Labor Govt will resurrect it.

    Well don’t lose a fucking election to those thieves.

    It would be pretty hard setting up all over again and having that new broadcaster run propaganda for the the Liars Party, Ivan.

    I can’t quite see them getting away with it.

    Fire them all and legislate against them receiving any benefits whatsoever.

    The Libs need to play Russian roulette with the electorate and take some risks. Okay, you don’t want us to close it down, then vote them in and get it good and fucking hard.

    JC

    15 Sep 12 at 5:24 pm

  13. Even if they do Ivan, it is critical to kill the toxic dominant corporate culture.

    Token

    15 Sep 12 at 5:24 pm

  14. If it doesn’t work, they took it down as they realized perhaps that we were talking about it and slamming them.

    The bald idiot Benson received a really good kicking from Sheridan.

    The one that deserves a good firing is Emnna Alberici as she’s absolutely unrepentant in pushing the leftwing line on the program. Of course she learnt the trade from Fatty Jones who’s been ripping off the taxpayer for years peddling leftist bullshit and receiving a decent stipend for it.

    Alberici is a product of the Harvard of Down Under. Media Studies from Deakin University.

    They are truly fucking appalling.

    Inner city yokel, Fatty Jones thought the bible was written in Hebrew. Lol.

    You can’t get a stupider collection of leftest asshats anywhere. They really take the cake.

    JC

    15 Sep 12 at 5:31 pm

  15. Even if they do Ivan, it is critical to kill the toxic dominant corporate culture.

    You can only kill it by destroying it the fucking place.

    JC

    15 Sep 12 at 5:32 pm

  16. @Token, I can download it as an mp3 and play it on itunes.

    Interesting how much at pains Marius Benson was to point out that Sheridan was from the (Murdoch hate media) The Australian. Also why state that the woman in question was a ‘ralatively small woman’ other than to impose a bias.

    Biota

    15 Sep 12 at 5:33 pm

  17. You need to kill it, not imprison it. It’s been like this for decades and no Coalition Govt has done anything about it so if – if – one finally is prepared to take measues then I would want it killed off. One thing the Rudd/Gillard Govt has shown is that modern Labor is completely unscrupulous and has no qualms in doing whatever it takes so I have no faith that a future Labor Govt wouldn’t resurrect it given half a chance.

    Ivan Denisovich

    15 Sep 12 at 5:34 pm

  18. Cut and paste the link into your browser – that works. I can’t get my tablet to post an actual link into the post.

    Sinclair Davidson

    15 Sep 12 at 5:35 pm

  19. I switched from Firefox to Safari and it seems to be working ok. The Cat is working better as well. Firefox really is sucking at the moment.

    Token

    15 Sep 12 at 5:35 pm

  20. Anyone know why their salaries aren’t published? We know what the board and the CEO receive for instance. But why don’t we know what people like Tony Fatty Jones, Fran Tractor kelly, Leatherface Bawie Cassidy and the prick O’Brien receive?

    I’ll bet anything that old leatherface Cassidy is double dipping because he has that appalling sports show gig going too. He looks like a complete shafter.

    I heard some of the pricks have side gigs through production company scams going so they can rip off the taxpayer peddling the leftwing line and save tax.

    Everyone of these asshats would demand transparency from the private sector, but obviously that doesn’t apply to them. I want to know what these asshats are on and demand the Libs publish total comp all the way down.

    JC

    15 Sep 12 at 5:44 pm

  21. Greg Sheridan interview.

    Rudiau

    15 Sep 12 at 5:48 pm

  22. You need to kill it, not imprison it. It’s been like this for decades and no Coalition Govt has done anything about it so if – if – one finally is prepared to take measues then I would want it killed off.

    Look , lets get real here. Coalition policy is in support of a public broadcaster. That’s the reality. They won’t change it.

    However there are serious murmurings deep inside the party as what to do with the leftwing ABC.

    I’ve heard they would like to appoint an ombudsman to investigate complaints, sot he complaints process is removed from them which they have rendered useless.

    The ombudsman would have the ability to fire serial abusers of partisan peddling.

    From what i’ve heard, people like fatty Jones, O’brien, old leatherface, tractor Kelly etc will be targeted for sackings. There are others too. There will be lots of blood letting soon after the next election according the scuttlebutt inside the Libs.

    JC

    15 Sep 12 at 5:51 pm

  23. I used to think just defund it. But that leaves the leftist infrastructure in place and the opportunity for a future labor government to fund it again. They need to sack the staff, close it down, and sell the spectrum so it can’t be resurrected. Put a stake right through it’s heart. And SBS will have to go too, to stop the ABC being revived that way.

    When Labor are out of government at all levels in this country, the Libs can close the ABC, reform political funding laws to stop money flowing from the unions and the union controlled super funds. And then purge the APS. Mass sackings. Cut off the flow of money and the snouts of the scumbags will be forced out of the trough. They may have to work for the first time in their lives.

    Tim

    15 Sep 12 at 5:52 pm

  24. Tim, I believe the presenters need to be personally liable for the defamation cases. That damages claim won / settled leads to funding cuts 10x the amount.

    These people don’t care as they are sheltered from the effects of their actions.

    Token

    15 Sep 12 at 6:04 pm

  25. Tony’s default “sovereign individual” welfare statist minions don’t like it up em…..hee, hee…..do day.

    Alfonso

    15 Sep 12 at 6:05 pm

  26. There will be lots of blood letting soon after the next election according the scuttlebutt inside the Libs.

    Yeah, I hope you’re right but there’s been a lot of talk in the past that Coalition Govts would reform the ABC which has amounted to zilch. Also defundiing is a political sore that doesn’t go away. Selling is an easier sell (pun intended) politically and it’s over and done with. For starters there’s the justification on the basis of a few billion coming in to address Swan’s mess that an Abbott Govt would inherit.

    Ivan Denisovich

    15 Sep 12 at 6:12 pm

  27. A similar discussion is being hosted at Chris Kenny’s Blog. The consensus seems pretty similar too.

    Cold-Hands

    15 Sep 12 at 6:19 pm

  28. selling is more politically palatable than just switching off the lights.

    dd

    15 Sep 12 at 6:23 pm

  29. Come on JC, you’re usually not that naive – they’ll just appoint their own ombudsman, and off we go again.
    No. Drive a stake through its heart, and a silver bullet in its head.

    Bob Sewell

    15 Sep 12 at 6:57 pm

  30. Come on JC, you’re usually not that naive – they’ll just appoint their own ombudsman, and off we go again.
    No. Drive a stake through its heart, and a silver bullet in its head.

    Then scorch the earth

    JamesK

    15 Sep 12 at 7:02 pm

  31. selling is more politically palatable than just switching off the lights.

    They’ll just buy it back. Bundle it in with the NBN or something. It’s worth too much to them as free propaganda to not use taxpayers money to resurrect it. Unless they break up the left-nexus at the centre of it, it will keep coming back.

    Tim

    15 Sep 12 at 7:06 pm

  32. Give the business including equipment etc to the ABC staff. Charge market rent for land and buildings. Cut all funding. Then sit back and enjoy the slomo crash.

    Steve of Ferny Hills

    15 Sep 12 at 7:34 pm

  33. The ABC’s news at 7 coverage of today’s riot was prefaced or “veneered” with another piece of anti-offshore propaganda where the touching story of two girls was retold – they had met at Nauru – the one telling the story said that being there was like being in prison, in a room on her own.
    Nothing like being an Islamic teenager, I guess. They’re out on the town 24/7. Not.
    Then they launched into the Sydney riot.
    But nobody was in the wrong.
    There were “angry” people, upset by some two-bit movie. What about angry Australians?
    Don’t we have the right to be angry about our country, our lives, our culture (so denigrated and denied even by our own “national broadcaster”), our sense of what’s fair and what’s stupid PC claptrap being ridden roughshod over by a combination of partisan press/media and pollies intent on power retention at any cost?
    Defund the ABC is a start. It will not be enough.

    blogstrop

    15 Sep 12 at 7:57 pm

  34. Bob

    That’s not me talking, that’s what the Libs want to do with it.

    JC

    15 Sep 12 at 8:29 pm

  35. Don’t we have the right to be angry about our country, our lives, our culture (so denigrated and denied even by our own “national broadcaster”), our sense of what’s fair and what’s stupid PC claptrap being ridden roughshod over by a combination of partisan press/media and pollies intent on power retention at any cost?

    Well said, Blogstrop. Good man. Hugs.

    Elizabeth (Lizzie) B.

    15 Sep 12 at 8:33 pm

  36. The transcript of Emma Alberici’s interview with David Marr is worth read reading to put Greg Sheridan’s comments in context.

    wmmbb

    16 Sep 12 at 1:54 am

  37. I’m sure the denizens of the ABC look around at their colleagues, then at those overseas in the BBC, and at the USA NPR mob (who they also use in retransmission), and CNN, NYT, even Al Jazeera who they also use more and more – and at the end of the day they decide that they aren’t left leaning at all, but at the centre of the known world.
    Their behaviour goes beyond their charter, and is dismissive of the large proportion of the electorate who vote for the Libs, NP or any of the minor parties who aren’t Greens. To have such an organisation with such a long reach around this country and so obvious a partisan take on just about every political discussion is a real worry. There is no easy option in a reform context, so I’m forced to agree that defunding or sale in its entirety is necessary.

    blogstrop

    16 Sep 12 at 8:41 am

  38. Triple J has a show that actually mocks the idea of balanced reportage and caricatures and lampoons conservatives: “Restoring the Balance.”

    That’s what they think of balance. They literally think it’s a joke.

    dd

    16 Sep 12 at 8:59 am

  39. Coalition policy is in support of a public broadcaster. That’s the reality. They won’t change it.

    Fine then. Let’s have a TV station and a radio station.

    Just because the Libs signed on to a ‘public broadcaster’, they don’t have to get suckered by mission creep and expansion into new media.

    dd

    16 Sep 12 at 9:15 am

  40. clarification: what I meant, more specifically, was “let’s have 1 TV station and 1 radio station, not 3 TV stations, five radio stations and a network of regional radio stations, and numerous websites.”

    dd

    16 Sep 12 at 9:17 am

  41. Blogstrop.. that ABC Nauru piece was particularly puzzling..

    I felt like yelling at the TV “So if she’s locked in a room all day due to the fact her family has archaic religious beliefs, why the hell does it matter if she in Nauru, Canberra, or on the moon?”

    duncan

    16 Sep 12 at 9:38 am

  42. Blogstrop, how about having shifts of Left on one day and Rights on the other – each responsible for their own programming and content.

    Bob Sewell

    16 Sep 12 at 11:15 am

  43. “No. Drive a stake through its heart, and a silver bullet in its head.”

    This is the only way – unilateral, fearless obliteration.

    It’s fanciful though because even the Liberals, such as the Member for Goldman Sachs, will sign up as human shields. AbbottAbbottAbbott will be on a hiding to nothing.

    I recall the trouble Howard’s government had closing down ATSIC. It took a decade or more adorned with protracted actions before a friendly Federal court, a NSW magistrate blatantly protecting family, fingers in the eyes and hands shielding ears against criminal embezzlement and sex crimes, then valuable public assets stripped from the walls and garages in the final year never to be seen again. Two of his most senior ministers couldn’t pull it off.

    This ABC mob has built an impregnable citadel which will never fall.

    The only likelihood vulnerability is Comrade Gareth Gareth Bob noticing the prize real estate it occupies and enabling his mates to have it for high rise apartments.

    Mick Gold Coast QLD

    16 Sep 12 at 12:06 pm

  44. I’m a dill – “The only likely vulnerability …”

    Mick Gold Coast QLD

    16 Sep 12 at 12:07 pm

  45. There is no need for the ABC.

    The internet and pay TV have made it redundant.

    .

    16 Sep 12 at 12:16 pm

  46. Copy and paste the link into the address bar and it comes up with the audio. Hot stuff, go Greg Sheridan, about time this was in the open and called what it is, sectarianism. Marr’s essay may well be counterproductive for them, as it has got the usually quiet folks up in arms.

    Cath

    16 Sep 12 at 12:50 pm

  47. The transcript of Emma Alberici’s interview with David Marr is worth read reading to put Greg Sheridan’s comments in context.

    All that transcript demonstrates is that Marr and his ABC megaphone come from a poisonous pit of prejudice that has invented a Tony Abbott reality in an attempt to destroy him. His irrational hatred is vile and personal and his writing is fashioned like a weapon. The ABC, on the other hand, is now a political propaganda organisation so removed from the credible journalism it is supposed to deliver on behalf of the public – with their money – it is a cancer that must be destroyed. The ABC’s unaccountable, leftist public service bubble unerringly promotes the philosophy and policies of the Greens, who currently represent just 8% of the population. That this is being done with public money is an evil corruption of its charter.

    Tom

    16 Sep 12 at 5:26 pm

  48. Holy moley, Greg Sheridan really sticks it to the ABC at the 2:20 min mark. You go son!

    Lee from WA

    16 Sep 12 at 7:49 pm

  49. Send in the hawks. The shame is, a disinterested public broadcaster is needed to check Power. What philosophical liberal self selection over decades has done is only give the next government pretext to destroy the thing.

    What we need is a ‘Scouring of the Shire’ but how many conservatives are there to provide balance? Who is left who knows Russell Kirk?

    The great ‘I’ and us little ‘i’s are going to follow Tolkein script come what may.

    Numenorean

    4 Oct 12 at 3:46 pm

Leave a Reply