May 29, 2003

AUSTRALIAN BUDGET CUTS

When pleading for more funding, the ABC would do well to present the government with this example of its totally unbiased news coverage, from The 7.30 Report’s Kerry O’Brien:

The Federal Government's tough strategy to stop asylum seekers arriving on Australia's coastline has certainly worked. No boats have made the perilous journey in the past 18 months. Even those who have made it to Australia and survived the lengthy detention process to be recognised as refugees are only allowed a temporary three-year visa with limited access to social services.

Yep. That should do it. Meanwhile we await full details of Indira Naidoo’s salary, and some explanation as to where the poverty-stricken ABC found the pile of cash it is wasting on promotions for Andrew Denton’s show. Oh, and is Phillip Adams still pulling down an annual $120,000 for his four hours of weekly agitprop on Radio National?

Posted by Tim Blair at May 29, 2003 12:31 PM
Comments

I thought the problem with the ABC was that there were no programs with a right wing bias, not that one (non-news) program had a bias. Wasn't this what the whole "right wing Philip Adams" thing was about?

Posted by: Michael S. at May 29, 2003 at 12:50 PM

No, Michael S. The force is to eliminate bias full stop for objective reporting, comment and sound argument.Last night's 7.30 report demonstrated yet again, the ABC is staffed by dull communard dullards.

Posted by: d at May 29, 2003 at 01:45 PM

ABC will, no doubt, produce figures as soon as its creative accountants can revise again the numbers.
It all adds up, funny content, funny numbers.

Posted by: d at May 29, 2003 at 02:46 PM

Here you go again Tim old mate. Banging on about ABC bias again.
Tim, If you can demonstrate that there are clear and unambiguous criteria that can be used to judge bias in the media then I'll be willing to listen more serously to your rantings.
As it stands you selectively pick a few seconds of talk of out of thousands of hours of News and Current Affairs and claim it is evidence of bias.
That's only evidence Tim of your own bias. It is evidence of nothing else.

Posted by: Rex Ringscott at May 29, 2003 at 04:51 PM

Jealousy is a curse and envy is even worse

Posted by: Niall at May 29, 2003 at 05:02 PM

Hey Rex,
Dont complain because someone hasn't spelt out the "unambiguous criteria" for you. Use your own judgement.

Rational people should be somewhat uncomfortable with the expression "survived the lengthy detention process" in the article above.

The writer would have better described the situation of asylum seekers by writing "even those that survived coming to Australia..." because that is the most deadly part of the journey. Far more deadly than detention centres.

Posted by: Jono at May 29, 2003 at 06:26 PM

Has Andrew Denton got a new show? The things we miss living in Canada. He's really really funny. Does anyone remember when he dumped a truck load of Horse Shit on the door step of the French embassy - that was really funny - or when he hired a bounty hunter to go after Christopher Skase - the Chase for Skase - hahahaha!

Posted by: Jonny at May 30, 2003 at 04:11 AM