The ABC in deepest, darkest doo-doo land

I wrote in my Sydney Institute piece that the ABC Board seemed unable to deal with the perspectives of the staff, even when John Howard added new people to it who might be thought sympathetic to his point of view. Ron Brunton, who did serve on the Board in that period, felt that the Board was systematically flanneled by the management.

No doubt the Coalition would love to have a more accommodating national broadcaster rather than the one it presently has. To fiddle with it, as its supporters constantly request, would only be to stir up the community. But when the ABC itself commits yet another boo-boo, and one that goes round the nation in seconds, it is opening itself to surgery, without any say in the choice of surgeon.

Even now there is less acceptance from within the organisation than there ought to be, that the ABC did anything wrong. Mark Scott has explained that the ABC is almost obliged to put critical people to air, in the interest of freedom of expression: "At times, free speech principles mean giving platforms to those with whom we fundamentally disagree…"

I agree, and I'll believe him, too, when I see Professor Bob Carter on the ABC explaining, in a half-hour well-supported prime-time program, how the fuss about global warming is grossly over-stated.