Adequately funding the ABC requires that we look at advertising revenues

The concerns over ABC advertising usually nominated by the Left - that a "commercialised" ABC wiould be "dumbed down" - have also been thoroughly refuted by the experience of SBS.

Despite the presence of unobtrusive commercial advertising between its programs, no one could deny that SBS continues to provide a world-leading service.

Its commitment to screening fascinating documentaries and foreign language programs defies the critics who claim that advertising and intellectually stimulating programming are incompatible.

Indeed, if we are worried about factors which might "dumb down" the ABC, we should not be looking at advertising. We should be looking at ABC management.

It is the ABC's management who, in the absence of advertising, have just decided to cut exactly the sort of program which we are told opponents of advertising wish to protect - namely children's educational television!