A better process, but what about the product?

This caused distinguished investigative journalist and former ABC board member Quentin Dempster to describe the ABC-Telstra relationship as a "strategic alliance". He told the inquiry that this alliance involved the ABC:

...in a fully commercial business plan with another operator and a delivery system. This arrangement will cause us all sorts of trouble with Optus, with any other player. I am basing this on my bitter experience being on the board of the ABC as we did a deal with Fairfax and Cox Communications for pay TV.

In evidence before the inquiry Schultz was unapologetic about the commercial thrust of the Telstra deal. She told the hearing that it might be necessary to pursue an increasingly commercial approach that; "would involve a fundamental change in direction to move into a very commercial space where very large amounts of money are being spent at this stage for very little return but for great speculative gain.

Fortunately the deal was never signed. The new ABC Managing Director Jonathan Shier killed it, not because it was too commercial, but because he thought the ABC was selling its content too cheaply.

Julianne Schultz is a very intelligent person. As she joins the ABC board we must hope that she has learned from her earlier experience.