Media Watch - New ABC Host?

So, if the rumour is true, the sneering, holier-than-thou, leftarded face of Media Watch may change by the end of May this year.  Or it may not.

The publicly funded ABC is on the cusp of seriously proving to taxpayers it takes its Code of Practice very seriously, indeed!   Here’s its chance to actually inject some balance into the organisation by appointing a first ever bi-partisan host of Media Watch.

The Code of Practice can be found here:  http://about.abc.net.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/CodeofPractice2013.pdf

There has to be a caveat applied with regard to the following link.  Crikey seems to have quite a bit of rumour-mongery history and apparent absence of  fact-checkers, but that’s another story!

Crikey understands a replacement for Holmes has been chosen, with the ABC set to make an official announcement on his successor at the end of May. ABC sources say this is likely to be followed by a speedy baton change from Holmes to the mystery new host — the eighth in Media Watch’s history.

Holmes, an ABC current affairs veteran, flagged last August that he was likely to step down in the middle of this season. Although the handover has been carefully planned for months, the identity of the new presenter is a closely-guarded secret within Aunty.

As Andrew Bolt notes:  The ABC now has a perfect chance to prove it really does embrace diversity by appointing its first ever non-Leftist to host Media Watch. So far, every one of the seven presenters in the show’s history has been of the Left - Stuart Littlemore, Richard Ackland, Paul Barry, David Marr, Liz Jackson, Monica Attard and Jonathan Holmes. That monpoly - that monoculture - is astonishing, undeniable and inexcusable.

My bet is we will not see a change.  We will not see the ABC honour its obligation to the Australian taxpayer to exercise diversity; exhibit balance and even make a mild attempt to accurately reflect the mood of the Nation.  Should I be proved correct, then there is even more reason for an incoming Conservative Government to defund this Leftist behemoth of a public broadcaster.

The ball is squarely in your court, Australian Broadcasting Corporation!

Carve Up The ABC, Mr. Abbott

An incoming Coalition Government should look closely at the ABC; its agenda, its funding and whether or not the Australian taxpayer has been getting value for money.

Over a number of years, value for money has not been the case.

I believe the ABC has reached its ‘use-by’ date.  Managing Director, Mark Scott has had plenty of time during his tenure to yank the ABC into a reliable, balanced and factual broadcaster thus maintaining consumer loyalty.  

Mark Scott has failed.

The ABC’s radio and television arms run almost as many obnoxious advertisements (for itself) as those commercial broadcasters rely on, legitimately paid for as part of their business models.

After years of being a rusted-on supporter of the ABC, I feel betrayed.  People who know me know I don’t take prisoners.  Break it up, sell it off, I no longer care.   The ABC has lost its status as a sacred cow and certainly does not deserve my support or sympathy.

It’s pretty obvious there is quite a large revolt against the ABC and it only has itself to blame.  A partisan attitude towards the green/left aside, dumbing down of the public broadcaster is unforgivable.  I used to love the science programme, Catalyst.  Had I regressed to the age of 12, I may still love it!

I regularly turn to Catallaxy Files to catch up on weekly threads dedicated to the irrelevanace of the ABC’s Monday night Q and A programme.  It saves me having to endure an hour’s worth of leftoid drivel.

The ABC can be as ‘flabbergasted’ as it likes.  I’ve adjusted my viewing and listening habits, particularly over the past five years or so and I couldn’t give a rat’s rectum as the ABC sinks under the weight of its own ‘group-think’!

From mUmBRELLA:  Click link for full article.

ABC ‘flabbergasted’ by BBC’s Foxtel move

A new premiere BBC drama and comedy channel to be launched by BBC Worldwide and Foxtel has left the ABC “flabbergasted”, a spokeswoman has told Mumbrella.

Following 50 years of broadcasting BBC content in Australia, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation was not consulted about plans to launch a premium channel on Foxtel in mid-2014.

A spokeswoman for the ABC said the public service broadcaster had been seeking talks with the BBC’s commercial arm, BBC Worldwide as its three year contract comes to an end on June 30 next year, but had been knocked back before the announcement was made.

“We were pretty flabbergasted,” a spokeswoman said. ”We only found out yesterday and we had been asking them for a while to sit down to talk about a new deal, so we were pretty shocked.”

The new premium channel will feature”premiere British drama and comedy, ad-break free and as close to UK transmission as possible,” Foxtel said in a press release.

However the ABC will retain popular shows such as Doctor Who, as it has a contract for the lifetime of the show, and Grand Designs and QI which will not be affected by the deal.

Content used on Four Corners from the BBC’s Panorama will also be unaffected, as will popular children’s programs such as Peppa Pig – the number one program on ABC iView - the spokeswoman said.

Community Cabinet - The Gillard Formula

Last night, I made myself sit through about half an hour of the Gillard Government’s  Community Cabinet ‘love-in’ held at Ringwood in the marginal seat of Deakin, Victoria.  Deakin is currently held by Labor.  The half-hour broadcast was covered by ABC’s News24.

Well, what a horrifying spectacle is was.  These Community Cabinets are supposed to have a public Q and A session where members of the community can pose questions to both the PM and her Cabinet Ministers.  However, what I saw was nothing more than Dorothy Dixer questions from what appeared to be a selection of hand-picked questioners from an audience of approximately 300 that I suspect had been catapulted straight from the Victorian ALP branch membership.  It was nothing more than political theatre orchestrated by a desperate, sinking, stinking Labor Government.

It may have become more balanced during the second half hour but I could not bring myself to stomach any more from a Government desperately tying to create an impression there is nothing wrong with it.  It came across as a nothing-to-see-here stunt.   The back-slapping and grovelling from the floor was nauseating and it’s worrying that approximately 29% of the population will reward incompetence, ineptitude and deceit by voting for this pack of idiots at the next election.

Surely there’s medical help for selective blindness!

Click the link to read what Community Cabinet sessions should actually aim for!

Community Cabinet

What is Community Cabinet?

Community Cabinet meetings are part of the Prime Minister’s commitment to provide opportunities for people to bring their concerns directly to the government. Community Cabinet provides citizens with direct access to the government and the government with first hand access to community perceptions and expectations.

Public Forum (45 – 60 mins):

Public Q & A with the Prime Minister and the attending ministry, where members of the community can ask questions directly of the government.

Exact timings are determined on a meeting by meeting basis.

Gellibrand Preselection - An Insight

This article by Andrew Landeryou is worth reading – as are most of the comments related to this article!  It's insightful.  The way of the ALP and why the Party is a spent force, incapable of resurrection. 

http://www.vexnews.com/2013/04/gellibrand-bad-news-is-that-kimba-lost-good-news-is-vexnews-is-back-in-rude-form/

Rumours abound that the dysfunctional Conroy plans to throw the towel in at the next election.  The coward!

Officially,  just over five months now till we get to vote the vile tossers out.  Conroy, of course, wishes to ‘retire’ before the red hot bar is duly driven up his quivering rectum.  This putrid piece of Labor refuse will not be missed. 

Australia should count her lucky stars Conroy’s dream of socialist control of free speech by regulation was an abject failure.  Afterall, let's not forget he had more than one attempt.

UPDATE:

A FORMAL complaint will be lodged with ALP officials against former attorney-general Nicola Roxon today over claims she accused a female candidate of spreading a misogynistic dirt file against a rival during a preselection.

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy's office has also been dragged into the internal feud with counter-accusations that one of Mr Conroy's staff may have been responsible for the material.

Kimberley Kitching, who had been favoured to win preselection for Ms Roxon's seat of Gellibrand in Melbourne, confirmed last night she would lay charges against Ms Roxon at the ALP tribunal.

The row erupted when a dirt file containing sexually explicit claims about Ms Roxon's former staffer Katie Hall, whom Ms Roxon was backing to take over her seat, was circulated in the lead-up to last night's final preselection vote.

Ms Kitching claims several witnesses confirmed that Ms Roxon had accused her of being behind it.

(Read full article here)

Last night Senator Conroy strongly denied anyone in his office could have been involved in the misogyny file.

"The conduct of some individuals in this ballot was grubby and disgraceful," he told The Daily Telegraph.

"And no one working for me was involved in it. No one in my office was responsible."