Media Watch - Paul Barry, Eh?

Who would have possibly guessed the ABC would appoint another lefty sympathiser to the role of host of Media Watch?

I think it’s a given over 50% of the voting public would count themselves as conservative.  Less than 40%, probably count themselves as of the Left.  That figure may be less.

With the recycling of Paul Barry as host of Media Watch, we can surmise ABC management has little or no respect for over 50% of Australians who may – or may not watch ABC television.

Many solid ABC supporters such as myself, have been driven away from the public broadcaster (we are required to sponsor) over the years because of obvious bias to the left, lack of balance, ongoing group-think and an appalling disregard for the views of over 50% of the population.

See Andrew Bolt’s articles here and here.

It is time to give the ABC Board members a good dressing down, I think.

The ABC Board

The duties of the Board are set out in section 8 of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act 1983 (the ABC Act)

The ABC Board is responsible for the ABC’s operations. The duty of the Board is to ensure that the functions of the Corporation are performed efficiently with maximum benefit to the people of Australia, and to maintain the independence and integrity of the Corporation. The Board is also responsible for ensuring that the gathering and presentation of news and information is accurate and impartial, according to recognised standards of journalism, and that the ABC complies with legislative and legal requirements.  (My bold)

The Board members are:  The Hon James Spigelman AC QC

                                           Mr. Steven Scala AO

                                           Mr. Mark Scott AO

                                           Dr. Julianne Schultz AM FAHA

                                           Ms Cheryl Bart AO

                                           Professor Fiona Stanley AC FAAS FASSA

                                           Ms Jane Bennett

                                           Simon Mordant AM

To contact the ABC Board (taken from the webiste)

To Contact the ABC Board:

ABC Secretariat
Board Executive Officer
Box 9994 GPO Sydney NSW 2001

Telephone (02) 8333 5312
Fax (02) 8333 5482

Email board@your.abc.net.au

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!

What's With The ABC?

Something must have gone radically wrong!  Today, the panel on The Insiders appeared to be completely out of character.  Instead of the the usual panel stack of four leftards up against one lonely conservative,  this morning's show appeared to be balanced - for the first time since I began subjecting myself to this particular hour of ABC Leftist bias on Sunday mornings commencing at 9 am.

What a surprise to find the Australian's Niki Savva and Executive Director of The Sydney Institute, columnist and political commentator, Gerard Henderson sitting there eye-balling Political Editor for the Australian Financial Review, Laura Tingle and of course, Barrie Cassidy,  host and ex-Labor staffer and very best friend of the Prime Minister's boyfriend, Timmy.

I think it must have been a fluke and most unlikely to ever be repeated.  I suspect the reason for this most uncharacteristic event was that the usual stable of Labor stooges were off hunting bunyips or otherwise occupied.

I am quite certain the ABC's Managing Director, Mark Scott had nothing to do with the panel makeup on today's programme nor do I for one minute believe the ABC's Code of Practice was this week, required reading for the programme's producers and/or host.

So.  What's gone awry within the Green/Left public broadcaster?   Enquiring minds need to know because most of us won't swallow any guff about the ABC coming of age.

Perhaps at the eleventh hour, the ABC is finally waking up to the political mood within this country and that pushing a horse with a broken back is not in their overall interests if they wish to continue their long-term dependence on the taxpayer-funded drip-feed!  That's probably wishful thinking on my part because I'm sure normal programming will resume shortly!