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Quarterly Newsletter: Summer 1999 Vol 1 No 4

Whose bread I eat, his song I sing

Honest language took a battering at the Australian Broadcasting Association inquiry into the affairs of radio station 2UE and its lordly broadcasters John Laws and Alan Jones. But Julian Burnside, counsel for the ABA, dropped this pearl before swine: 'Whose bread I eat, his song I sing". Our understanding of the commercial media must be forever enriched with the recall of that lovely proverb. And it must also remind us that our ABC should eat only of our bread, paid for from the commonwealth purse.

The inquiry into cash-for-comment has been the backdrop to many fervent calls along the lines of 'thank God for the ABC' and, at the same time, Channel 9 has done its best to boost appreciation of our national broadcaster.

First there was the saga of Nine plucking the baked Alaskan Robert Bogucki from the desert and treating him like a performing animal. This was much regretted by Nine's head of news Peter Meakin: "We are not going to be number one if we are treating people like meat. We can't go traipsing round the world like cowboys without damaging our brand."

And only a couple of days later Nine's Richard Carleton did his best to endanger the lives of Australian journalists in East Timor by breaking all the rules of good journalism and the specific rules of the UN in East Timor, after dropping in on a tourist visa with an Esky of essential luxuries.

Less prominent in the news was this surprising action of the Queensland Parliament (reported in the Courier Mail, 11/11/99)

That should have been front page news across the nation.

'Health, wealth and Aunty top bush wish list'

This was the headline in The Australian over the report on the regional summit on the problems of the bush called by deputy Prime Minister John Anderson. The summit concluded with working groups creating a wish list of initiatives for reviving the bush. These included 'full funding for ABC and SBS TV to provide digital television.' The bush and the National Party have long appreciated the services of the ABC.

At the same time, those who would see the ABC broken up and privatised have raised the shrillness of their attacks several decibels to be heard over the chorus of praise for the ABC.

"The ABC has been by far the leading voice in the war party of Australia. It has for many years tirelessly propagandised about Timor and Indonesia, and through Radio Australia and other means actively tried to foment discontent and violence in Indonesia."

PP McGuinness, SMH, 11/9/99

This was pretty clever of them considering the government closed down transmission into Indonesia two years ago.

Michael Warby of the IPA declares that the ABC is a threat to democracy and needs an owner like Kerry Packer to keep the journalists in line.

Take a Bex and have a good lie down, fellas. JL.

Editor: Joan Laing GPO Box 203 Adelaide 5001
Phone & fax: 08 8271 0751 jlaing@senet.com.au

Unattributed text is by the editor