background briefing 3-1 ...............9

Live by the shock-jocks and die by the shock-jocks

It is 'the purest victory so far for direct democracy. John Howard has been bitten by his own medium - the jocks and the tabloids. He has sacrificed $550 million and excise indexation to appease the anger.'*

The decision to cut 1.5 cents of the excise is 'a response to the irrationality in Australian politics today. Petrol is a classic study of the new instruments of power in Australia.'*

Most of the shock-jocks in Australia over the last six months have used their power to hammer the government over the petrol excise. Paul Kelly in The Australian 3/2/01 focuses on Neil Mitchell of 3AW in Melbourne.

Mitchell tells the audience what they have to do. "I think we've got to mobilise, move ourselves and change the world. We need slogans, we need phone-ins, we need fax attacks. ... We have the power. We have the power. ... the focus has to be on the federal government ... to stop the greed, to stop the tax grab."

If John Howard expected accolades after his change of heart he must have been disappointed. This is Mitchell the following day:

"We've won. ... Howard and Costello have lost their credibility. It has gone totally". Howard's backflip exposed the "absolute garbage they told us."

Mitchell said Howard had "huge tax windfalls" and was only taking the money "he should never have taken from us." Next there should be a freeze on beer and cigarettes.

Remember, says Paul Kelly: 'Howard is an idiot, and Keating a black-hearted boil. They're one and the same. If Beazley wins, he'll be the next villain and idiot.

The jocks delegitimise the politicians to build their own credibility and ratings. Remember, all demagogues claim to speak for the people.'

*Source: PAUL KELLY, The Australian 3/2/01

How have the jocks, the George Speights of Australia, been able to seize this power? Instead of worrying on at the ABC about bias that it has never been able to prove, the politicians should have thought more about ABA controls when the genii/jocks first escaped from the bottle.

Don't panic, don't panic!

A new set of guidelines for radio and television broadcasters into the Asia-Pacific have been issued by the Australian Broadcasting Authority. (It was the ABA that gave John Laws a slap on the wrist for the cash-for-comment scandal.)

The rules tell the broadcasters not to present material 'in a manner that is likely to cause a substantial component of the international audience to panic'. (But OK for just a few to panic?)

They should not attempt to hypnotise viewers nor use any 'subliminal techniques' such as flash advertising. They should not upset religious sensitivities or 'simulate' events that could 'upset' international audiences. (Keep them for the Australian audience, but.)