Your ABC, My 2 Cents Worth

Given the Federal Government's review of the `adequacy' (ha!) of funding for the ABC, the Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance have launched a campaign to draw attention to the consistent underfunding of the ABC, Our ABC - The Eyes and Ears of Australia.

Having worked at the venerable Aunty myself, I can testify to the atrocious state of affairs there. `Underfunding' would imply there's any money. I've seen an entire studio full of radio professionals huddled around a single microphone because the only other one for the task was being borrowed by another radio station. More recently, there's been severe cuts to the ABC's flagship current affairs radio shows, AM, PM and The World Today. That's not even counting the fact that the ABC manages to run four national radio networks, 60 local radio stations, Radio Australia, two TV stations, a website, three Internet radio services and two TV stations.

The campaign is being launched on Monday, October 10th at 10:30am at the Museum of Sydney (corner of Bridge and Phillip St) - RSVP 1300 656 512.

Or, if you can't make it, drop your local MP a line - the campaign website has contact details for all MPs.

Think about a media world without the ABC - without Lateline, Stateline, Insiders, 4 Corners, the 7:30 Report, Inside Business ...