VIC: Academic accuses federal government of starving the ABC

AAP General News (Australia)
04-18-2001
VIC: Academic accuses federal government of starving the ABC

By Joe Hildebrand

MELBOURNE, April 18 AAP - A Melbourne academic has accused the federal government of
starving the ABC of funds and said managing director Jonathan Shier had no idea how to
run the national broadcaster.

Robert Manne, Associate Professor of Politics at La Trobe University, told a Friends
of the ABC meeting that it was possible the government was deliberately trying to censor
the broadcaster.

"It seems to me the ABC is being starved by inadequate funding," he said.

"Whether it is the intent purpose of the government to weaken the ABC by slow strangulation
is a matter for debate."

Mr Manne also said that Mr Shier had no direction in his position.

Referring to an interview he heard Mr Shier give, he said: "My general sense was that
Shier had not the faintest idea of what he wanted to achieve with the ABC and even less
capability."

Mr Manne said that Mr Shier, who was appointed by the coalition government, would probably
have an awkward relationship with the government if Labor won power at the next election.

"I would have thought it would be very awkward and he would be regarded as a very peculiar
person to maintain control," he said.

"He might be able to become a very different sort of person with the Labor government,
but I imagine it would be very difficult for him."

Mr Manne said while Mr Shier's regime had not outwardly compromised the editorial integrity
of the ABC, there had been some self censorship and a perception had developed that the
broadcaster was biased to the left.

AAP jh/go/jas/sb (

KEYWORD: ABC MANNE

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