The impact of cuts
Les Blakebrough writes: Re. “In morning: ABC kills regional radio programs“. Maybe there should be continuing pressure on Turnbull and his Media Minister to reinstate the ABC budget to earlier levels. As an Australian occasionally living overseas the cutting of the ABC International Service was a great mistake, and it compounds when their TV programs do not stream live either if you live outside Oz. I have found the only way to keep up with news from Oz is going to the Guardian web site.
Turnbull still the better option
Dean Ellis writes: Re. “And he shall reign forever and ever: Turnbull means we can all stop caring about politics“(yesterday). Comrade Rundle writes: “Turnbull’s path to hegemony … comes … from simply allowing many people to stop having to care about politics, and to return to their private lives.” Yes, but, also from simple exhaustion and relief from not having to see, hear and think about the dreadful lizard like loon that was and continues to be an embarrassment to Australia. For one frightful moment this week I experienced anxiety that Abbott might just be on a romantic European holiday and we would have to endure weeks nay months of that horror movie playing out on our TV screens. Fortunately we were spared that trauma and in any event, well might Turnbull take the electorate for granted, but nothing will save him if he does.
Jock Webb writes: Like John Richardson, I wish Abbott would never comeback. I have quite enough of the miserable pseudo Christian crap from the right wing of politics. The dear saviour would be more likely to say “Get thee beyond me Satan” or “I know thee not”. I am pretty godless, but I was raised in the Presbyterian congregation and am descended from the Pilgrim Pastor who sent the Mayflower to America. I know what supposedly constitutes Christian decency and these lying, cruel, heartless persons of ill repute are about as Christian as an ayatollah.
I agree with Les Blakemore about restoring ABC funding to previous levels – a solution probably beyond the ken of those ministers screaming so loudly.
And I agree that the cutting of the ABC International Service was a stupid decision, although I feel obliged to add that Australia Network was not doing very well in my estimation by the time it closed. Much of my complaint was with the number of programs from the commercial networks – stuff I wouldn’t watch at home so why bother here. But I did not much like the ABC news program, grandly titled The World, that was shown from April until September 2014.
However I do find I am able to get access to ABC programs via the internet. The ABC tries to steer potential viewers to using iView and Les is correct that this does not provide access outside Australia. But by going to http://www.abc.net.au/ and then typing in the name of a program such as 4corners or insiders or qanda (these are very case sensitive and it took a number of tries to learn the direct access address) ready access is there. Specials such as The Killing Season are also available. The access is sometimes there for only two weeks after their broadcast date but other programs, such as Four Corners, are available for weeks.
In many ways I prefer this as I can choose my own viewing time whereas with Oz Network I was limited to watching Insiders when they chose to show it.