Crikey’s Myrian Robin has a curious exposition of the Lewis Report into the ABC today:
…former Seven West Media chief financial officer Peter Lewis, recommends merging the back-office functions of SBS and the ABC, charging for access to the ABC’s archival content through a subscriptions model (ie. charging for iView content after a certain period), and increasing advertising on SBS.
…Speaking to Crikey this morning, Quentin Dempster — a veteran ABC journalist, former staff-elected board member and the presenter of Stateline NSW — said the review’s recommendations amount to “commercialising the public broadcasters”.
“Both boards should reject this strategy,” he said. “The Abbott government has no mandate from the electorate to change the role and functions of the ABC or SBS. The public has already paid for this content. It should be an asset and resource for the public at large — and there should be no charge for accessing it…A pay-per-view model is exactly what Murdoch press wants — and represents a sell-out if implemented,” Dempster said.
Merging back office functions may make sense though the devil is certain to be the detail as it is in all mergers. I can’t see how charging for content works in favour of Murdoch in any way. Perhaps I’m missing something.
However, I would argue that free access to the ABC is increasingly vital along the lines of my discussion about the Google revolution this morning. Public broadcasting and media, as well as philanthropic media, is going to play an increasingly important role in sustaining what’s left of the political centre in the national discussion. That is not just a community service. It’s in the national interest, even if, ironically, those same partisan fruit loops that are pushing for ABC reform can’t see it.
