ABC Veteran Listener
Your Agenda could not have been imposed at a more telling time. Funny, how election and pulp mill debate are now so often usurped by music, entertainment and parochial affairs. John Howard will be pleased with his gate-keepers at the ABC. Gunns Ltd will be relieved. But others are listening too. People like Robert Manne, David Marr and Geoffrey Robertson will be interested in this turn of events. You have declared your unilateral Agenda. This is not public broadcasting. It is imposition, if not another clever expression of dictatorship.
You cannot imagine the dis-empowerment felt by so many of your listeners when you set your ‘Morning Agenda’.
Thinking people who have always closely monitored current affairs suddenly feel cut off at the knees. Options have narrowed. Initiative has been swept away.
To have a voice, one must continue listening to others’ Agenda, patiently waiting for an invitation to speak.
We can only hope that our particular concerns are flagged for debate when we happen to be listening.
Then, if we beat the rush and placate a hostile gate-keeper, we might just be granted a voice.
You know, there was always a background assurance that we could ring Aunty when seriously concerned about public affairs. It was a bit like knowing that the car was in the garage if we really needed to use it. Now, we must wait to be offered the keys.
This, when a huge, outdated pulp mill has been approved without federal consideration of airborne emissions or forest impacts. – When we wait in suspense for the Prime Minister to call an election when it best suits him. And when that prime minister has teams monitoring ABC debate to ensure that his narrative prevails.
Your Agenda could not have been imposed at a more telling time. Funny, how election and pulp mill debate are now so often usurped by music, entertainment and parochial affairs.
John Howard will be pleased with his gate-keepers at the ABC. Gunns Ltd will be relieved.
But others are listening too. People like Robert Manne, David Marr and Geoffrey Robertson will be interested in this turn of events. You have declared your unilateral Agenda. This is not public broadcasting. It is imposition, if not another clever expression of dictatorship.
Yours, with complete sincerity,
