Mr Dutton has so far failed to state clearly that he will not change the tax-payer funded model for ABC funding.
In the United States, the Voice of America has been axed. It’s expected that the Congress will soon deprive domestic public television (PBS) and radio (NPR) of all their federal funding. Mr Trump has declared that he would “love” to see that happen.
In Australia, the Murdoch media is again calling for the ABC’s abolition.
So on February 20, ABC Alumni wrote a letter to Mr Dutton.
It stated our belief that the ABC is of ‘inestimable value’ to Australia’s polity. And it asked him to declare publicly, before the election, that a government he leads would maintain the ABC’s funding, and particularly that it would not change the funding model of the ABC.
No subscriptions for accessing ABC services. No ads, anywhere in the ABC’s content.
No privatisation, in any shape or form.
Despite reminders to his media minders, we have received no reply.
It would have been easy for Mr Dutton to undertake, at least, that he has no plans to privatise the ABC, or require that it charges subscriptions.
He has not.
And we ask ourselves, why not?