Date: Mon, 4 May 1998 15:48:18 +1000 From: Rob Schaap <rws-AT-comserver.canberra.edu.au> Subject: M-TH: Re: War on the Wharfies G'day Thaxists, The High Court has just upheld the Federal Court Injunction which demanded the reinstatement of the MUA workers. There's a worrying difference though - something to do with the Patrick administrator having the right to decide whether to trade on or not. Patrick's Corrigan has said the administrator will have a couple of million to trade for a week or two, but I still don't have a clue where exactly all the other company assets (whatever they might amount to) are. Peter Reith has taken a bath on this one, and still insists the administrator need not trade on exclusively with MUA labour. That might clear up by tomorrow - if so, I'll report then. An intersting side issue is outlined below (in a press article - sorry, Mark) - it concerns Australia's public service broadcaster (our equivalent of the BBC). Cheers, Rob. From today's *Australian* (Murdoch) Alston pressures ABC on bias By ERROL SIMPER 4may98 THE Government has questioned the ABC's impartiality in its strongest terms yet, with the broadcaster's managing-director, Brian Johns, being asked for a "point-by-point" response to a range of anti-government bias claims. A 900-word letter to Mr Johns, authored by Communications Minister Richard Alston, seeks his response to a complaint that a government supporter over the waterside dispute was denied access to the ABC's 4QR in Brisbane. It also requests definitive guidelines about what the corporation regards as the "coverage" or "promotion" of political events, an issue raised via an internal ABC staff memorandum last week. Senator Alston wants to know what "formal mechanisms" the ABC relies on to monitor such distinctions and which management levels can deem events as "political". The letter also claims the ABC has concealed the political agendasof government critics over the wharf conflict and demands to know what action it intends taking to remind staff of their responsibility to be "balanced and impartial". The letter is unusual in that it is directed to Mr Johns, responsible for the ABC's day-to-day management, rather than to the chairman of its board, traditionally the recipient of ministerial queries. Sent late last week, it follows a string of allegations the ABC has favoured waterside workers in their dispute with Patrick stevedores and the Government. They culminated in a leaked memorandum to staff on the Country Hour program, warning rural reporters not to "promote" a farmers' rally in support of Patrick. Mr Johns could not be contacted yesterday but he made it clear a few days ago he believed the ABC's guidelines were being "fairly and consistently" applied. Senator Alston would not discuss the matter last night but government sources say the complaint reflects Coalition frustration that the national broadcaster does not have an identifiable internal structure to ensure balance and impartiality. In a series of detailed concerns, Senator Alston has passed on complaints from someone who says he was denied access to talkback on 4QR, after a producer found he wanted to support an earlier criticism of the ABC. Senator Alston's letter says: "If the allegations are conceded to be substantially accurate, I seek your (Johns') advice as what action ABC management intends to take in relation to the staff in question and, more generally, in relation to ensuring all ABC staff are fully aware of the need to provide a balanced and impartial coverage of events." On the Country Hour memorandum, Senator Alston wants to know "when the distinction between promotion and coverage was first devised and when it was first brought to the attention of working journalists". --- from list marxism-thaxis-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
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