Bills before parliament would see ‘fair and balanced’ added to
broadcaster’s charter and require disclosure of presenters’ salaries
Three bills before parliament to change the ABC charter and to
disclose the salaries of presenters are unnecessary and unjustified, Michelle Guthrie has told a parliamentary committee.
One bill will amend the ABC Act 1983 to add a “fair and balanced” requirement to its charter, one will force the broadcaster to reveal the more information about ABC salaries, and a third will add a recognition of rural and regional Australia.
The ABC managing director said it was the ABC’s “very strong view” that its salary disclosures were “completely consistent” with guidelines set by the public service. “We believe that imposing additional disclosure requirements on public broadcasters is unnecessary and unjustified,” Guthrie told Senate estimates on Wednesday.
The ABC’s regional audiences are already well served by the allocation of one-third of the budget and any changes to the ABC Act are unnecessary, she said.
“It is very clear to us that we have [a requirement to be fair and balanced] in our editorial policies and it is unnecessary,” Guthrie said.
The Labor senator Kristina Keneally pursued a line of questioning
that the ABC was facing “more than the usual level of parliamentary
scrutiny” as a result of the Coalition’s backroom deals with One Nation
leader Pauline Hanson to ensure its media bill was passed last year.
The “fair and balanced” bill was payback by Hanson and part of her vendetta against the ABC in retaliation for its investigative journalism, Labor senators said.
Guthrie said she would “fully participate” in the upcoming inquiry into whether the ABC was complying with competitive neutrality laws.
One bill will amend the ABC Act 1983 to add a “fair and balanced” requirement to its charter, one will force the broadcaster to reveal the more information about ABC salaries, and a third will add a recognition of rural and regional Australia.
The ABC managing director said it was the ABC’s “very strong view” that its salary disclosures were “completely consistent” with guidelines set by the public service. “We believe that imposing additional disclosure requirements on public broadcasters is unnecessary and unjustified,” Guthrie told Senate estimates on Wednesday.
The ABC’s regional audiences are already well served by the allocation of one-third of the budget and any changes to the ABC Act are unnecessary, she said.
“It is very clear to us that we have [a requirement to be fair and balanced] in our editorial policies and it is unnecessary,” Guthrie said.
The “fair and balanced” bill was payback by Hanson and part of her vendetta against the ABC in retaliation for its investigative journalism, Labor senators said.
Guthrie said she would “fully participate” in the upcoming inquiry into whether the ABC was complying with competitive neutrality laws.
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