FORMER ABC chairman Donald McDonald has warned that the public broadcaster has "a problem with quality control" and fails to be "thoroughly representative of a wide range of views".
Writing in the current issue of The Spectator Australia, Mr McDonald calls on the public broadcaster to "refine" its offerings for the digital age.
While he stops short of backing former managing director David Hill's call for a review of the corporation and its governing act, he says the ABC can no longer rely on the traditional arguments in support of public broadcasting.
"The advent of the online world in 1996 and the later arrival of digital transmission with all its multi-channel possibilities gave the ABC an enormous range of choices, probably too many," Mr McDonald says.
Mr McDonald, chairman from 1996 to 2006, chides ABC management for citing funding problems to justify last week's cuts to staff and programs after launching television channel News 24.
"The claim that ABC 24 could be established and operated with existing funding was not entirely credible and the case for having a 24-hour news channel has never been made convincingly," he says.
"News is probably bleeding all other programming."
The salvo from Mr McDonald came as ABC managing director Mark Scott sent an email to staff defending his outsourcing of production after dismay over the cancellation of The New Inventors and Art Nation.
"Some colleagues have contacted me in recent days about decisions we have made regarding the television schedule and our resources base," Mr Scott said.
"Finite resources mean we have to constantly make decisions about the best way to use funding to meet our charter obligations and engage with audiences."
While Mr Scott signals there are more cuts to the schedule to come, Mr McDonald says the broadcaster must aim for quality with its services.
"When they are similar to commercial offerings they should be superior. Too often they are not. There does seem to be a problem with quality control. Some metropolitan radio programs simply mimic commercial stations without the advertisements."
Sydney radio host Deborah Cameron is singled out for criticism. "The contrast between the excellent Jon Faine on Melbourne 774 in the mornings and his Sydney counterpart on 702 is too embarrassing to discuss any further."
The ABC is commended for its embrace of digital technology, but he adds "assessments need to be made" of where its priorities lie.
It must "refine its suite of services", suggesting it's overstretched with four television networks and online ventures.
Instead of a review of the ABC's generation-old governing legislation, the board must take a lead. "Arguing that public broadcasting addresses a 'market failure' is no longer adequate in an age of multi-channelling and the resultant wide choice available."
Mr McDonald urges the ABC to rethink its offerings and its culture. "The best possible argument for public broadcasting is made when it is distinctive, of high quality and thoroughly representative of a wide range of views. Currently that is not uniformly the case."
Mr Hill, ABC managing director from 1987 to 1995, told The Australian earlier this week the media environment and technology had changed so dramatically since the legislation was drawn up it was time for a review of the broadcaster and its role.
His call was rejected by Communications Minister Stephen Conroy and his opposition counterpart Malcolm Turnbull, who said the matter could be examined by the existing convergence review.
The Australian
