The Guardian 31 January, 2007
Dingo bytes
Although the ABC has ruled out selling space on television or radio, management is clearly pursuing the goal looking at the running of advertisements on its website after the British Broadcasting Corporation opened an office in New York to start selling advertising space. A spokesperson for the ABC, Sandy Culkoff said, "The difference between TV and radio and online is that to accept any television or advertising on radio, it would require legislative change". That doesn’t apply to online because the website came in post 1993 when the act was enabled. The ABC is looking into ways of increasing their revenue after the Howard Government slashed its funding in the past ten years. But Communications Minister Helen Coonan has pushed the idea of the ABC running ads on its website.
A man stopped from boarding a Qantas flight to London because he wore a provocative T-shirt has challenged the airline to fly him home dressed the same way. Allen Jasson an IT specialist living in London has been staying in Melbourne with his daughter after being refused entry to a flight to London. He was told at Melbourne Airport that he could not fly while wearing a T-shirt that said US President George Bush was the world’s number one terrorist. He was also stopped by Virgin for wearing the same T-shirt. He is considering taking legal action.
Public opinion is hardening against the Iraq war, with 62 percent of the Australian population opposing John Howard’s handling of the conflict says a recent Newspoll. The poll also found that 52 percent of those surveyed opposed the Government’s treatment of David Hicks who has been imprisoned by US authorities in Guantánamo Bay, and 71 percent said that the government’s handling of the war would determine how they voted at the next election more than the economy. Another point of interest was that 32 percent of coalition voters were against the government’s treatment of David Hicks.
Jennifer Kellaway is a double amputee. It says so on her driver’s licence. But every three years she is forced by the Roads and Traffic Authority who issue her licence to prove that by way of medical certificate in order for her to get a disabled parking permit. In September 2003 in protest at the changes Ms Kellaway didn’t renew her parking permit. In October 2004 she was fined for not having a permit. Since than Ms Kelloway has been fighting the RTA to get a permit and not pay the fines issued. Finally the RTA has quashed the fines and issued her with a parking permit. About time.
CAPITALIST HOG OF THE WEEK: This week’s winner is Centrelink. They recently cut a pregnant woman’s benefit for eight weeks, leaving her without any financial support because she breached one of the myriad of job search rules.