Editorial:
New ABC head no "cleanskin"

A "cleanskin". That's how Jonathan Shier, the newly appointed Managing 
Director of the ABC, is being described. Shier's history, though, paints 
another picture. A Geelong Grammar boy, his first job was with BHP. It was 
BHP which recommended him to become a staff member of Ivor Greenwood, who 
became Attorney-General in Malcolm Fraser's Government.

Shier, who joined the Liberal Party, thus became a staffer in the Fraser 
Government, a government which despised the ABC and took every opportunity 
to undermine its independence and cut its funding.

He claims when he went overseas his Liberal Party membership lapsed. He 
also claims that he has not voted in Australian elections since then. He 
worked overseas in commercial television and pay television, with some 
experience in the coming digital TV technology.

His appointment to the job was strongly backed by the present Chairman of 
the ABC board, Donald McDonald, himself an appointee of the Howard 
Government and a long-time friend and confidante of the Prime Minister.

A "cleanskin"? Shier slots perfectly into the Government's plans to 
commercialise the ABC, with his party political history and a thorough 
grounding in the ruthless corporate dog-eat-dog bottom-line. He has no 
experience in public broadcasting, let alone in the unique services and 
needs of the ABC.

What is certain is that he is not going to buck the current conservative 
trend in ABC politics. Unfortunately the basic news services of the ABC are 
today little different from those of the commercial stations. This is not 
to say that the ABC does not run some progressive programs, such as Four 
Corners, Background Briefing and coverage of matters relating to 
Indigenous issues.

Overall, however, its news and current affairs coverage comes from 
increasingly conservative perspectives. This, along with the ditching of 
quality programming in areas such as current affairs and the arts, are a 
result of the Federal Government's $65 million of funding cuts and a 
relentless push towards commercialisation, including an increasing number 
of co-productions.

Shier may be portrayed as being from out of town and out of touch, but he'd 
already seen an opening where a quick buck could be made on the day his 
appointment was announced, saying that he supports proposals from some ABC 
board members to commercialise the broadcaster's Web site.

It would certainly be a mistake to accept Jonathan Shier as some sort of 
non-political individual simply because he has been out of the political 
lime-light in Australia.

Such acceptance would require ignoring the generally conservative climate 
in Australia, accepting it as the norm. His appointment has been welcomed 
by the Democrats, the ALP and some ABC unions. Nonetheless, it was not a 
unanimous decision on the ABC board.

The savaging that the ABC has suffered financially for a number of years 
now is the work of both Labor and Liberal Governments. It has only been the 
strong support for a progressive and independent national radio and 
television broadcaster by millions of people across Australia that the 
preferred option of governments to strangle the ABC to death has not been 
carried out.

Perhaps the presentation of Mr Shier as a "cleanskin" is to achieve the 
relaxation of the vigilance of the Friends of the ABC and other ABC 
supporters. At the same time the process of undermining the independence of 
the ABC goes on while continuing to push it to the political right by 
stacking the board with persons whose fundamental commitment and outlook is 
conservative.

ABC chairman Donald McDonald claims that Mr Shier's appointment was not 
discussed with the Howard Government. One would have to be naive in the 
extreme to imagine that this question was not discussed between Donald 
McDonald and his very good friend, John Howard, even if it was not made a 
question for decision by the Coalition Cabinet.

Shier has declared that he will fight for more finance for the ABC and 
defend its independence. We shall see. One is entitled to be wary in the 
extreme of the machinations of governments which have made it very clear 
that they wish the ABC to be out of the way, while at the same time helping 
Murdoch, Packer and their ilk to tighten their grip on our news and 
information services.