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ABC declines to air People’s Forum

After protesting that it had no access to The People's Forum, the ABC has passed on showing any footage of the event.

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After protesting that it had no access to The People’s Forum on Wednesday, the ABC has passed on showing any footage of the event.

SKY News provided a clean feed to other media from 7pm, one hour after it aired on Pay TV, but ABC News 24 hasn’t used it.

“I was gobsmacked, given their earlier proclamations it was an event of national importance,” SKY’s Angelo Frangopoulos told The Australian. He said Gaven Morris, ABC’s Head of Continuous News, had told him before the forum even started that the ABC had decided not to televise the event.

“I’m incredulous the ABC should talk about the public interest during an election campaign and then decline to show the people’s forum, a pivotal moment in the campaign,” he said.

But not all of the event was universally received.

Yesterday some media were questioning if there had been “stacking” of swinging voters, as well as Twitter comments about technical standards of the event.

YesterdayGaven Morris tweeted: “is very happy #abcnews24 left the #rooty well alone.”

Managing Director Mark Scott tweeted: “For those who watch the numbers # Gruen 1.57m, Spicks 1.46m, #YWC 1.34m, #Lateline 617k. #Rooty 95k.”

Source: The Australian

19 Responses

  2. It was a joke of an event anyway. I don’t blame ABC for not showing it given the quality. And for those complaining about bias, isn’t the ABC giving leaders equal time on Q&A and via public addresses? Sounds more balanced than an event organised by the blatantly Liberal-leaning Daily Telegraph.

  4. @scott and FJ a independent report revealed on Media Watch 2 years ago that the ABC was actually more positive for the Coalition. (source: people.anu.edu.au/andrew.leigh/pdf/MediaSlant_media.pdf)

    ABC’s opposition to decline showing the Forum was already noted before it went to air. So even if Gillard did a better job than Abbott that night, it still wouldn’t have mattered.

  7. oh yes the ABC. are very own labour leaning biased tv net nework.

    the labor party ; the unions party
    the ABC : the labour parties tv network of choice

  8. Maybe they didn’t show it because they finally realised that it was a Program not public affairs. Sky didn’t get up and scream bloody murder because there was a debate between Hockey and Swan on 7:30 report last night.

    and 95k for Sky is a great figure

  10. Why would the ABC show the forum now?

    It’s now old news and everyone knows what happened in it.

    I wonder if SKY would do the same had the situation been reversed??

  11. The various media wars have been the most entertaining aspect of this election campaign. I’m sure the ABC News24 v Sky News battle will go on for some time yet.

  12. Yes Mark, the world works that way, and Rupert Murdoch is losing sleep over the Australian election.
    Perhaps people were supporting the Liberals because they actually felt the need for change, afterall, that was the point of choosing that location.

  14. The “chat” was stacked with Liberal Party voters..how else do you expalin the cheering when Abbott came out? It doesn’t surprise me because Murdoch has a bid stake in Sky News..News Corporation love Abbott.

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