Discussion: Sad set of options

And I don't think they are mutually exclusive. If it does become Gina's plaything, that will be sure to alienate many regular Age readers, but won't be enough to attract rusted on News Ltd readers. All that will be left will be the ABC, but I fear Mr Rabbit will fix that as well.

Apparently a Fairfax executive was quoted yesterday as saying [the availability of free news on] "the ABC won't be a problem after the next election".

I fear a situation where public discourse in this country is effectively muzzled by vested and moneyed interests.

I think any overt political interference with the independence of our national broadcaster is going to play particularly poorly with the public, I doubt the ABC would allow it to happen quietly...

I think the inference was that the incoming government would close down the ABC's online news services, not that they would interfere with the content of what's remaining, but this would generate a fuss regardless.

I wonder if the Guardian is starting to look at the gaping hole likely to appear in the Australian market? They already have a US edition.

NPR as well? ;-)
'This Australian Life?'.

The Guardian may not have enough money to invest in the Australian market - they lost 37 million pounds last year and may run out of cash within a few years (source). I also wouldn't call them that serious about the US edition (although I do read it regularly). They don't have the resources to make a serious play for the US market, and while they don't, they'll remain a niche news source for Anglophiles, a bit of live blogging of American sport notwithstanding.