Thread: Australia Network, Can Murdoch get his hands on it?

Finally, when Kevin Rudd is out of the country (yet again), Julia Gillard and Stephen Conroy get the cabinet to give Australia Network to the ABC "permanently". But with Tony Abbot looking likely as the next Prime Minister in 2013, that word "permanent" could look shakey.

Anyhow, as I am an Australia Network watcher, I am happy to see the ABC continue - but as for a government tender process - what a stuff up.

Network tender caught in tit for tat feud
December 7, 2011 - 8:05AM

The sorry tale surrounding the Prime Minister's corruption of the $223 million tender process for the Australia Network tender is evidence that when faced with a choice between a principled course of action and an unprincipled one, the Prime Minister heads for the unprincipled path.

The announcement, by way of media release on Monday evening, that the Government had decided to scrap the whole tender process, is the culmination of months of unacceptable political interference by the Gillard Government to avoid due process and to underhandedly manipulate an outcome.

The saga also reflects the bitter division between the Prime Minister and her Foreign Minister and the unacceptable lengths to which the Prime Minister is prepared to go to achieve her aims. Whatever it takes, it seems.

Advertisement: Story continues below
The facts speak for themselves.

On 23 November 2010 Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd announced that: "The Government has decided that the next Australia Network contract will be put to a competitive open tender process, to ensure the best possible service in return for its investment."
...........................

Read more:australia tv network | tender | sky and abc

Originally Posted by ronb

Finally, when Kevin Rudd is out of the country (yet again), Julia Gillard and Stephen Conroy get the cabinet to give Australia Network to the ABC "permanently". But with Tony Abbot looking likely as the next Prime Minister in 2013, that word "permanent" could look shakey.

Anyhow, as I am an Australia Network watcher, I am happy to see the ABC continue - but as for a government tender process - what a stuff up.


Read more:australia tv network | tender | sky and abc

It may be worth noting that this the opinion of the Deputy Leader of the Opposition...so is hardly surprising.

All I can say is PHEW!! And very silly of Kev 0'sev to put it to tender in the first place.

The Seven Network had it for a while and Downer had to go grovelling back the ABC....where was Murdoch then? The future is now looking considerably brighter in Asia. If, Chicken Little, were to form the next Govt and Murdoch was to say....'Mate do us a solid' - when does the next license expire?