ABC aims to mend News fences

THE ABC has hired Rupert Murdoch’s former spokesman to help it repair its relationship with the Abbott government.

THE ABC has hired Rupert Murdoch’s former spokesman, at taxpayers’ expense, to help it repair its damaged relationship with the Abbott government and stem criticism from News Corporation.

Recognising the public broadcaster has a serious problem with the government, ABC managing director Mark Scott has turned to gun crisis-management consultant Andrew Butcher to tell him how to improve the ABC’s public image.

He has also provided advice on the Australia Network to its chief executive, Lynley Marshall.

The Australian can reveal the ABC is paying the Melbourne-based corporate strategist $600 an hour for advice and flew him to Sydney early last month to have a one-on-one session with Mr Scott.

Mr Scott hired Mr Butcher in the days after Prime Minister Tony Abbott held a press conference during which he accused the ABC of “treachery” following unsubstantiated reports that claimed navy personnel had burned the hands of asylum-seekers.

The ABC is also understood to have sought advice on how to deal with The Australian editor-in-chief Chris Mitchell, who was also critical of the burnt-hands fiasco, along with the ABC’s refusal to issue apologies for its errors.

Before establishing his consultancy firm, Mr Butcher spent a decade as senior vice-president of corporate affairs and communication at News Corporation in New York, a role in which he was both the company’s spokesman and personal spokesman for Mr Murdoch.

He was also the political reporter in Canberra for News Corp’s Herald Sun newspaper in the 1990s.

A source said Mr Scott chose Mr Butcher for his insights into how Murdoch newspapers operate, as well as for his skills in crisis management.

“They want to work out how to stop some of the criticism,” the source said.

“They hired him because they wanted to understand a different perspective.

“A lot of it is talking about how they can present themselves better, frankly. It’s about repairing relationships.”

Mr Butcher refused to comment and referred questions to the ABC.

An ABC spokesman said: “The ABC hires consultants from time to time to advise on specific issues.

“The ABC does not employ consultants to lobby on its behalf. All use of outside consultants is made public in the ABC’s annual report.”

On its website, Mr Butcher’s company, Butcher & Co, says it “provides frank advice to corporate boards and senior management” on “issues and crisis management”. “We have deep experience assisting organisations, both large and small, to effectively manage their response to difficult media and community issues.”

Mr Butcher provided advice to Holden in the months before its decision to close manufacturing in Australia, along with Billabong when it was struggling financially before its sale to a private equity firm. He has also advised Telstra, Westpac and Foster’s.

The ABC has come under attack for refusing to issue proper corrections for its editorial errors. At a Senate estimates hearing last week, Liberal senator Anne Ruston told Mr Scott she was an avid ABC listener and viewer but “I can honestly say that I’ve never, ever heard a retraction, an apology or a correction on the ABC”.