ABC’s coronation coverage labelled ‘bile’

The ABC’s coverage of King Charles III’s coronation has been condemned by radio broad­casters Neil Mitchell and Ray Hadley.

The ABC’s coverage of King Charles III’s coronation has been condemned by radio broad­casters Neil Mitchell and Ray Hadley, who launched separate attacks on the public broadcaster for airing commentary laden with “bitterness” that “soured the mood”.

Mitchell, host of 3AW’s morning program, said the ABC “totally misread the mood” and focused on “bagging the living daylights out of the monarchy” at a time of celebration.

The ABC’s coverage in the lead-up to King Charles III being crowned featured a panel dominated by pro-republican voices who spoke at length about colonisation and racism in Australia – which they blamed the monarchy for – at the same time crowds were pouring into Westminster Abbey in London.

Mitchell said having these discussions “during live coverage of the coronation was not the time” and he said ABC management needed to “be accountable”.

“I really wonder sometimes why we feed these ABC people, I don’t blame the people on air, it’s whomever in management decides, ‘ah, here’s a good idea, let’s use footage from London while we bag the living daylights out of the monarchy’,” he said.

“Somebody in the ABC needs to be accountable for this, as the national broadcaster it should have been the place you go to see the coverage of the coronation. Instead you see all this bitterness about our Indigenous history.”

The panel discussion was led by presenters Jeremy Fernandez and Julia Baird from 5pm Saturday (AEST), and guests included Q+A host Stan Grant, a Wiradjuri, Gurrawin and Dharawal man, Indigenous lawyer Teela Reid, a Wiradjuri and Wailwan woman, Australian Republic Movement co-chair Craig Foster and Liberal MP Julian Leeser.

The four panellists all support a Yes vote for an Indigenous voice to parliament but Mr Leeser was the only panellist who supported the monarchy.

Mitchell said the ABC’s coverage was unacceptable. “They are talking over this footage of this grand ceremony being prepared, souring the mood, so a lot of people turned off.

“It’s like playing a Benny Hill skit in the middle of the royal funeral, bad feel.”

2GB mornings host Ray Hadley labelled the ABC’s commentary on the historical event “bile”.

“They had a token person who represented the monarchy … and then we had the line-up of people wanting to give it, it’s just not the platform for it, there’s no dignity attached to it,” he said.

Ms Reid said during the discussion the late Queen “never apologised” for the “consequences of invasion and colonisation”.

The Australian contacted ABC chair Ita Buttrose following criticism of the coverage but she referred the questions to an ABC spokesman who defended the commentary.