Most swipe Left on dear Aunty

The majority of Australians believe that ABC television is not worth paying a single cent for, finds an independent study.

 

The majority of Australians believe that ABC television is not worth paying a single cent for.

According to an independent study conducted by True North Strategy, more than half (52.6 per cent) of those interviewed said if they had a choice, they wouldn’t be prepared to pay anything for access to the national broadcaster’s television content in its current form, while the other respondents said they would only be willing to pay (on average) $2.94 per month.

The study, commissioned by public policy think tank the Menzies Research Centre, also found that most Australians perceive that the ABC has an inherent political bias.

When asked whether they think the ABC is “more left wing” or “more right wing”, almost two thirds (66.1 per cent) of respondents said the national broadcaster was more “left wing.”

Furthermore, almost four out of five Australians (79.2 per cent) would not subscribe to ABC television if it were to become a subscription service like streaming giant Netflix.

Among the ABC’s core audience of those aged 55 and over, just 15 per cent of respondents said they would be willing to pay for a Netflix-style subscription service if it replaced the national broadcaster’s TV service.

Similarly, that same demographic was also of the firmest belief — more so than the younger cohorts of viewers — that the ABC was “more left wing” (71 per cent).

Of the respondents who identified as Labor voters, 60 per cent said they thought the ABC leaned “left”; of those who said they were Liberal voters, 71 per cent said the broadcaster favoured the progressive side of politics. The vast majority of Greens-aligned participants in the study (78 per cent) also said ABC TV was “more left wing”.

The study, a representative sample of the Australian population, with a sample size of 500 people, was conducted last Thursday.

The ABC offices in Ultimo, Sydney.

Nick Cater, executive director of the Menzies Research Centre, said the study should end any debate about the possibility of privatising the ABC.

“It is not a going commercial concern in its present form. The amount customers would be prepared to pay for the service would only cover a fraction of the cost,” Mr Cater said.

“These results should prompt some deep soul searching among ABC management and its board. If it is to remain true to its public broadcasting mandate it must clearly learn to attract a wider audience. If a majority of Australians don’t think it is worth paying for, it is clearly missing the mark.

“Since two-thirds of Australians think it leans to the left of politics, it has clearly failed the test of impartiality.

“The low value viewers put on its content suggests it is also failing the quality test.”

■ EDITOR’S NOTE: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the research was conducted by True North Research, not True North Strategy.