   |
||
| Issue No 116 |  |
19 October 2001 |
|
|
|
News"Sack or Back" Shier
The Community and Public Sector Union has accused the Government of "gross political interference" in the running of the ABC and called on the board to "sack or back" embattled managing director, Jonathan Shier. The plea came after John Howard, Peter Costello and Richard Alston went public with their support for former Liberal Party staffer, Shier, this week. "The appointment and tenure of the managing director is properly the responsibility of the board," CPSU ABC section secretary, Graeme Thomson, told Workers On Line. "This Government isn't content with stacking the board, it then feels comfortable about telling it how to go about its business. "What the ABC needs now is some clear direction. It's time for the board to decide whether it will sack or continue to back the Shier experiment." Thomson was at the centre of just one debacle in a horrible week for Shier. The incident came when the managing director rustled up a press conference to answer widespread media conjecture that his number was up. Seeing the union official present, Shier attacked Thomson and the CPSU, bringing his press conference to an abrupt halt and, effectively, handing his most outspoken critic a platform money could not have bought. That little drama out of the way, the week ended with revelations Shier had cost the ABC more than $600,000 in the past financial year - double his budgeted salary package. Although Shier's base salary is understood to be $175,000 his package totals $332,000 after a $26,355 personal loading; $70,710 in living expenses; and extras of $60,000 are tossed into the mix. He is mid-way through the second year in a five-year contract. Shier was introduced to the ABC, from commercial television in Europe, in a board bid to break out of the traditional public broadcasting mold. He set about introducing forms of commercialisation and dumbing-down program schedules. Shier's 18 months at the helm have been characterised by run-ins with fellow executives, allegations of bullying and a bloated redundancy bill, last sighted passing the $26 million mark. For nine months, as he tried to turn television on its head, nothing came out of ABC studios. Now, the media is insisting, that even the ABC's heavily-politicised board has enough of Shier. Two key issues now confront chairman Donald McDonald and his board of directors - whether they will bow to the wishes of Government ministers in the election lead-up, and whether or not they will sweeten Shier's departure with a million dollar payout. Thomson said today's financial revelations should rule out the golden handshake option.
ABC of patronage This is the ABC board which delivered the embarrassment of the Shier years. Chairman - Donald McDonald: businessman, personal friend of John Howard. Managing director - Jonathan Shier: commercial tv background (Britain, Scandanavia, central Europe) - one time president Victorian Young Liberals and federal Liberal ministerial adviser. Directors: Michael Kroger - merchant banker, former president Victorian Liberals and acknowledged party powerbroker. Judith Sloan - company director, academic - strong conservative. Ross McLean - WA Chamber of Commerce deputy chief executive - former Liberal federal MP. Maurice Newman - Australian Stock Exchange chairman, regarded as politically unattached. Leith Boully - company director, former Northern Territory Young Country Liberal Party member. John Gallalgher - lawyer, without overt political connections. Ian Henschke - journalist, staff appointee
|
   Interview: The Green MachineNick Bolkus outlines Labor's environmental stance and lays down the gauntlet to Bob Brown's Greens. Industrial: Regaining Control France�s 35 hour week stems from the program of the Left coalition government which went to the polls in June 1997 with the policy of �worksharing�. Unions: Home Of The Longest DayAustralia has a dubious new prize to put in its cluttered national trophy cabinet. We are increasingly the most over-worked nation in the world. Campaign Diary: Week Two: FightbackLabor's doing everything to win a normal campaign - but this is no normal campaign. Economics: Who Will Notice When You Die?Johann Christoph Arnold asks whether the anti-globalisation movement is the answer to an epidemic of loneliness. History: American TerrorIncredible revelations about the work of the US National Security Agency through the Cold War years help put the current War of Terror into perspective. International: Global Day of Action In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in the US last week, the ICFTU has announced that preparations for the Global Unions Day of Action on November 9 will go ahead. Satire: World Gripped by Fear as Howard Third Term LoomsThe global community has uniformly condemned the recent terrorist attacks, which horrifically helped revive the re-election prospects of John Howard. Review: FlashbacksCultural theortician Neale Towart consults his record collection in a bid to understand the chaos gripping the earth.
Notice Board View entire latest issue
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
![[ Home ]](/images/nv_home.gif){kind=small} ![[ Notice Board ]](/images/nv_board.gif){kind=small} ![[ Search ]](/images/nv_search.gif){kind=small} ![[ Previous Issues ]](/images/nv_previous.gif){kind=small} ![[ Latest Issue ]](/images/nv_latest.gif){kind=small} |
|
|
|
|
© 1999-2000 Labor Council of NSW LaborNET is a resource for the labour movement provided by the Labor Council of NSW URL: http://workers.labor.net.au/116/news42_abc.htmlLast Modified: 15 Nov 2005 [ Privacy Statement | Disclaimer | Credits ] LaborNET is proudly created, designed and programmed by Social Change Online for the Labor Council of NSW |
|
![[Workers Online]](/images/logo_small.gif){kind=logo}
![[Social Change Online]](/images/sco_logo.gif){kind=logo}