
Issue No 75		27 October 2000

LaborNET	Ask Neale	Tool of the Week

Tool Shed

The ABC's Death By A Salesman

Jonathon Shier describes himself as a mini-media mogul with no money. In his last job he was selling advertising for a European cable TV channel. Is this tool really the man who should be running our national broadcaster?

For some time conspiracy theories have been rife at Workers Online about Jonathon Shier. Does Jonathon Shier actually exist? Is Jonathon Shier a real person or is he a post-modernist simulacra, a cyberspace concoction, a faceless, voiceless, Tory hatchet automaton causing carnage by email and run by remote from Richard Alston's office.

Paranoia you say. But let's look at the facts. He's been in the job eight months but before yesterday he had only faced up to staff once in that time. (You could hire an actor for a half day for a couple of hundred bucks to play the role.) He's Australian but has conveniently been living overseas for seven years. Memories seem to be very hazy about the pre-European Jonathon. What you can say is that if he was involved in broadcasting he didn't leave much of a mark.

Shier's last gig was flogging advertising for obscure Nordic/Baltic cable TV companies. Now tell me if I'm wrong but I always thought salemen were gregarious, social, slap-your-back-and hail-jolly-fellow types. Blokes that could talk under water with a mouth full of weetbix. Everybody's best mate.

From all accounts this guy completely lacks social skills. ABC insiders tell the tale of Jonathon's recent birthday. Staff organized a cake and were all lined up to sing 'Happy Birthday Dear Jonathon' when they were informed gruffly by intercom that he was too busy and could they just send him in a slice!

At yesterday's staff meeting journos were asking him about 'his vision thing'. He was asked which would he put more value on: the common commercial tripe - breast implants as current affairs - or something in-depth about East Timor. His paternalistic English school master reply was to berate the questioner for not listening.

Errol Simper describes his performance in today's Australian as incoherent, embarrassing and without substance. Simper describes how he went from Peter Meakin (the director of News and Current Affairs at Channel 9) to Mongolia, eskimos, the Olympics to a falling dollar, all within a couple of sentences.

Till now Shier has been able to bluff his way through with the say nothing but appear wise modus operandi of a Chance Gardener. Now he's opened his mouth he looks more like the small tragic salesman of Arthur Miller's play -a man completely out of his depth.

Unfortunately the tragedy could be all ours.

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Issue 75 contents

Interview: Civilized Capital
The FNV's Harrie Lindelauff explains to Peter Lewis how a friendly government and moderate employers make for a different sort of workplace in Holland.

Politics: Where Too Much Politics Is Barely Enough
With daily newspapers providing polling and analysis, television, cable, radio and Internet providing 24 hour coverage over a year long campaign -- there's more than enough politics for even the most voracious American political junkie reports Michael Gadiel.

International: US Cleaners on Hunger Strike
A number of US cleaners have this week gone on a hunger strike to back a union campaign for higher wages.

Economics: The Pass The Risk Trick
Derivatives, often seen as the currency of casino capitalism, are the fastest growing, largest and potentially most volatile aspect of capitalist economies. Economist Dick Brian sees behind this image an even deeper danger.

Health: Depressing Workplaces
New technologies and the impact of globalisation have sparked more stress and bouts of depression for workers, while causing a growing burden for social security systems, a new ILO report says.

Unions: Costello's Con
The low paid are bearing the brunt of the GST with inflation at a 10 year high argues the ACTU's Greg Combet.

Satire: Bush campaign an in-joke, admit advisors
TEXAS, Thursday: Following Bush's disastrous performance in the first Presidential debate it has been revealed that his bid for president is actually the result of a in-joke about how stupid the American people are.

» ACTU Calls For Compo For Costello's Inflation Spike

» Despair At Our ABC

» Outlaw Banks Strike Again

» Church Leader Confesses: We're Not Always Good Employers

» Building Workers Win $150 A Week Pay Rise

» MUA Prosecutes Patrick

» WA Secrecy Laws Gag Union Members

» LHMU Seek $1 An Hour Rise

» Picket Protects Broadway Squats

» APHEDA Appeal For Palestinian Medical Relief

» World Bank, IMF To Consult Unions

» Festering Joy

» Heath Our Hero Wins Two Gold