Why do we still have a giant state-run media? James Paterson: Ultimately the case for reforming the ABC does not rest on one week of reporting. If there were ever a case for a taxpayer-funded state broadcaster, it doesn't exist today. Australians have at their fingertips access to more news from more varied sources than ever before. Online, every niche interest and point of view is well covered. And as private media companies continue to struggle with profitability, the continued lavish funding of the ABC only serves to undermine their business model further. On the same link is an article from former ABC chairman and managing director David Hill attacking Tony Abbott and weakly defending the ABC from claims of bias. Why doesn't The Age reveal Hill was a Labor candidate? Hill is also allowed to get away with this deceptive argument: This is certainly not the first time an Australian prime minister has publicly criticised the ABC in the way it handles its news.. We all remember Bob Hawke's accusation that the 7.30 Report coverage of the Gulf War in 1991 was ""loaded,"" ""biased"" and ""disgraceful"" because of the views expressed by an analyst invited on to the show. In fact, Hawke's complaint about that coverage was that it was too Left, even for a Labor leader.