Abc's Hunt For Tories

The Age

Tuesday October 21, 2008

Dan Harrison

PRODUCERS of the ABC's political talk show Q&A contacted Liberal politicians, business and Christian groups and Rotary clubs in their hunt for conservatives to deal with allegations its audience was stacked with left-wingers.

ABC managing director Mark Scott last night detailed the program's efforts to recruit right-wingers in response to questions from Liberal Eric Abetz at a Senate hearing.

Last month Senator Abetz seized on ABC figures showing that audiences sometimes contained as few as 10% Coalition supporters, and called on the ABC fix the imbalance.

Mr Scott said the ABC pursued "a number of different strategies" to bring together a more diverse audience, including contacting law and accounting firms, the Australian Retailers Association, the Sydney Chamber of Commerce, the Australian Christian Lobby, the Australian Family Association, Young Liberal groups and every state Liberal MP within one hour's drive of the ABC's Sydney studios. "I understand that Liberal MPs were approached asking whether in fact they were aware of people who might like to come and join our audience."

Mr Scott provided new figures showing that, over the program's 2008 season, ALP supporters made up 32%, the Coalition 24% and the Greens 17%.

© 2008 The Age

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