When the ABC programmed ATVI, viewers were fed a wide range of ABC programs, plus tailored and credible news services, which attracted a large audience ranging from heads of states to travelling Australians.

Since Seven put the service into the too-hard basket, viewers have been offered six-hour revolving blocks of rubbish from the archives, plus regular doses of Humphrey Bear. 2

When a replacement was sought - Foreign Minister Alexander Downer eventually convinced fellow Cabinet members that the government should commit $15m a year to resurrecting the service - sanity prevailed and the ABC were given back the service in a different form, one which would not be a financial liability for the ABC. This was in 2001.

At last, after a humiliating and wasteful experiment with commercial television, the service was back where it belonged. (It would be interesting to know the total cost/waste of this sorry saga to the Australian government.)

What has the Government learned about broadcasting to the Asia Pacific region? That there are some things that only public broadcasting can be trusted with to bring credit to Australia.

2 Mark Day The Australian 29mar01