Ever since the ABC announced its intention to launch a 24 hour TV news channel the Murdoch press have been waging an assault against it. Still struggling to find a new business model to compensate for dwindling newspapers sales in a digital age, a tax payer funded competitor in the news delivery space is not what Rupert needs right now – especially one that also threatens his Sky News brand on the Fox Pay channel, which he also part owns. In yet another article arguing the boss’s case (while criticising the actual launch of ABC News 24) Caroline Overington wrote in the Australian, “Sky’s argument is that the ABC fulfils its obligation to keep the community informed with radio.”

What’s that supposed to mean?

Is it a compliment to Radio, that it is so powerful, who needs TV? Or is it an insult to the consumer reminiscent of Marie Antovarchar(15)te who, when told that the peasants have no bread she famously replied, “Then let them eat cake.”

Would Sky have made that comment if Mr Murdoch also had radio interests in Australia?

Commercial radio has lived with a ubiquitous ABC for almost a hundred years. Would there be one extra dollar in its coffers if the ABC had never existed?