Part 4/8:
A subtle but important critique was Blair’s skepticism about the continued relevance of the ABC, especially in regional areas. He suggested that, increasingly, audiences in rural Australia are turning away from the ABC in favor of other news sources. Sky News has become a dominant broadcaster in these regions, and regional radio networks, which once offered localized content like market prices for farmers, are now mostly online-intensive.
Blair implied that the ABC’s once pivotal role in providing regional and rural services is waning, raising the question: Should taxpayers continue to subsidize an organization that seems less indispensable than it once was?