Last night I sent an email to ABC 1233 in Newcastle in regards to interruptions to ABC programmes for the insertion of advertising. The text is below. >>>>

ABC Staff and Management,

Please do not interrupt programmes with advertising. One of the reasons why I listen to the ABC is to hear programmes free from advertising interruptions. However, more and more advertisements for coming programmes are interrupting the current ABC programmes.

This evening at 22.42 hours on ABC 1233 Khz there was an interruption to NightLife with Tony Delroy in order to put on an advertisement for manyards videos available in all ABC book shops This is commercial advertising. Just like the commercial advertising on commercial radio it was presented by a person talking at us in a ridiculous voice, instead of talking to us. We were treated like fools, not inteligent listeners. This is typical of the commercial radio crap.

Please ABC staff and management, do not interrupt programmes with advertising. Please do not treat us like idiots as we were when that highly offensive advertisement for manyards videos was shoved at us.

Are these advertising breaks, and now commercial advertising breaks in ABC programmes (and now two news readers on ABC TV news), intended to make the ABC look more like the commercial broadcasters? Are we being softened up for the privatization of the ABC? Heaven help us if that is the case..........Brett

Brett Ebbeck, Box 4, Post Office, Mayfield 2304, NSW

-- Anonymous, February 03, 2003