How well do you know your ABC?
A selection of soundbites from the Australian Conservative archives form this quiz. Most of the questions have been drawn from Jon Faine’s Melbourne ABC radio program, but, if you know how ABC people think, that shouldn’t present a problem. Sometimes there is more than one correct answer.
1. Back in 2003, 774 ABC Melbourne’s Jon Faine told a caller that it was an embarrassment for the ABC that it couldn’t point to a high profile conservative broadcaster on radio or television. He said the reasons were:
(a) The ABC never hired conservatives.
(b) Conservatives never applied for jobs at the ABC.
(c) They hired conservatives but they’d never stay.
(d) They hired conservatives but their programs were never very good.
2. Last January, actress, former ABC presenter and Australia Day ambassador Jane Clifton co-hosted Jon Faine’s Conversation Hour. On the question of Australia’s national dress, Clifton floated the idea that it might be:
(a) The burqua.
(b) Hat with corks dangling from the brim.
(c) Shirt and slacks or suit for men, blouse and skirt or slacks for women – you know, in the anglo-Celtic and European tradition – that sort of thing.
(d) Anything you want it to be.
3. In a 2003 discussion with Barrie Cassidy, Andrew Denton said Kim Beazley failed to give the country an alternative argument. Cassidy immediately:
(a) Explored the issue in greater depth with Andrew Denton.
(b) Said he disagreed and told Denton why.
(c) Deliberately switched the subject to the Liberal Party leadership.
4. In May 2006, when ABC Radio National’s token conservative commentator Gerard Henderson was unavailable, the ABC turned to:
(a) Piers Akerman
(b) Tim Blair
(c) Robert Manne
5. How did Barrie Cassidy think that the Rudd Government would go in keeping its election promises:
(a) He said he was confident the Rudd Government would keep its promises.
(b) He said he was not confident the Rudd Government would keep its promises.
(c) He said he would have to wait and see if the Rudd Government would keep its promises.
6. Discussing the fortunes of Opposition Leader Brendan Nelson with Barrie Cassidy, Jon Faine said he gave the Liberal leader:
(a) A fair go.
(b) A tough time.
(c) An easy ride.
7. Last April, Jon Faine conducted a soft 8-minute interview with Victorian Education Mininister Bronwyn Pike. Dr Kevin Donnelly, former Liberal adviser, education expert and author of two books on what ails the education system, phoned in to respond to the Labor minister. Faine gave Dr Donnelly:
(a) Less than 30 seconds.
(b) Just over two minutes.
(c) Eight minutes.
8. Does 774 ABC Melbourne’s Jon Faine like the Australian flag?
(a) Yes.
(b) No.
Jon Faine
9. In the 1999 republic referendum – the only time Australians have ever voted on the issue – 45.13 per cent voted in support of a republic. No state achieved a majority in support of the proposal. Last year, when the proposal was raised again, a caller to Jon Faine’s program asked why the referendum result is ignored. Jon Faine said:
(a) One-third of Australia voted for the republic.
(b) Two-thirds of Australia voted for the republic.
(c) About 45 per cent of Australia voted for the republic.
10. Which team did ABC Melbourne Breakfast presenter Red Symons spruik for in the January 2008 Australia v India Adelaide test match:
(a) Australia.
(b) India.
(c) Neither.
11. When ethnic violence broke out at the 2008 Australian Open tennis in Melbourne, Greek nationalists were sprayed with capsicum. 774 ABC Melbourne’s Jon Faine declared that:
(a) The Greeks were behaving badly and deserved everything they got.
(b) All the Anglos in the audience should have been sprayed.
(c) If the Greeks had been Swedes they would have been regarded differently.
12. According to Jon Faine, the Korean War was started by:
(a) North Korea.
(b) USA.
(c) Soviet Union.
(d) China.
(e) South Korea.
13. Former ABC presenter Elaine Canty, co-hosting the Conversation Hour with Jon Faine in 2006, declared that Turkish “saint” and ANZAC nemesis Kemal Ataturk should be:
(a) An Australian hero.
(b) Remembered as an Armenian hero.
(c) Tried posthumously for the Armenian genocide.
14. Conversation Hour guest Henry Rollins on Jon Faine’s show alleged moral equivalence on human rights between Iran, China and the USA. Jon Faine:
(a) Thought Rollins’ proposition was reasonable.
(b) Ridiculed the suggestion.
(c) Asked his guest to justify the claim.
15. In 2005, Jon Faine said the ABC was happy to be broker for which religion?
(a) Christianity.
(b) Buddhism.
(c) Islam.
16. On Remembrance Day 2005, a talkback caller, referring to the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the USA, asserted, “We don’t know who did that.” Jon Faine:
(a) Corrected the caller.
(c) Did not correct the caller.
(c) Encouraged the caller to ring again.
17. In April 2008, a talkback caller alleges that the ABC screens the calls. Jon Faine tells the caller:
(a) Callers are never screened.
(c) Callers may be rejected if they ring too often.
(c) Callers are screened for content.
18. Standing in as the presenter of ABC’s morning show in 2005, on the subject of talkback screening, Stephen Mayne said:
(a) Callers are never screened.
(c) Callers may be rejected if they ring too often.
(c) Callers are screened for content.
19. Last April, ABC Melbourne afternoon presenter Richard Stubbs reflected on the first months of life in Rudd’s Australia. The ABC presenter was:
(a) Filled with optimism.
(b) Filled with pessimism.
(c) Said he would wait and see how things panned out.
20. In June 2008, Jon Faine gave a plug for an open day at the Doncaster mosque (as he has done in previous years). He said he was giving the announcement in the context of:
(a) The ABC being a promotional arm of Islam in Australia.
(b) His love of multiculturalism.
(c) The SBS television series Salam Cafe.
