Australian ABC criticised for BuzzFeed replica, by Darren Davidson.

The three main commercial networks have denounced the ABC’s plans to launch a replica version of BuzzFeed as the public broadcaster faces accusations of replicating the commercial sector and smothering small publishers to attract more young readers.

The ABC is investing millions of dollars in a lifestyle website that will cover topics more traditionally associated with women’s magazines, including recipes, sex and relationships, travel and fashion. …

Speaking on behalf of the Seven, Nine and Ten networks, Free TV chief executive Bridget Fair said: “Lifestyle would have to be one of the most comprehensively covered market segments in Australian media. …

“Taxpayers’ money should not be spent duplicating content that is already well and truly available elsewhere.”

Called ABC Life, the new website is being talked about by ABC staff as a “BuzzFeed page for the ABC”.

Revelations that ABC Life is being positioned by executives “to replicate content that does well on commercial sites” will only increase concerns about the imperial ambitions of the sprawling ABC website.

Always trying to extend the reach of their propaganda. With a billion taxpayer dollars a year that they don’t have to raise from subscribers, the ABC has defeated every other media organ of the left and is now branching outside regular news and current affairs.

The Liberal Party and the conservatives would be wise to note that while the ALP and Greens are their political opponents, the ABC is their main cultural opponent. And culture is upstream of politics.