June 25. Day 176. The face of my ABC

Kelly Higgins-Devine in the studio tonight

The people who you meet - former QUT journalism student Lily Nothling leaves the ABC building after a shift

Ten cents a day or $36 a year. That's what the ABC costs you, me and every Australian. That's almost exactly what I pay every time I get my toe nails polished. I know which is the better investment. (Hint, as much as I enjoy having the dead skin scraped from the soles of my feet, the pedicure loses). Yet there seems to be a growing movement  of people who consider publicly funding the national broadcaster to be on the nose.

Actually, I don't buy it. The Liberal Party Federal Council may have passed a motion to that effect but no side of government will act on it. The figures don't lie. According to to Media Watch tonight 12 million Australians will watch ABC TV this week, five million will listen to ABC Radio and this month 13 million podcasts will be downloaded. While no-one can never say never, I believe we need the ABC now more than ever. With so much media being thrown at us from all directions, a reliable credible national broadcaster is an investment in an informed public. But of course I would say that, wouldn't I? I'm a journalist and an academic - that puts me in the looney left basket not once but twice, according to popular perception. And, of course, I've been visiting the ABC Brisbane studios every week for 17 years including tonight. Yeah, I've consumed a great big dose of ABC Kool-Aid. But I've also consumed thousands of hours of ABC TV, radio and online content. I've been doing so since the days of Play School and I'm proud of that - I'd even give up pedicures for the privilege.