An old Aussie favourite, Humphrey B. Bear himself, has resurfaced as part of ABC Friend’s campaign to keep, and in fact completely restore, all the funding for the ABC. It’s the second instalment of a series of 10 videos that show the terrible future of television should the ABC be left without financial support.
The world painted in this new clip isn’t much better than the last, where host of 7.30 Leigh Sales was a contestant on ‘I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here’, among other horrors.
This video shows an intensely commercialised ABC, where Bananas in Pyjamas are rife with product placement, and the Bananas wear Nike tracksuits and eat McDonald’s Happy Meals.
Humphrey sits with a young girl, and appears saddened at the state of his favourite programmes.
“Why do the Bananas in Pyjamas have Nike logos?” the little girl asks.
Humphrey B. Bear covers his eyes and shakes his head, motioning that the budget cuts have left Aussie children’s content has been tainted, and left him very upset.
“For 80 years, the ABC has educated and protected Australian children. Let’s keep it that way,” the video concluded.
ABC Friends national spokesman Ranald Macdonald said he welcomed Humphrey joining the ABC Friends Campaign.
“It’s hardly so very surprising that a bear that leads such an exciting life would call for the restoration of ABC funding,” he said. “Australian children’s television programming on the ABC has dramatically reduced over the last years because of costs.
“We are calling on electors to vote for any candidate this election who pledges to restore ABC funding to pre Abbott/Turnbull government levels.”
