They’re probably just using the ABC like a piñata, without expecting it to break, but it seems to be fashionable for commentators on the right to call for more diversity in ABC presenters (see James Allan’s piece from this morning’s Australian) and even applying on their own blogs for a job themselves.

Andrew Bolt is the trendsetter in this respect, and given that there’s a trendsetter, I’ve figured, why not got on the bandwagon early and make an application for the non-existent job  myself.

Afterall, I think my credentials are better than his. Not only does On Line Opinion indicate that I’d have no problems with the ABC charter requiring balance, but I’m already an ABC regular on Steve Austin’s Party Games.

Indeed, the ABC’s been borrowing from what I do for quite some time, with The Drum being an unashamed rip-off of On Line Opinion, just with a bigger budget. (I was a bit peeved to see the federal government sling them an extra $2 million in the budget when for a tenth of this OLO could give them a run for their money).

What’s more I can demonstrate credentials as a ratings winner.

Our 2007 Friday evening current affairs program on Briz 31 during the election campaign peaked at 12,000 viewers. As that’s a Brisbane-only demographic, that’s competitive with programs like The Insiders when you dissect what they probably get within the viewing footprint of Briz 31.

And as part of my application I’d like to tender as audition tapes the visual evidence of what a small handful of Brisbane commentators were able to produce on some small funding from the ARC (we did the program as part of a Linkages grant on digital journalism).

I could probably do with an autocue and a little more media training, but it’s authentic, and whether you’re from the right or the left, that’s something I think the ABC could do with more of.

So how about it Auntie?