ABC and SBS under threat from Liberal vandals

Tony Abbott is facing internal pressure from Victorian Liberals to privatise the ABC and SBS if he wins the September 14 election.

State Liberals have launched a push ahead of the election to sell the public broadcasters, arguing the funds raised should be used to pay off government debt.

The Victorian Liberal Party's state conference this weekend will vote on a motion urging the federal Coalition to make a full-scale ''operational review'' of the ABC and SBS to ''look at the feasibility of partial or full privatisation of both''.

The motion says the original arguments for public ownership and operation of the ABC and SBS are ''no longer valid in 2013'', arguing both broadcasters ''aggressively compete'' with private media outlets in a ''high-velocity public information environment''.

''Public ownership of like corporations is not compatible with Coalition policies,'' the motion says. ''In a complex communication market where media outlets are required to set the agenda, ABC/SBS are finding it increasingly difficult to comply with their respective charters, thereby alienating constituents.''

A spokeswoman for the Victorian branch of the Friends of the ABC, Glenys Stradijot, threatened a campaign of ''huge community opposition'' if the Liberal Party continued to attack the national broadcaster.

''Has the Liberal Party learnt nothing from the time the Howard government sought to undermine the ABC?'' Ms Stradijot said.

''If they move to downgrade the ABC, they are both foolish and blind – blind to the importance of a national public broadcaster to this country, and blind to the strong and overwhelming community support for the ABC.''