The public will be invited to apply for vacancies on the boards of the ABC and SBS, while former politicians and senior political staff will be banned in a bid to depoliticise appointments.
The Rudd Government has also announced eight weeks of public consultation on the future of both public broadcasters, the results of which will be fed into development of the next three-year funding round due to start in July 2009.
And in keeping with an election promise, the Government will introduce legislation to restore the staff-elected member of the ABC board, abolished by the previous government, and a requirement that future appointments be made on merit.
Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy Minister Stephen Conroy said the Howard government had politicised the ABC board with appointments based on the prime minister's ''Christmas card list''. But he conceded previous Labor governments had not been innocent. ''I don't think there's been any argument that there's been a lot of controversy about the current boards and what we're seeking to do is draw a line,'' Senator Conroy said.
He said the Prime Minister would in future confer with the Opposition Leader when it came to the appointment of an ABC chairman. Several ABC board appointments by the previous government sparked controversy, including merchant banker and former Victorian Liberal Party director Michael Kroger, News Limited columnist Janet Albrechtson, anthropologist Ron Brunton andhistorian Keith Windshuttle.
The Keating government came under fire for the appointments to the ABC board of former South Australian premier John Bannon and former Labor pollster Rod Cameron.
Flanked by ABC managing director Mark Scott and SBS director of strategy and communications Bruce Meagher, Senator Conroy announced the public consultation yesterday by issuing of a discussion paper based on ideas raised during the 2020 Summit in April.
Senator Conroy said Australians were passionate about their ''much-loved'' public broadcasters that faced challenges adapting to new digital technologies that were radically changing the basics of broadcasting and media.
''It is important these views are heard and considered as future policy is mapped out,'' he said.
Senator Conroy said he would not rule out proposals ahead of the consultation process, including ideas such as the two sharing some common elements to improve efficiency.
But he ruled out the introduction of advertising on what he described as ''core'' ABC programs and the website. ''This is not some way to open up the back door to advertising for the internet or online material.''
However, people could raise the issues if they wanted to as part of the consultation that would look at the possibility of a fee to gain access to online content.
Mr Scott and Mr Meagher declined to comment on the composition of the current ABC and SBS board, saying it was a matter for the Government, but Senator Conroy said the current boards had delivered outcomes. Newspapers advertisements appearing today invite applications for the board vacancies that will be assessed by a nomination panel to be set up by the secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Terry Moran.