ABC reporter Lloyd 10 months jail

Jailed...Peter Lloyd was arrested in July on drugs charges.

ABC reporter Peter Lloyd has been sentenced to 10 months' jail by a Singapore court.

Lloyd has pleaded guilty to three drugs charges.

He has been sentenced to four months each on charges of possessing and consuming the drug methamphetamine.

He will also serve two months in prison for having utensils for consuming the drug.

The 42-year-old former foreign correspondent was arrested in a Singapore hospital in July.

He was handcuffed and taken to Changi prison after saying goodbye to his distressed former wife, Kirsty McIvor.

Earlier his lawyer had told the court that Lloyd wanted to be reunited with his nine-year-old son, who is seriously ill.

Lloyd, 42, appeared before Singapore's subordinate court, where a judge, Hamidah Ibrahim, handed down the sentence.

It had been thought that by the bribe he [allegedly paid to Singaporian authorities] the dropping of an earlier trafficking charge against Lloyd augured well for a lesser sentence.

The trafficking charge carried a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and 15 strokes of a rattan cane, an excruciatingly painful punishment.

Quote: If you've got money you can buy your way out of anything. Lloyed is very lucky really not to be doing a quick 20 years in a rat-infested dungeon with 20 people. But I guess even 10 months would be a problem for him as he's never been to prison. Lets hope he can honestly report his experience to help others instead of the propaganda reported by the ABC.

Pressure for ABC, SBS to merge

Merger? ... the ABC is being pressured to merge with SBS.

THE ABC and SBS face a possible merger and their boards are to be "de-politicised" in sweeping reforms announced by the Federal Government.

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy outlined the changes to end decades of political interference in the ABC and SBS by governments on both sides of politics.

Board vacancies will now be filled by public advertisements – beginning today. Former politicians and senior political staff will be ineligible for selection.

Senator Conroy yesterday also released a new discussion paper on the "digital future" of the two national public broadcasters, canvassing a range of ideas including that some aspects be shared.

Senator Conroy and ABC managing director Mark Scott said potential savings from pooling some functions should be examined.

"We think there are opportunities for efficiencies to be made whilst ensuring the independence and integrity of two great public broadcasters," Mr Scott said.

The Rudd Government wants public feedback on its discussion paper and has set aside the next two months for the discussion. And while any merger may be a way off, radical changes to the boards of both organisations apply immediately.

From today, vacancies will be filled by applicants responding to advertisements and being assessed against objective criteria.

This is a clear departure from the past practice of governments appointing like-minded people directly – a process that has mired the organisations in controversy and rancour from time to time.

Applicants will be assessed by an independent "nomination panel" run by the Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.

The ABC will also get a staff-elected director again after the Howard Government axed the position some years ago to reduce union influence in the organisation.

Senator Conroy said neither side was innocent of political board stacking but those days were now over.

"The Prime Minister (John Howard) went down his Christmas card list and when he finished, he went back to the beginning," he said.

Senator Conroy said the changes to the way board members were selected satisfied an election commitment.

Quote: Perhaps a little less of AIPAC - The America's Pro-Israel Lobby Working to strengthen the Australian-US-Israel relationship via SBS would make a difference to the ABC? After all AIPAC offers Middle East news, analysis and resources for policymakers, media, students and activists who are pro Israel and pro WAR. AIPAC was perhaps influenced by the John Howard government into these organisations. SBS has no pride in that department.