The ABC’s Radio Division has been cut by $200,000 in the latest round of post-budget cost cutting by the national broadcaster. The cut is small in comparison with reductions to other areas just approved by the ABC board.
Other major areas affected by budget cuts are the TV program ‘Foreign Correspondent,’ international bureaux and non-program admin and corporate areas.
ABC Managing Director Russell Balding said: “After the ABC failed to secure additional funding from the Federal Budget in May of this year I foreshadowed that decisions would need to be made regarding the ABC’s programming. The Board has approved management proposals for cuts to programs and non-program functions amounting to $26.1 million
per year. This is necessary for the ABC to operate within its budget.
The changes have been made with a view to minimising impact on audiences and staff.”
The details of the cuts are:
Television Closure of digital multichannels (announced earlier) – $7.27m
Removal of advertising budget – $2.75m
Reduction in factual programming – $0.50m
Removal of schools production – $1.83m
Reduction in live sport – $0.53m
Production plan cut – $1.50m
News and Current Affairs (Foreign Correspondent and other measures) – $2.0m
Remove cadet journalist program – $0.53m
Re-schedule morning business output
to noon – $0.90m
International Operations (FX) – $2.0m
Radio – $0.20m
New Media – $0.05m
Development Division (Audience Research) – $1.0m
Non-Program Functions – $5.04m
The impact on staffing has been “kept to a minimum.” The ABC says that, despite the fact that these
changes will affect around 100 positions, “it is anticipated that the ABC
will lose 20 to 25 jobs through redundancy. This will be achieved through
redeployment and by not filling vacancies.”
Balding says: “The ABC has for some years been operating a number of program initiatives that have not been funded by government. ABC Online is a prime example, costing over $10 million per annum – which is substantially less that its main competitors. It is inconceivable that the ABC would not have an online presence. With over one million pages of content, it has become an integral part of the lives of a great many Australians. ABC Online is the electronic journal of record in Australia, yet it has never been recognised by the government in a funding sense.”
Other items which the ABC says have not been funded by government include:
* Additional program acquisition costs – the ABC has had to expend an
additional $8 million a year to meet the increased costs of purchasing
programs from overseas.
* Television closed captioning – this important service for the hearing
impaired costs $4 million per year and is a requirement of government.
* Digital multi-channels – The ABC was funded by the government for the
equipment necessary to broadcast digital television but not for content.
This recently discontinued service cost over $7 million a year.
The ABC has “maintained a television presence in all states and
territories,” but has forshadowed “a reduction in the broadcast of one-off sporting
events.”
“I will shortly be writing to education authorities to explain the changes to
schools programming,” says Balding. Over the next 12 to 18 months the ABC will utilise its
currently held inventory of schools programming, although there will be no
new production.
Balding says the losses of program content and
staff is “deeply regrettable” but “the ABC must operate within the funds
provided by government.”
Commenting again on the closure of the Digital TV channels Balding says: “It would
now appear that there is less reason for viewers to purchase digital
television equipment.”
Reacting to the cuts former Managing Director Jonathan Shier told AM that current management was pedestrian, and that the ABC would have achieved more funding if Shier had mounted the case.
Labor Communications spokesman Lindsay Tanner says: “All Australians should be outraged at this continuing assault because it’s now affecting the ABC’s ability to deliver programs… It’s sending the progress of digital television in Australia in reverse and now it’s having a negative impact on the ABC’s educational services as well.”
Communications Minister Alston says: “I don’t think you can really say the ABC has been singled out for any special treatment… The ABC is getting the same treatment as SBS, which is the other national broadcaster, and it then has to operate within its own budget as do all government agencies and departments.”