A week of politicisation has contributed to growing frustration among leadership at the ABC, sources say, after the prime minister, opposition leader and communications minister each stirred criticism of the largest overhaul of the broadcaster in more than five years.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made hay of growing criticism of the ABC’s decision to axe political editor Andrew Probyn, as part of 120 redundancies, in his remarks at the Midwinter Ball in Canberra last week.
“No money for a political editor. No money for an arts division. But enough money for The Weekly to have multiple episodes running a segment called ‘Albo’s Fucking Dogs’,” Albanese told the room. “The new funding arrangements seem to be working out well.”
The joke came on the heels of comments made by Communications Minister Michelle Rowland during a meeting of the Labor caucus last week, where she said “the ‘B’ in ABC stands for broadcasting”, after telling media that she had sought a briefing on the restructure.
The requested briefing will be the second Rowland has had on the matter, Crikey understands, after she was informed of the broadcaster’s plans ahead of the announcement.
Rowland’s office said that the ABC ultimately has operational independence, and how the broadcaster allocates its resources is up to ABC management.
“The ABC has been clear that broadcasting remains important while it prepares for a digital-majority audience. The minister affirmed this to caucus,” a spokesperson told Crikey.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton took the opportunity when it was handed to him at the Midwinter Ball to call the ABC’s “treatment of Andrew Probyn” a “disgrace”. He said the “ABC should be ashamed of its actions”.
The ABC declined to comment.
The decision to axe Probyn’s role drew broad criticism from federal political reporters current and former. Among the ABC’s junior rank-and-file, however, the high-profile news-breaker’s redundancy has been given undue emphasis, given the likelihood he’ll be “snapped up” by a major newsroom once he’s off the ABC’s books.
Senior figures from across the Canberra press gallery lashed the decision, which was characterised as a sort of death knell for experienced news leadership within the ABC’s Parliament House bureau.
Accepting an award for press gallery journalist of the year at the Midwinter Ball, Sydney Morning Herald and Age chief political correspondent David Crowe criticised the broadcaster’s move in a speech focused on the need for experience in political journalism.
“The word redundancy is such an awful word,” Crowe said. “And that’s a terrible thing with somebody like Andrew Probyn, somebody like Brihony Speed, who’ve done so much great work. They’re not unnecessary.”
Probyn’s role is one of two “broadcast-focused” roles based in Canberra on the chopping block, among 40 roles across the ABC’s news division.
Away from Canberra, the restructure was broadly received by unaffected staff with a shrug, sources say. The ABC’s Leigh Sales was among the higher-profile talent to back the changes, telling Nine newspapers “it’s change or death” in media, even though it is sad to see “good people go”.
The ABC’s Parliament House bureau, according to a change proposal seen by Crikey, was previously operating in an “outdated, top-heavy structure” too focused on linear television, recommending Probyn and a television editor be ousted in favour of three new digital and social content creation roles.
The incoming producers’ jobs will be to reach audiences with political news on “the platforms they’re increasingly using”.
According to an email sent to staff by ABC director of news Justin Stevens and seen by Crikey, further changes include a renewed focus on state and territory politics, including the return of Stateline, as well as forming a climate, environment and energy team.
A notable casualty of the news-side changes was the standalone ABC arts team, which will be disbanded and reintegrated across the newsroom.
In an email to staff seen by Crikey, ABC managing director David Anderson said the changes were “necessary for the longer term”, as the national broadcaster comes up against the same economic headwinds faced by other media organisations.
“In an email to staff seen by Crikey, ABC managing director David Anderson said the changes were “necessary for the longer term”, as the national broadcaster comes up against the same economic headwinds faced by other media organisations.”……….
Dawp?????
It really is not a good look when the Managing Director of an organisation is unable to perceive that they are NOT, by definition, “up against the same economic headwinds faced by other media organisations”
They are NOT Fox Propaganda or Channel Nine (Propaganda Lite).
They have a statutory objective, which should absolutely preclude them from trying to emulate the failing business models of those who wish them to be destroyed.
Do what you do well, and bugger the consequences……………
What exactly do they propose to push out through these new digital outlets if not REAL news and comment produced by REAL Journalists? Programs devoted to REAL Arts, not endless pictures of kittens and meals. REAL analysis, not mindless repetition of the latest brain-fart by He Who Must Not Be Named.
If the objective is to become more like Faecesbook, Titter and Instafart, then there is no point continuing, because that market for purest bollocks is already well served.
Thanks, that’s all good … but surely some people are also concerned about the ABC’s new dedication to:
buying news in from News Corp, or other junk-news suppliers;
re-framing public-interest programing to highlight, well, ANYone except current government;
and avoiding almost anything that helps people achieve deeper knowledge of, well, anything?
As for the deliberate white-anting of Insiders and Q&A, two of the ABC’s most interesting, HIGHEST-RATING – and influential! – public interestt products … why aren’t we the public burning the airways about that?
Come ON, Crikey, if you won’t call it, WHO WILL?
Dear Nome. Crikey can only be relied upon to ‘call out’ what they think will be popular. They have recently shown that in the face of adversity, they are averse. Expect them and their contributors henceforth to just be tackling the easy stuff.
Nothing to be gained by trolling over what’s already passed.
Thank you Nome.
tatally agreed but wheres tge ABC frank forums – Tan was a 7 news representing his corporate basters but im shsmed into silrnce by a false narrative – anything id say would be decontextualized due to the grandstanding focus – i just want fair and frank from the ABC not neo lib agenda pushing their corporate nasters ends
sic Stan Grant and the lack of a fair convenor of view points and facts and fair airtime for the progressive women on the outside of power elite
Perhaps this? https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-06-28/former-nfl-quarterback-ryan-mallett-dies-aged-35/102534872
The ABC’s Leigh Sales was among the higher-profile talent to back the changes, telling Nine newspapers “it’s change or death” in media,..
So that’s why the unmentionable media company changes its views and its operations so frequently?
What a load …
So you’re okay then, Sales?
terrible interviews.
Sales is a symptom of the problem at the ABC News related, nor is one convinced that lacking a political editor focused upon Canberra and Sydney, leads to the public not being well informed?
Australian political news gathering and analysis has become hollowed out and centralised in favour of top down drops, talking points etc. leading to right wing conservative talking points or deflections, while the likes of Sales are essential to platform right wing conservative guests, or harass anyone centrist?
Australians are basically informed, if at all, on a limited menu of wedge issues or policies, for right wing electoral gain, especially regional, ageing, less educated and less diverse regions; we see more analysis in sport and entertainment than any other sector, while political is simply ‘horse race calls’ (of opinion polls), talking points and formal statements.
ABC has become as complicit as other outlets.
talent terrible !
Good point. What is linear tv? If the ABC is up against the same headwinds as the commercial news mobs, why has it come up with the same failed solution, namely to ditch the oldies and chase the kids market?
The kids dont watch the commercial MSM and they only watch the ABC kids programs till they are old enough to get a smartphone.
Don’t think they are serious in chasing kids (see C10 several years ago), if at all, but being complicit in stitching up a media ecosystem outside urban centres i.e. capital cities.
Exemplified in regional Oz by ABC wilfully crimping channels’ reach, influence and losing regional audience shared by the nation’s ‘most trusted media outlet’, to make space for networked commercial radio, tv and (too often) print, plus SkyNews….. more of a US mid western media strategy promoting same talking points and culture?
no Rupet et al dont want to compete against a public funded model and Netflix insider is a clear conflict in the top careerists in musical corporate chairs doing the groundwork to flogg quality and information out the window; bad for democracy
It’s not about kids. Which adults are still watching whatever programs are served up to them on the schedule? Everyone is streaming.
I’m a news junkie and I haven’t watched a broadcast in years
“Dog bites man”? As if Dutton needs an excuse to take a nip at the ABC.
Similarly any other crocodile tears from just about anyone from the Coalition (where does crap/trap-shooting Sprorter McKenzie – Media Watch – get her gravitas from? Under her pillow?) – as it appears, why isn’t it being show-cased by a Mike Bowers/Shaun Micallef type, similarly equipped to parody such disingenuous tripe? The media thinks we don’t remember that sort of associative history?
As if they could resist a free blow to one more negative PR nail in that ABC coffin of their dreams – under any guise.
Organised, rigged, set up, over time, the decline of our ABC into triviality, dilution, childishness, show and front, and a long elbowing by planted types, ex Merde Dog seems to have maggoted away with this “success”. One thing is assured, it is our deepening ignorance.