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ABC cuts hit South Australia hard

Nov 24, 2014
ABC managing director Mark Scott. Photo: Alan Porrit/AAP.

ABC managing director Mark Scott. Photo: Alan Porrit/AAP.

South Australia has been hit hard by cuts to the ABC, with the axe falling on 7.30 South Australia, the Adelaide television production studio and the Port Augusta regional bureau.

In an address to staff a short time ago responding to Federal Government cuts, ABC managing director Mark Scott said more than 400 people – about 10 per cent of ABC staff around the country – would lose their jobs in the coming months and years.

“We regard the changes as vital to the long-term health of the organisation, but I acknowledge that is no comfort to those who will lose their positions,” Scott said.

Adelaide management told InDaily “less than 40” staff are expected to have their jobs terminated in South Australia.

7.30 SA, presented by Simon Royal, is one of several state-based editions of the flagship current affairs program set to be replaced by a national 7.30 program on Fridays.

ABC Adelaide television production will also be axed, despite its track record in producing programs such as Poh’s Kitchen, Life in Ruins, and the recent retrospective, Countdown: Do yourself a favour.

Staff will have a four-week consultation period before being given formal notice of their reduncancy.

The State and Territory Director structure will be dismantled, meaning directors will likely be axed at the end of the financial year.

Scott emailed staff about the cuts this morning.

“What we’ve proposed today is in the best interests of the ABC and its many stakeholders,” he said.

“It is designed to position the organisation for the future; to ensure its pivotal place as the home of Australian stories and conversations.”

He said there were “compelling business reasons to close our Adelaide television production studio and wind down remaining television production in smaller states”.

“The economics of the television sector make it difficult to maintain small-scale operations.

“It is more economically efficient to base production (outside news and current affairs) in Sydney and Melbourne.

In relation to the axing of state-based 7.30 programs, Scott acknowledged “there is a level of debate around this proposal, but we want to focus on delivering more local news and analysis whenever it happens during the day, rather than confining it to Friday nights”.

He also said scrapping five small regional radio posts around the country – including the Port Augusta bureau – was justified, because “these sites need continual maintenance, the number of staff impacted is minimal and there are no content implications”.

“The ABC will always have and need a strong regional footprint.”

Other changes include moving ABC1’s Lateline program onto ABC News 24, reducing ABC TV’s sports coverage and focusing on national sporting events, “readjusting” foreign bureaux (but opening a new bureau in Beirut), reducing the number of concerts recorded on Classic FM and scrapping Radio National’s Bush Telegraph program.

A statement from Scott on the ABC’s website says the broadcaster will cease state-based local sports coverage.

“With the ABC facing declining audience interest in local sport competitions and some codes chasing commercial opportunities, ABC Television is revising its sports strategy to ensure the most cost-efficient use of resources and optimal audience impact,” Scott said.

Scott said “there will be programming changes, but money saved will be reinvested back into programming” and that new specialist roles will be created to cover new digital initiatives.

“…it is difficult, at this stage, to provide absolute precision on the size and impact of cuts.

“Nor can we provide a definite number on redundancies.

“With more than 40 separate proposals to cut overheads and backroom costs, we need time to work through the processes.”

“Our focus will be on priority areas of news, children’s (programmig), triple j and iView…

Scott will visit state and territory branches over the next two weeks to speak with workers.

A statement from ABC spokesperson Nick Leys says there will also be “changes to ABC local programming”, but it remains unclear whether 891 ABC radio will be affected.

The ABC will also spend $20 million to establish a digital investment fund, and build a new Regional Division and an ABC Digital Network (replacing ABC Innovation).

National management is being lobbied for the new role of Regional Manager to be based in South Australia.

Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced last week that $254 million would be stripped from the national broadcaster over five years.

Before the last federal election, Tony Abbott said there would be no cuts to the ABC or SBS under a Coalition government.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article said the Behind the News program was in the television production arm of ABC South Australia. It is in the News Division.

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