Senate Standing Committee on Environment and Communications - Budget Estimates Hearings May 2016

Communications Portfolio - Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Question No: 11 Australian Broadcasting Corporation Hansard

Any merger of the ABC and SBS would be in name only, it would more closely resemble a takeover of SBS and NITV by the ABC, the Australian Greens said today.

"What SBS and NITV are able to accomplish with comparatively tiny budgets is extraordinary, and the value of these services goes far beyond the purely economic," Australian Greens Communications Spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam said today.

Australian Greens Senator Scott Ludlam said today that the Abbott Government should cease using Monday night's episode of Q&A to further his government's attack on the ABC and public broadcasting.

"The discussion about the editorial decisions made by the ABC is now being wound up to hysterical levels of stridency by the Abbott Government," Senator Ludlam said today.

"The ABC has apologised and will conduct a review. That is a proper process.

Gippsland dudded by cuts to Morwell ABC

Gippsland has been dudded by Tony Abbott’s lie that there would be ‘no cuts to the ABC’, with ABC’s Morwell office set to be closed down.

“ABC’s Morwell office is an invaluable resource to the people of Gippsland,” said Australian Greens Senator for Victoria Janet Rice.

Australian Greens Senator for South Australia Penny Wright says South Australia has been hardest hit by the ABC job cuts, with 7.30 SA, the Port Augusta radio bureau and local TV production to close.

"Today's announcement is gut-wrenching. Our local ABC is a vital part of South Australia's media landscape and our community," Senator Wright said.

Greens communications spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam says the massive restructure to the ABC announced today by Mark Scott proves once and for all that the Abbott government simply cannot expect to cut $327 million from the broadcaster's budget and 400 jobs from its headcount and expect to avoid drastic changes to the ABC's capabilities.