ABC to cut 400 jobs
Up to 400 ABC staff will be axed and the WA edition of 7.30 will be dumped when the broadcaster details how it will respond to Federal Gov-ernment budget cuts.
But the ABC will create many new jobs as it shakes up its digital services to better cater for mobile devices and beefs up its internet television offerings.
ABC management will confirm sweeping job losses and a historic shake-up of programming today as the broadcaster absorbs a $254 million reduction in funding in the next five years.
While the State-based editions of 7.30 will go, it is believed the ABC will roll out an expanded local news service on Sunday nights as part of a renewed commitment to cover local issues properly.
A review of the ABC by former Seven West Media chief financial officer Peter Lewis said the ABC and SBS could offset costs by offering pay-for-view catch-up services.
The review, parts of which have been seen by _The West Australian _, also recommends the ABC and SBS charge viewers to watch programs or archive material online in high definition.
It says the ABC and SBS should combine back- office operations in human resources, legal, finance and accounting, and outsource payroll and rostering operations.
The review points out that $150 million of services are eligible for joint purchasing such as travel, telecommunications and content delivery.
Mr Lewis says the ABC should sell its news helicopters in Sydney and Melbourne and instead buy helicopter footage.
Among other proposals, the review says the ABC and SBS should sell, then lease back, its buildings.
Government frontbencher Andrew Robb stood by the coalition's decision to cut the broadcaster's budget, saying the ABC had been a "protected species" for a long time.
He said the ABC should be concentrating on reducing back office costs rather than cutting news services and warned ABC management against junking country and regional news programs.
"If we see lots of cuts to programming into regional areas, we will know that games are being played to try and spook the Government out of keeping the pressure on the ABC to share the sorts of proficiency gains that every other part of the public service is being asked to make," Mr Robb said.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten joined hundreds of people in Melbourne yesterday protesting against the cuts.
Mr Shorten attacked Prime Minister Tony Abbott at the Save Our ABC rally for promising before the election that he would not make cuts to the ABC or SBS.
It is believed the ABC will get rid of its production facilities in Adelaide, a move sure to infuriate South Australian Liberal Christopher Pyne.
Mr Pyne launched an online petition to save the production facilities in his home town even though, as part of Federal Cabinet, he signed off on the broadcaster's budget cuts.
While commercial television networks say they respect the ABC, they point out that most media organisations have had to cut many jobs in recent years and the public broadcasters should not be exempt.
