Now, more than ever, regional and rural Australians depend on the ABC. But there is growing concern within ABC ranks that local news and current affairs is being squeezed. Staff say a slew of changes last year, forced by the Abbott government’s budget cuts, has made it harder to deliver the quality journalism their regional audiences expect.
These cuts include: eight state editions of flagship current affairs program 7.30Bush Telegraph radio show; the closure of five regional radio posts; radio news bulletins being halved; and Newcastle 1233 afternoon host Carol Duncan being bumped for James Valentine, whose show is piped in from Sydney. The recent axing of Canberra’s dedicated rural reporter has sparked fresh angst. It is one of 50 proposed redundancies, prompted by the July 1 launch of ABC’s new Regional Division.