ABC Radio will not be covering the Olympics next year, due to cost pressures.

For the first time since the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, the ABC will not have a live radio broadcast of the Games, with the national broadcaster citing "budget pressures and the changing broadcast environment" as reasons not to bid for the non-commercial radio rights. Channel Seven is the top level rights holder in Australia.

An ABC statement said:

As a Senior Radio Researcher in Archives, John was one of those people who connected in so many ways with so many people over the 30 plus years he worked here.  He has always been the first person our program teams would go to for help with archival material and his knowledge of ABC Radio’s history was second-to-none.
 

Judith Whelan has been confirmed as Director of ABC Regional & Local, replacing Michael Mason.

She has been acting in the role since Mason retired last November.

ABC Managing Director David Anderson says Whelan’s considerable experience in senior media roles at the Sydney Morning Herald and more recently managing television, radio and digital content at the ABC, has made her the perfect choice for the role. 

Sudanese refugee Natal Jimma has been announced as this year’s recipient of the AFTRS/ABC Selwyn Speight Diversity Scholarship.
 
The scholarship is made available through a $20,000 bequest from the late, distinguished ABC journalist Selwyn Speight.
 
Currently completing AFTRS 2019 Graduate Diploma in Radio, Natal’s interest in radio began in Sudan and includes over five years’ experience at university and community radio stations in Australia.
 

Sydney Morning Herald editor Judith Whelan, has been appointed ABC Radio's Head of Spoken Content, to oversee its talk networks and programs.

Judith will provide editorial and creative direction to meet the overall strategic goals of ABC Radio and the wider corporation. 

As Head of Spoken Content, Whelan will be responsible for ABC Radio’s flagship programs within the Capital City radio network, Grandstand and the ideas network RN.