ABC Radio halves length of PM and The World Today, axes Business PM

ABC staff have been told the PM and The World Today programs are to be reduced from hour-long programs to 30 minutes.

The new formats will ‘leave the audience wanting more’, according to reports in The Guardian.

The Business PM program will be axed. 

The rationale behind the changes, staff were told, was research demonstrating significant increases in listeners consuming on-demand and digital content, with a drop in audiences for linear broadcasts on the ABC. 

From 22 January The World Today, hosted by Eleanor Hall, will end at 12.30pm instead of 1pm to make way for a new national program on ABC Local Radio hosted by Double J presenter Myf Warhurst.

Designed to attract the 30-40 demographic, Warhurst’s show will run until 2pm.

From next year PM will air at 6.30pm on local radio so Drive can be extended from 6pm to 6.30pm in each state. Afternoons will run from 2pm to 4pm and Drive will run from 4pm to 6.30pm.

The changes mean the output of programmed radio current affairs will be reduced from two and a half hours a day to 90 minutes.

Managing editor of audio current affairs, Tanya Nolan, said reporters will be expected to do more live crosses into radio programs because of “an over-reliance on packages” which can “kill the energy” of a program.

Tags: | | |