It’s all change at the ABC and not everyone is happy about it

Fran Kelly will return to ABC Radio to host a new daily program as part of a slew of changes at the national broadcaster including Linton Besser stepping in as Media Watch host, and the departure of ABC Sydney’s Mornings presenter Sarah Macdonald.

The revelations came as the ABC revealed its 2025 content and line-up at its annual upfront presentation on Thursday afternoon.

Fran Kelly will return to the airwaves after a brief stint in TV. Credit: James Brickwood

Kelly will host The Radio National Hour, a new daily 6pm program, three years after her high-profile departure.

On Thursday morning, ABC Sydney’s Mornings presenter Macdonald revealed on air that her contract hadn’t been renewed.

Author and broadcaster Sarah Macdonald.

“Listen, I’m not going to be on the radio with you next year,” Macdonald said. “The ABC has decided not to renew my contract here at Mornings.

“I am proud of what I’ve done. The ratings are up. I’ve broken lots of stories. Had the first interview with the new governor-general. I got the premier of NSW to regularly take your calls. Led the election coverage, led the move to our Parramatta studios.”

The news was received with shock by ABC staff, including Media Watch host Paul Barry who said on X: “I can’t believe this. I’m hearing that #ABC has dumped Sarah Macdonald from ABC Sydney. IMHO she’s brilliant, one of the best things on radio. WTAF?”

The national broadcaster also revealed ABC investigative journalist Linton Besser will take over from Paul Barry as the new host of Media Watch.

Barry, who has hosted for 11 years, presents his final program on December 2. Besser starts on February 3.

“What an opportunity,” said Besser. “It’s daunting and sobering, and it’s not a small thing to follow Paul Barry into anything, but I’m really excited.”

ABC investigative journalist Linton Besser has been named the new host of Media Watch.Credit: Dallas Kilponen

Besser joined the ABC in 2013, and worked on Four Corners, 7.30 and Foreign Correspondent. In 2018, he was appointed the broadcaster’s Europe correspondent, covering Brexit and the early COVID-19 outbreaks in Italy. He also worked at The Sydney Morning Herald and has won four Walkley Awards.

Media Watch is one of the ABC’s top-rating programs, pulling about 500,000 viewers each Monday.

The ABC also announced new drama, The Family Next Door, based on best-selling Australian author Sally Hepworth’s novel. The series hopes to emulate the success of shows such as Big Little Lies, The Perfect Couple and Apples Never Fall.

Chief content officer Chris Oliver-Taylor, previously director of production for Australia and New Zealand at Netflix, believes the ABC can learn a lot from the streaming giant’s adaptation model. “If you can connect something to IP, a book’s a great way of doing it in drama. You have that in-built audience there who love the book and then will come along for the journey.”

ABC chief content officer Chris Oliver-Taylor says 2025 will have the “most comprehensive slate for all Australians”.

The ABC also confirmed new series of Bay of Fires, Austin, Mother and Son and Mystery Road: Origins and multi-award-winning The Newsreader.

Though comedy is part of ABC’s plan to attract younger audiences, the 2025 slate is light on new formats. Jenna Owen, Vic Zerbst and Charles Firth will help with new six-part comedy scripted series, Optics.

“Optics is definitely a younger play, and we’re going to make sure that connects with younger audiences by working on third-party platforms, but we want content for all of Australia,” Oliver-Taylor says.

Outside of this, ABC relies on its existing panel and comedy shows. Returning shows in 2025 include Spicks & Specks, Guy Montgomery’s Spelling Bee and Hard Quiz, Gruen and The Weekly with Charlie Pickering. Shaun Micallef’s Eve of Destruction is listed as “in development to return”.

According to Oliver-Taylor, the show may undergo format adjustments, but “Shaun is part of the ABC establishment, and long may that continue”. Micallef’s show attracted criticism as proof that the ABC had given up on bright new young talent.

Given the 2025 slate is light on new comedy, is that criticism justified? “I don’t think so; we constantly ask internally, ‘How do you find the next Wil Anderson, Kitty Flanagan and Micallef?’” he says. “To that end, we have reserved two slots for next year, including a Wednesday night slot for two new entertainment shows, but we couldn’t fit them into this year’s line-up.”

There are no new Bluey episodes, but Andy Lee’s best-selling kids book series, Do Not Open This Book, has become new animated series, Do Not Watch This Show.

For arts, new series The Piano hears amateur pianists guided by expert musicians Harry Connick Jr and Andrea Lam, and in Portrait Artist Of The Year Australian artists compete to complete portraits of famous sitters. Plus, Rachel Griffiths hosts When the War is Over, a deep dive into how art shapes our attitude to conflict.

With Louise Rugendyke

Find out the next TV, streaming series and movies to add to your must-sees. Get The Watchlist delivered every Thursday.

Find more of the author’s work here. Email him at [e-mail] or follow him on Instagram at @thomasalexandermitchell and on Twitter @_thmitchell.