National broadcaster ABC spent record $1.137 billion in taxpayer funds as audience numbers plummet

The ABC received record injections of more than $1.1 billion in taxpayer funds in the last year – while its total audience dropped dramatically. Read where your cash is going.

The ABC received record injections of more than $1.1 billion in taxpayer funds in the last year – while its total audience dropped by 670,000 people a week on average – as the national broadcaster revealed its outgoing managing director is on a $1.1 million salary.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s 2024 annual report, released on Tuesday, revealed it spent a record $1.137 billion in taxpayer funds this last financial year, an increase of almost $30 million it got from the federal government in 2022-23 and the most amount of cash ever handed over to the national broadcaster.

However, the cash splash won’t stop there, with $1.196 billion in government funds being budgeted for the next financial year.

“Budget challenges for the ABC continue to arise,” financial analysts for the ABC said in the report.

Signage is seen at the ABC offices in Ultimo, Sydney. (AAP Image/Danny Casey)

The report revealed the national broadcaster returned just $100 million in self-made revenue in the last year – less than 10 per cent of what it charges the taxpayer to operate.

“The ABC operated within its total sources of funds and revenue from Government for

the 2023–24 financial year, recording a minor technical operating deficit of $2.2 million,” the financial statements read.

The report confirmed that after the broadcaster was allocated $1,137.6 million in the May 2023 Federal Budget, it also secured $20.9m for the “Better Funded National Broadcasters” fund, a further $8m for the “Pacific Security and Engagement Initiatives” fund and an additional $8.5 million over four years from 2023–24 for Pacific integration transmission services as part of the Enhancing Pacific Engagement measure.

The taxpayer cash splash comes as outgoing ABC managing director David Anderson, who resigned in August, secured a total salary of $1,159,493 in the last financial year, up from $1,156,969 in 2022-23.

In August, Anderson resigned as managing director of the national broadcaster, a year into his second term in the top job.

The Managing Direction of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC); David Anderson. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Chief financial officer Melanie Kleyn. Supplied.

Chief financial officer Melanie Kleyn was paid $633,571, up from $618,000 in the previous financial year, while chief content officer Chris Oliver-Taylor secured $672,744 in the 12 months to June 30.

ABC news director Justin Stevens was paid $556,626 during the same period.

ABC's director of news Justin Stevens. The Australian/Nadir Kinani

Despite promising to focus on “finding efficiences”, the number of staff employed by the national broadcaster across the country increased by 100 people in 2024 to 3904, despite 120 job cuts forecast by Anderson last year – including 1921 staffers in NSW alone.

Audience data from the report also revealed the broadcaster’s combined average weekly viewership numbers across all platforms decreased 670,000 people from 13 million in 2022-23 to 12.3 million this financial year.

“This overall decline was driven by softening of broadcast TV reach and to a lesser extent, radio reach,” the annual report said.

“This decline in broadcast consumption was partially offset by growth in ABC owned

digital and third-party platforms.”

The same audience data also showed a 5 per cent drop in ABC Digital readers as well, with blame laid on “algorithmic changes” on search and social platforms.

The ABC listen app was the only winner when it came to audience numbers, with a year-on-year increases in weekly active users, up 10 per cent to 497,0008.

The ABC Kids listen app had 37,000 weekly active users in 2023–24, flat on 2022–2312.

ABC audience director Leisa Bacon said the global success of children’s show Bluey had been a saving grace for the broadcaster, resulting in a 16 per cent increase in viewership.

A spokesman for federal Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said: “ABC has operational and editorial independence and remains accountable through its annual report, corporate plan and Parliamentary scrutiny.

“The use of funding by the ABC is a matter for its Board, in line with its operational independence under the ABC Act.”

An ABC spokesman said: “Audience data should be understood in the context of softening audience trends across the entire media sector.

“The ABC is actively engaged with audiences as they increasingly transition to digital platforms.

“This is clearly in evidence with the most recent Ipsos rankings where ABC News is the top news website in the country.”

Originally published as National broadcaster ABC spent record $1.137 billion in taxpayer funds as audience numbers plummet