ABC calls time on Tonightly with Tom Ballard
THE ABC has called time on Tonightly with Tom Ballard days after the show was cleared by the industry watchdog over a controversial skit in which a conservative politician was called a “c***” on air.
Confidential
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THE ABC has called time on Tonightly with Tom Ballard days after the show was cleared by the industry watchdog over a controversial skit in which a conservative politician was called a “c***” on air.
The public broadcaster made the announcement quietly this morning but gave little explanation for the move.
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“It is now time for a fresh approach,” the statement read. “The ABC will continue to develop innovative content on broadcast TV and digital services. Attracting younger audiences requires bold approaches and we continually experiment with new content and new formats particularly on digital platforms,” the ABC said in a statement. We remain committed to exploring and developing projects that connect with different demographics.”
Tonightly first aired in December last year, billed as a comedy entertainment show that pushed boundaries from the offset.
On Friday The Australian Communications and Media Authority ruled in favour of the ABC after a complaint from a skit earlier this year when comedian Greg Larsen labelled Australian Conservatives candidate Kevin Bailey “a c***”.
Of the axing, Ballard said: “Getting the chance to host Tonightly has been an absolute honour and privilege, even though we never got to be on Media Watch. I feel so proud of the ‘work’ we made and I feel so lucky to have been surrounded by laughter and stupidity for an entire year.”