ABC Adelaide host Stacey Lee blasts decision to cut local Sunday night news bulletins

One of ABC Adelaide’s breakfast radio co-hosts has hit out at the broadcaster’s decision to cut local Sunday night news bulletins.

An ABC Adelaide announcer has criticised the national broadcaster’s decision to abolish state-based Sunday night news bulletins as part of a major restructure.

Up to 120 jobs are going, including dozens of journalists and the arts team, and local Sunday news bulletins will be replaced with one national 7pm bulletin.

Federal political editor Andrew Probyn was one of the first to be axed ahead of the restructure.

Breakfast co-host Stacey Lee weighed in on Friday morning, called the axing of state-based bulletins a “real shame”.

“I think it was a surprise to a lot of people that that was going to be cut,” Lee said.

“As someone who has read that state-based 7pm bulletin on a Sunday night, I think it’s a real shame.”

“I personally think that’s a real shame as someone who has been employed to do that job before. It’s going to be a loss to state-based services.”

ABC Adelaide breakfast team Stacey Lee and Nikolai Beilharz. Picture: Supplied

Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis was scathing of the decision.

“The arrogance to believe an entire continent can have its nightly news delivered from Sydney. So much for the rest of us. I for one won’t be watching news that isn’t local,” he posted on Twitter.

“Maybe every 6 weeks we can get the photo of a sunset at the end of the news sent in by a viewer …”

7NEWS Adelaide news director Chris Salter said the move was treating Adelaide viewers with “contempt”.

“Sunday’s 7NEWS edition is one of the most-watched local bulletins of the week. More than ever South Australians want to know what’s happening in their backyard.”

He said he welcomed calls from ABC staff out of work due to the broadcaster’s job cuts.

“The ABC has plenty of talented staff,” he said.

9News Adelaide news director Jeremy Pudney said the network was “committed to delivering live and local news bulletins for South Australians”.

“We are proudly local,” he said.

The ABC’s managing director, David Anderson, made the announcement about job cuts and restructure at the broadcaster on Thursday.

Mr Anderson released the ABC’s new five-year plan last Friday, which detailed the major shake-up flagged earlier in the year to focus on a digital-first operation.

“Achieving these outcomes requires some difficult decisions,” Mr Anderson said in a statement on Thursday.

“While we have targets for savings in support areas, including travel and consulting costs, unfortunately there is an unavoidable impact on some roles.

“These changes are important to secure the long-term success of the organisation, but we acknowledge it is never easy, particularly for individuals who are directly impacted by these proposals.”

Mr Anderson said previously broadcast would remain important, but the ABC five-year plan was “a first step to build an ABC that is prepared for a digital-majority audience” away from linear products.

Mr Probyn said he had been informed the broadcaster “no longer” needed a political editor.

Originally published as ABC Adelaide host Stacey Lee blasts decision to cut local Sunday night news bulletins