‘Difficult decisions’: ABC axes state-based Sunday news bulletin, 120 jobs in major restructure

A transition to a digital-first model has the public broadcaster scrapping 120 jobs and state-based Sunday night news.

The ABC will abolish state-based Sunday night news bulletins as part of a major restructure that led to the “gobsmacking” sacking of a high-profile journalist.

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

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.

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.

The ABC is expected to announce mass job cuts before the end of June. Picture: NCA NewsWire

“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.

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

ABC political editor Andrew Probyn has been made redundant by the ABC. Picture: Supplied

“I’m pretty flabbergasted,” he told Guardian Australia on Thursday.

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

Several colleagues and politicians took to social media after the news broke to express concern at the ABC’s decision to not on sack Mr Probyn, but axe the political editor role.

Phillip Coorey, political editor of the Australian Financial Review, took to Twitter to slam the decision.

“(Andrew) is the hardest working ABC journalist I know and the broadcaster’s best and most constant news breaker. And they’ve sacked him because they suddenly don’t need a political editor,” he tweeted on Thursday afternoon.

“What a disgrace from an organisation full of middle-management time servers.”

.@andrewprobyn is the hardest working ABC journalist I know and the broadcaster's best and most constant news breaker. And they've sacked him because they suddenly don't need a political editor. What a disgrace from an organisation full of middle-management time servers. @abcnews

— Phillip Coorey (@PhillipCoorey) June 15, 2023

The ABC says it doesn’t need a political editor so it’s making the role redundant? What an utter f^*king embarrassment for a national broadcaster. #auspol

— Dr Peter van Onselen (@vanOnselenP) June 15, 2023

An ABC spokeswoman said the broadcaster does not comment on individuals.

Mr Probyn, a highly-respected journalist who has served as the broadcaster’s political editor since 2017, became an unexpected internet sensation in 2020 when a tense exchange between himself and then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison went viral.

“Andrew, I’m sorry, Andrew. I know, but you don’t run the press conference,” Mr Morrison repeatedly interrupted as Mr Probyn attempted to ask questions.

The exchange resulted in Mr Probyn becoming a sensation on TikTok as many, including singer Guy Sebastian, parodied the exchange.

He was also one of the senior staff – alongside Emma Alberici – who former chairman Justin Milne demanded be fired in 2018.

Other redundancies come from the abolition of the stand-alone arts team, and the replacement of state-based 7pm news bulletins on Sundays with a single national program and iView news bulletins.

The Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance says the ABC’s decision to make its political editor redundant along with dozens of experienced journalists will inevitably weaken its ability to deliver quality journalism to the Australian public.

“The ABC has been running on empty for the past decade and we are concerned about how it can continue to deliver quality public interest journalism with even fewer staff following these cuts,” MEAA Media director Cassie Derrick said.

“Local journalism in our country continues to be eroded, and these cuts are a further insult to local audiences.”

ABC managing director David Anderson announced the new five-year plan last week. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

Mr Anderson has said the ABC will enhance its primary digital products – ABC News, ABC iview and ABC listen – to provide a seamless, personalised service that enables audiences to more easily discover content that is relevant to them

Under those previously announced changes, the current separate regional and radio divisions will be abolished.

Regional journalists will be transferred to the news division, while radio networks will join television in the content division.

Former Netflix executive Chris Oliver-Taylor was recently appointed to head content and will be responsible for all screen, audio and digital content.

News programming will be managed by the news director, Justin Stevens.

Job cuts will be made at the ABC ahead of the start of the new strategy. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

Mr Anderson had forecast job cuts across the board, but said they would not impact the quality of the ABC product.

“This in no way diminishes the importance of what we do, as many of Australia’s favourite podcasts and radio programs today are presented by the ABC,” Mr Anderson told employees when announcing the changes in May.

The federal government announced the latest five-year funding of $1.1bn a year for the ABC in the May budget.