ABC digital users plummet, while SBS digital registrations soar

The national broadcaster has suffered a major fall to its digital users, but the government continues to splurge taxpayer funds.

The federal government will provide about $7.7bn over five years to the national broadcasters, including $6bn for the ABC and $1.8bn for SBS

The ABC’s digital performance is expected to fall well short of its target and result in nearly five million fewer users a week.

The budget papers show a target was set for the public broadcaster to attract 18.3 million weekly active digital users in the 2022-23 financial year. However, this is expected to reach just 13.4 million – a shortfall of 4.9 million users.

This is a significant fall from 2021-22 when the ABC attracted 17 million weekly active users.

Despite numbers plummeting in the past 12 months, the ABC’s target is to attract a weekly digital audience of 19.2 million users in the 2023-24 financial year.

SBS, meanwhile, has had success online, easily exceeding its targeted digital registrations of 11.6 million. It is expected to reach 13.1 million in 2022-23.

The broadcaster has a target of 13.7 million digital registrations in 2023-24, 14.2 million in 2024-25, 14.6 million in 2025-26 and 14.9 million in 2026-27.

The federal government will provide about $7.7bn over five years to the national broadcasters, including $6bn for the ABC and $1.8bn for SBS, and funding will be determined in five-year blocks.

The ABC’s total revenue is budgeted at $1.13bn in 2023-24 – up $30.4m from 2022-23.

ABC expenses are budgeted at $1.2bn – a net increase of $231m from 2022-23 due to wage increases and other costs, including leasing expenses.

The ABC’s funding also includes $52.4m over three years to support local news and current affairs services.

SBS will receive $45m over four years to ensure news content is available for Chinese and Arabic-speaking communities.

Expenditure by the ABC on operational activities is forecast to rise from $976m in 2023-23 to $1.053bn by 2026-27.

During the same period, operational activities at SBS will rise from $437m in 2022-23 to $442m in 2026-27.

Transmission and distribution service costs at the ABC will rise from $194m in 2022-23 to $218m by 2026-27, while during the same period the costs at SBS will rise from $74m in 2022-23 to $85m by 2026-27.

Staffing levels at the broadcasters will remain steady, with 4213 employees at the ABC in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 financial years, while SBS will have 1352 in the same period.

The lack of accessible news available to Indigenous households in remote communities will be addressed.

The budget papers reveal the government will provide additional funding in 2023-24 to support broadcasting services in remote and First Nations communities to assist with broadcasting transmission and reception equipment.

The media regulator, the Australian Communications and Media Authority, will also receive $7.9m over the next four years, from 2023-24, to target misinformation and disinformation on digital platforms to help combat online abuse. This follows the government’s announcement to introduce draft legislation that will give ACMA powers to target misinformation and disinformation online.

The government is undertaking a review of the five-year plan for the ABC with the findings expected to be released in July.

The government will also provide $9.1m over three years from 2022-23 to assist local news media and help boost media literacy.