ABC spent $135k sending Adelaide duo Sonya Feldhoff and Julian Schiller to Olympic Games in Paris

The ABC spent $135,000 to send Adelaide breakfast duo Sonya Feldhoff and Julian Schiller and two producers to the Olympics in Paris, despite the pair not calling any live sport there.

The ABC has been labelled ‘totally out of touch’ for its Olympic Games spending. Picture: AFP

The ABC spent $135,000 to send Adelaide breakfast duo Sonya Feldhoff and Julian Schiller and two producers to the Olympic Games in Paris, despite the pair not calling any live sport there.

The sum prompted outrage from South Australian senator Alex Antic, who said it was inappropriate for the ABC to spend so much on such an assignment during a cost-of-living crisis.

“It is staggering that the ABC thinks that spending $135,000 to send two breakfast radio hosts and two staff to Paris for the Olympic Games represents value for money for the Australian taxpayer,” Senator Ancic said.

“All at a time when Australians face a cost-of-living crisis, multiple interest rate rises and some of the highest prices we’ve seen in the generation.

“Just further proof that the ABC is totally out of touch with the real Australia.”

ABC Adelaide breakfast show presenters Sonya Feldhoff and Jules Schiller went to Paris, but did not call any live sport.

The ABC did not respond to questions from The Australian.

Prior to the Games, the ABC said the pair would be there to “provide additional reporting on the ground and to present the local breakfast show every day”.

The ABC website carried regular clips of the duo enjoying the sights of Paris during the Games.

“From Olympians to a mime artist, a Moulin Rouge dancer and fans at the Stade de France, our brekkie duo immersed themselves in all the action at street level to make us feel like we were part of the action,” the website read.

“Take a listen to their extraordinary French adventure.”

Last week, in response to a question on notice from a Senate hearing last month, Labor senator Murray Watt said the “forecasted spend” for the Adelaide radio crew’s trip to Paris “is estimated to be $135k”.

That included flights, accommodation, hospitality, equipment, transport, broadcasting costs, and other related or ancillary costs.

The ABC Adelaide breakfast hosts took over the prestigious timeslot in January but have failed to make ground on the city’s two most popular breakfast programs, Triple M’s Mark Ricciuto, Chris Dittmar and Laura O’Callaghan, and FiveAA’s David Penberthy (also a senior writer at The Australian) and Will Goodings.