ABC stands firm on axing Olympics radio coverage

Crunch talks with Olympics bosses have not swayed the national broadcaster on scrapping radio coverage.

ABC Chair Ita Buttrose. Picture: Dan Peled/AAP

The ABC is standing behind its decision to axe its long-running Olympics radio coverage after crunch talks with the Australian Olympic Committee’s president and boss, citing budget pressures despite widespread outrage from sporting bodies.

AOC President John Coates and AOC chief executive Matt Carroll met ABC chair Ita Buttrose and ABC managing director David Anderson at the broadcaster’s Ultimo headquarters on Wednesday in a last-ditch bid to stop the ABC ending a 70-year history with the games.

However following the crisis meeting the ABC maintained it would not broadcast next year’s Tokyo Olympics.

READ MORE: ABC showdown over Olympics | Radio listeners may miss Olympics | Sports chief blasts ‘absurd’ call by ABC to ditch Olympics |

An ABC spokesman said chairwoman Ita Buttrose and managing director David Anderson “had an open and frank meeting with the AOC” on Wednesday at its Sydney headquarters in Ultimo.

“We recognise that the Olympics has a hallowed place in Australian cultural life. The ABC has been proud to contribute to Australia’s storied Olympics history.

“However, in weighing up relevant factors – current budget pressures, massive changes in the media environment, and the fact that the public now has a variety of ways to access Olympics coverage, the ABC maintains its decision not to bid for the Olympics radio rights,” the spokesman said.

AOC President John Coates. Picture: Peter Wallis

In a statement to The Australian Mr Coates said “the AOC appreciates the courtesy of a meeting and the chance to make our case on behalf of the broader community, Olympic sports and their communities.”

“We listened to the reasoning behind the decision, however the AOC will continue to explore ways to ensure all Australian can get access to the Games’ coverage in Tokyo.”

Earlier this month The Australian revealed the ABC would not be the radio broadcaster of the games citing budget constraints with the cost of the radio broadcasting rights coming in at $1 million.

The ABC is currently facing a freeze to the indexed increases in its taxpayer funding worth over $1 billion a year.

The decision met with widespread backlash from sporting bodies.

Following the decision the AOC accused the ABC of being “monumentally shortsighted”. ASC chairman John Wylie has called the decision “absurd”, given the ABC’s hefty budget.

In his letter to Ms Buttrose, obtained by The Australian, Mr Wylie described the Olympics as “the pinnacle of sporting competition and achievement”, noting Australia was “a proud sporting country”. He also urged her to “do the right thing by the country, and broadcast the games for the benefit of all, on its traditional and public funded home, ABC radio.”

ABC radio has broadcast the Olympics since the event was held in Helsinki, Finland, in 1952.

Radio companies, including Southern Cross Media Group, Australian Radio Network and Nova Entertainment are understood to have snubbed bidding for the Olympic radio commercial rights.

The Olympics will be televised by Seven West Media’s television network, Seven, and its affiliate partners, Prime Media and Southern Cross.