ABC managing director Michelle Guthrie has announced the public broadcaster will cut management positions by an average of 20% across the organisation.
Reports say up to 200 jobs will be cut by June as a result of the restructuring.
Guthrie defended the cuts, calling them “essential to the long-term health of the Corporation.”
Meanwhile, 80 new positions will be created in regional areas in line with the Guthrie’s ambitions towards increasing the ABC’s digital and video output from rural and regional Australia.
“Regional investment will be a priority. We’re committing to an injection of funds, ultimately building to $15 million a year, to provide more reporters and content makers, better tools and increased video and digital output. The ABC will recruit up to 80 new content roles in regional areas within 18 months,” Guthrie says.
$50 million is set to be invested through the newly-announced Content Fund alongside the $15 million Connecting Communities initiative, with further funding to come in following years.
The ABC’s Regional Director Fiona Reynolds says that “our teams are part of their local communities, providing them with daily news and information and supporting them through their darkest moments with emergency broadcasting. This is a critical and ongoing role for us.”
“Today’s announcement will allow us to maintain our highly valued existing services, like live local radio, while we expand our online, mobile and video storytelling,” Mrs Reynolds said.
“We expect to begin advertising for the first tranche of new regional staff members as early as May this year,” she added.
