ABC grows frustrated after Albanese, communications minister chide restructure

A week of politicisation has contributed to growing frustration among leadership at the ABC, sources say, after the prime minister, opposition leader and communications minister each stirred criticism of the largest overhaul of the broadcaster in more than five years. 

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made hay of growing criticism of the ABC’s decision to axe political editor Andrew Probyn, as part of 120 redundancies, in his remarks at the Midwinter Ball in Canberra last week.

“No money for a political editor. No money for an arts division. But enough money for The Weekly to have multiple episodes running a segment called ‘Albo’s Fucking Dogs’,” Albanese told the room. “The new funding arrangements seem to be working out well.”

The joke came on the heels of comments made by Communications Minister Michelle Rowland during a meeting of the Labor caucus last week, where she said “the ‘B’ in ABC stands for broadcasting”, after telling media that she had sought a briefing on the restructure. 

The requested briefing will be the second Rowland has had on the matter, Crikey understands, after she was informed of the broadcaster’s plans ahead of the announcement.

Rowland’s office said that the ABC ultimately has operational independence, and how the broadcaster allocates its resources is up to ABC management. 

“The ABC has been clear that broadcasting remains important while it prepares for a digital-majority audience. The minister affirmed this to caucus,” a spokesperson told Crikey. 

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton took the opportunity when it was handed to him at the Midwinter Ball to call the ABC’s “treatment of Andrew Probyn” a “disgrace”. He said the “ABC should be ashamed of its actions”.

The ABC declined to comment. 

The decision to axe Probyn’s role drew broad criticism from federal political reporters current and former. Among the ABC’s junior rank-and-file, however, the high-profile news-breaker’s redundancy has been given undue emphasis, given the likelihood he’ll be “snapped up” by a major newsroom once he’s off the ABC’s books. 

Senior figures from across the Canberra press gallery lashed the decision, which was characterised as a sort of death knell for experienced news leadership within the ABC’s Parliament House bureau.

Accepting an award for press gallery journalist of the year at the Midwinter Ball, Sydney Morning Herald and Age chief political correspondent David Crowe criticised the broadcaster’s move in a speech focused on the need for experience in political journalism.

“The word redundancy is such an awful word,” Crowe said. “And that’s a terrible thing with somebody like Andrew Probyn, somebody like Brihony Speed, who’ve done so much great work. They’re not unnecessary.”

Probyn’s role is one of two “broadcast-focused” roles based in Canberra on the chopping block, among 40 roles across the ABC’s news division.

Away from Canberra, the restructure was broadly received by unaffected staff with a shrug, sources say. The ABC’s Leigh Sales was among the higher-profile talent to back the changes, telling Nine newspapers “it’s change or death” in media, even though it is sad to see “good people go”. 

The ABC’s Parliament House bureau, according to a change proposal seen by Crikey, was previously operating in an “outdated, top-heavy structure” too focused on linear television, recommending Probyn and a television editor be ousted in favour of three new digital and social content creation roles.

The incoming producers’ jobs will be to reach audiences with political news on “the platforms they’re increasingly using”.

According to an email sent to staff by ABC director of news Justin Stevens and seen by Crikey, further changes include a renewed focus on state and territory politics, including the return of Stateline, as well as forming a climate, environment and energy team.

A notable casualty of the news-side changes was the standalone ABC arts team, which will be disbanded and reintegrated across the newsroom.

In an email to staff seen by Crikey, ABC managing director David Anderson said the changes were “necessary for the longer term”, as the national broadcaster comes up against the same economic headwinds faced by other media organisations.