Kate Torney did not guarantee survival of any programs in first communication with staff since planned cuts were leaked

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

The ABC’s director of news, Kate Torney, has told her staff that ABC news and current affairs has to change or risk becoming irrelevant.



In her first communication with her staff since plans to cut programs including Lateline and local editions of 7:30 were leaked, Torney confirmed management was “looking at the best options to position ABC News strongly for the future”.

“The ABC is at a critical juncture and across the corporation decisions need to be made to find the savings being asked of us by the government, to find the funds needed to invest in our digital operations and to ensure longer-term budget sustainability,” she said.

Torney did not rule out any of the plans that have been reported or guarantee the survival of any programs.

“This is the kind of review process most media organisations around the world have undertaken in recent times to address new audience needs.

“Change involves difficult strategic choices. But the reality is that the audience is changing and if the ABC does not change with it, we risk becoming irrelevant.

“We are currently considering a range of ideas to identify savings and find more efficient ways of operating. No decisions have or will be made until the we know the size of the cut to the ABC budget.

“We hope that will become clear soon so that the current instability and speculation can be replaced with a clear and confident plan for the future – a future in which ABC News continues to play a vital and valued role in Australian society. “