Besieged ABC program Q&A will be moved to the broadcaster's more rigorous news division following a board meeting to decide the show's fate on Thursday afternoon.

The decision to move the weekly panel show from the ABC's entertainment division to news will see Q&A subject to stricter guidelines of fairness and balance.

The meeting follows the controversial appearance of convicted criminal Zaky Mallah on Q&A in June, which led to a large political fallout and Prime Minister Tony Abbott preventing his ministers appearing on the show.