The ABC's managing director Michelle Guthrie has rebuffed calls to privatise the national broadcaster, saying its value to the Australian economy is worth more than $1 billion.

Key points: New research puts the value of the ABC to the national economy at $1 billion

New research puts the value of the ABC to the national economy at $1 billion Ms Guthrie says the argument to privatise the ABC ignores the public's view of it as a "priceless asset"

Ms Guthrie says the argument to privatise the ABC ignores the public's view of it as a "priceless asset" Ms Guthrie says 92pc of the ABC's budget this year will be spent making content

In her first comments since Liberal Party members voted to privatise the ABC, Ms Guthrie told the Melbourne Press Club that "far from being a drain on the public purse, the audience, community and economic value stemming from ABC activity [has] a real and tangible benefit".

The Liberal Party federal council approved the non-binding motion to privatise the organisation over the weekend.

"The argument seems to carry a misplaced notion of both privatisation and conservatism. But more importantly it completely ignores the public value of the ABC, both in direct dollar terms but also as far as the wider public good remit," Ms Guthrie said.

She said the people of Australia resented the ABC "being used as a punching bag by narrow political, commercial and ideological interests".

"I think the public regards the ABC as a priceless asset, more valuable now than ever in its history," she said.

Ms Guthrie said the argument for privatisation was based on the notion that there was no redeemable value for public investment in the ABC, and the commercial media sector would benefit from the so-called level playing field.

"What price do you put on public trust in an independent, commercial-free news organisation at a time of fragmentation and disruption?" she said.

"What price do you put on an ABC devoted to serving the nation across its vast expanse and through a myriad of services, with quality and distinctiveness as a hallmark?"

Party room raises questions about program costs

Ms Guthrie told the press club that research commissioned by Deloitte Access Economics, to be released next month, showed the ABC contributed $1 billion to the economy last financial year.

"The actual amount that we have to spend on content is well below that $1 billion figure. The ABC's per capita funding has halved in real terms in 30 years," she said.

"This financial year, 92 per cent of the ABC's budget will be spent on making content."

Ninety-two per cent of the ABC's budget will be spent on making content, Ms Guthrie said. ( ABC News: Natasha Johnson )

Just before Ms Guthrie spoke in Melbourne, Coalition members and senators were again discussing the merits of the ABC in their weekly party room meeting in Canberra.

Some members raised concerns about the cost of certain programs, such as panel show Q&A, compared to weekly rural current affairs program Landline.

They wanted the ABC to publish how much each production costs, and the salaries of the broadcaster's highest-paid presenters.

In a consolidated media market the ABC was more "crucial than ever" in delivering Australian content, she said. ( ABC News: Natasha Johnson )

Ms Guthrie said the ABC's policy on disclosing salaries would not change, pointing out it was more transparent than commercial broadcasters and the public service.

She also defended her own stewardship of the organisation, pointing to innovations such as the $50 million Great Ideas Grant and the creation of an additional 80 jobs as proof of her leadership.

Veteran ABC Melbourne broadcaster Jon Faine, who previously criticised ABC management for not being vocal enough in its support of the organisation, called for more speeches from the managing director.

"We do not understand why you are so reluctant to do more of what you have just done today," he said.

"We need a public champion, not a managing director who hides from the media or from public engagement."

ABC News Breakfast host Michael Rowland asked about sustained attacks from The Australian newspaper on the ABC.

"Someone pointed out to me that [7.30 presenter] Leigh Sales has more Twitter followers than read The Australian, so I think we're OK," Ms Guthrie replied.

In an increasingly consolidated media market, Ms Guthrie said, the ABC was more crucial than ever for delivering Australian content.

"The real challenge is the Facebook, Netflix and Googles of this world who have so much more capacity to invest," she said.

She cited drama Mystery Road and Stargazing Live as two valuable programs that would not be delivered by a commercial organisation.

Audience will be 'punished' by cuts

Ms Guthrie said 30 years ago, the ABC had five platforms and 6,000 staff.

She said today it was operating 30 platforms and services with two-thirds the number of staff, and "half the real per capita funding".

She also questioned claims that the ABC should be able to easily accommodate the funding freeze imposed in the 2018 federal budget.

"It ignores the accumulation of efficiency takes by Canberra over the past four years and the fact that these efficiencies rob the ABC of its ability to finance new content and innovation," she said.

"This whittling away of our funding represents a real opportunity cost and, in the end, serves only to punish those audiences."

Fears ABC being worn down by Trump-style attacks

Matthew Ricketson, a communications professor at Deakin University, said Ms Guthrie's speech was strong.

"She was really more passionate and engaged than I have seen her in public before," Professor Ricketson said.

But he argued more could be done to defend the public broadcaster.

"I think there is a problem with the amount of noise that is coming against the ABC from sort of the usual suspects such as The Australian," he said.

"The noise can have a wearing effect. I mean, I think we're seeing that over in the United States with President Donald Trump and how he's trying to wear away at the [Robert] Mueller investigation [into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election].

"I'd be really worried if the same sort of thing might be happening here."

Privatisation will open the ABC to Rupert Murdoch

The ABC's former managing director, David Hill, told ABC Radio Melbourne that the threat of privatisation was real.

"This proposal from the national conference of the Liberal Party is — well I think it's whacky — but they're serious," he said.

"This was not some ratbag rant to the Liberal Party, this was the national conference where the vote was overwhelming.

"If they can get away with it, they'll do it."

Mr Hill was the managing director of the ABC between 1987 and 1995, and was at the helm of the public broadcaster when it ran its 8-cents-a-day campaign, which referred to how much the organisation was costing taxpayers.

He said the Liberal Party had always been hostile to the ABC.

"A commercialised privatised ABC ... Rupert Murdoch's going to run our national ABC television and radio," he said.

"They'll do it if they can."

The ABC contacted senior Liberal Party conservatives Tony Abbott and Eric Abetz for comment, as well as the president of the Young Liberals, Harry Stutchbury, who voted in favour of privatising the public broadcaster.

Communications Minister Mitch Fifield was also contacted, but he declined to comment.