During the ABC broadcast, Lawrence Mooney uses his quiz show host skills to ask questions, this one is about himself.

How much does Lawrence Mooney get paid?

THE ABC's coverage of the New Year's Eve celebrations has been slammed as a "train wreck" amid a barrage of complaints about tasteless jokes, the lampooning of public figures and claims some on the show appeared to be affected by alcohol.

The three-and-a-half hour telecast leading up to the midnight fireworks was littered with references to penises, vomit and offensive comments about Prime Minister Tony Abbott, numerous other Australian politicians, the Pope and even the Duchess of Cambridge.

Last night's broadcast on @ABCTV of Sydney's NYE fireworks dubbed a "train wreck" and "diabolical". Very poor. http://t.co/tgjWPxexuH — Barry Walmsley (@bnwalmsley) December 31, 2013

In a segment reviewing events of 2013 references were made about Mr Abbott having

"duck feet" and "cocktail frankfurts" as a photo was displayed of the PM wearing budgie smugglers on the beach.

Julia Gillard, Kevin Rudd, Simon Crean, Wayne Swan and Scott Morrison also came in for treatment during the politically-loaded broadcast from Lord Mayor Clover Moore's New Year's Eve party on the Opera House forecourt.

I'm going to be blunt about @ABCTV's #NYE coverage - Some people need to be pulled over coals for drinking on air. Not professional at all. — Kate Doak (@katedoak) December 31, 2013

At one stage in a discussion featuring Chaser stars Chas Licciardello and Andrew Hansen, Channel Nine personality Richard Wilkins was compared to a block of wood.

Compere Stephanie Brantz had to warn her co-host Lawrence Mooney that the show was "moving into inappropriate land" and later indicated she was trying to steer the coverage back on to safer ground.

When Mooney asked Brantz if he was going to get a "cheeky pash" from her at midnight she rebuffed him with a firm "No".

Jeez @ABCTV you could have given us something more entertaining on NYE. Like the test pattern. — Neil Watt (@neil_watt) December 31, 2013

Roving reporter Kayne Tremills also requested a "pash" from a female reveller and at one stage asked a child in the crowd: "Is your bum tired?"

The insensitive coverage drew a large number of complaints to The Daily Telegraph, to Radio 2GB and online from shocked and outraged viewers.

One viewer said she had watched the "first ever politically biased presentation of our fireworks".

The Twittersphere also lit up with angry comments such as, "If the ABC hosts New Year's Eve again this year it will be the last New Year's Eve I ever see, I think."

Another said: "ABC coverage of Sydney New Year's Eve absolutely diabolical! Bring back channel 9, 7or 10! One song every hour and crap commentary _ just awful."

Was in other room and thought the TV had broken listening the din coming from @ABCTV. What time did they all get on it? November? #nye — NeilMcMahon (@NeilMcMahon) December 31, 2013

I vote @SBS or @tvsn get the Sydney New Years fireworks broadcast next year... Surely would do a better job than @ABCTV #NYE #sydnye — Nathan Taylor (@NateTaylor87) December 31, 2013

@JulianWalmsley @choox75 "train wreck"? How about the worst outside broadcast I have watched in my entire life. Did we pay for that crap? — Kay Innes (@InnesKay) January 1, 2014

@JulianWalmsley @wallrad The biggest problem is that ABC on air 'personalities' actually don't have any. — Ross Martin (@RossMartin1960) January 1, 2014

I am not drunk, but this #ABC1 coverage has become surreal. People jumping on the couch, discussing the sobriety of a purple muppet. #NYESYD — Susan Bee (@subege) December 31, 2013

One complainant described the show as "just sicko garbage".

"It ruined the night for those who could not make it out to a vantage point.

"Dumb, sexist, political and shallow … like we are all bogons if we want to have fun on this night …"

There was even a joke about drink drivers avoiding police by using backstreets to get home.

A spokeswoman for Radio 2GB said callers to the station's breakfast program

"went berserk" and many others rang the overnight program to express their displeasure. Some said they had switched off their TV in disgust.

Liberal Senator Cory Bernardi was not surprised by the broadcast controversy, saying the ABC had long been a "cause of concern".

"I have said before that the ABC appears to be a law unto itself and at some point we've got to start reflecting on the conduct of the national broadcaster," Sen Bernardi said.

The ABC, which had exclusive rights to broadcast the celebrations, said the midnight fireworks achieved a five city metropolitan audience of 1.3 million (53 per cent share) on ABC1.

In Sydney the midnight fireworks drew 666,000 viewers (77 per cent share).

During prime-time last night ABC1 was the number one channel in the combined metro markets with a share of 19 per cent and in Sydney with a share of 26 per cent, the spokeswoman said.