The ABC has announced a significant restructure, cutting up to 200 jobs to create a $50 million Content Fund and new positions in regional areas.

Managing director Michelle Guthrie has announced the ABC will cut management positions by an average of 20 per cent across the organisation. Other positions will go as part of an attempt to reduce duplication in support roles.

Up to 200 staff will leave the ABC by June this year as a result of moves to reduce management, cut support roles and remove duplication, she said.

Money from the Content Fund, building to $15 million per year, will be used to pay for up to 80 new positions in regional areas, within 18 months. They will be aimed at increasing the ABC's digital and video output from rural and regional Australia.

Ms Guthrie said the Content Fund would be established using savings from staff reductions.

She said $20 million would be made available immediately, building to $50 million a year.

"The Fund enables us to respond with flexibility and speed to shifting audience trends and to extend our reach and engagement, especially with audiences who are infrequent ABC users," Ms Guthrie said.

"Transformational change over the next year is essential if the ABC is to realise its full potential. Change that strengthens the organisation, empowers our people and delivers long-term results for audiences.

"These changes are essential to the long-term health of the corporation, but I acknowledge that this is little comfort to those whose roles are impacted.

"We will work with unions and with affected staff. We will be open and move as quickly as possible to end the uncertainty in affected areas."

David Anderson has been appointed the new Director of ABC Television. Mr Anderson previously served as the director of corporate strategy and planning and has been with the organisation for 25 years.

The ABC will also undergo a major internal restructure, with the number of main divisions cut from 14 to nine.

'The ABC should be looking to decentralisation'

Regional Communications Minister Fiona Nash welcomed the commitment to regional content, but said the Government would be ensuring the ABC followed through on its plan.

"I certainly won't be taking a backwards step in watching what the ABC is doing, in terms of their commitment to regional communities," Senator Nash said.

"It's vitally important that they get a good deal, and that the ABC recognises how important regional people are right across this country."

Senator Nash said there was still room for improvement.

"51 per cent of the ABC employees are in Sydney, and I certainly believe that that's unacceptable," she said.

"The ABC should be looking to decentralisation — to move some of those jobs out into the regional areas, so we can have balanced coverage across the country."

Cuts 'bring ABC in line with new reality'

Sorry, this video has expired ABC cuts "the start of a journey"

Stuart Simson, chairman of media agency Switch Digital, said the ABC was merely facing up to the digital reality.

"We're seeing across the globe, would you believe, a billion hours — a billion hours a day of viewing on YouTube, [and] about a hundred million or so each, 100 million hours a day each, for Netflix and Facebook," he said.

The Community and Public Sector Union said it was waiting to see the detail to know if the ABC is heading in a direction that is sustainable and if it can deliver on the promises and commitments Ms Guthrie made.

"It's rather cliched to talk about the changing media landscape," Sinddy Ealy from the CPSU said.

"We've been hearing about that for over a decade and the reality is that workers adapt and change on a daily basis and in relation to ABC, if you look critically at how much restructure this organisation has undergone it's certainly changing.

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"Platforms change but the bottom line is that it's quality content that holds the ABC in good stead with the Australian community.

"That's what people want the ABC to provide."

The Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance said the announcement was "light on detail and short on specifics".

"MEAA will be looking to the ABC to consult with staff when more detail is made available," a statement said.