ABC staff face significant job losses following budget cut, says managing director Mark Scott

Updated

There will be significant job losses at the ABC in the wake of a $250 million budget cut, the national broadcaster's boss has confirmed.

Managing director Mark Scott answered questions about the ABC's budget plans during a four-hour appearance before a senate estimates hearing in Canberra last night.

He will detail the number of redundancies during an all-staff address at 11:00am on Monday.

Mr Scott said he expected it to be a difficult day.

"I think it'll be hardest for our staff," Mr Scott told senators.

"Because our staff will learn on Monday that there will be significant job cuts at the ABC.

"As the Minister conceded yesterday there's no way of reaching these savings without significant job cuts. And they will have an impact across the country.

"But that's the reality we have to deal with."

Mr Scott told the committee he expected the organisation would become more efficient.

"I'm hopeful that as best as possible the audiences won't suffer from the cuts we have to make," Mr Scott said.

Adelaide studios under threat

Media Watch reported earlier this week that up to 500 jobs would go and the television production studios in Adelaide would close.

Mr Scott refused to provide further details but did not rule out shutting the South Australian television production studio.

"This is an issue that the Lewis report has focused on to tell us that we need to focus on this and that is something we will continue to do," Mr Scott said.

The ABC will seek to protect content wherever possible. ABC managing director Mark Scott

He said he did not know if any of the free-to-air commercial networks operate major television studios for internal production outside of Melbourne and Sydney.

"If you're trying to operate in a way that is efficient and effective you've got a look at how many studios you run," Mr Scott said.

Mr Scott refused to provide senators with the finer details about how the public broadcaster would find the savings.

"They do need to be finalised and we need to brief staff first," Mr Scott said.

"I will however note that the ABC will look to find efficiencies in our operations and support services to make the savings required.

"And the ABC will seek to protect content wherever possible."

Mr Scott also told the committee the organisation would look to "advance" the issue of it costing the ABC to broadcast on Foxtel.

"The ABC shouldn't have to pay to appear on Foxtel," Mr Scott said.

Mr Scott said the emergency broadcasting budget would not be cut.

Mr Scott also disputed allegations he had not replied to letters from Education Minister Christopher Pyne.

News Corp reports said Mr Scott had not replied to two letters from Mr Pyne arguing against cutting staff in Adelaide.

Mr Scott was asked last night about Mr Pyne's decision to launch an online petition to save ABC jobs in Adelaide.

"Senator I'm glad you raised that," Mr Scott said.

"I have noticed Mr Pyne's petition but I'm concerned by one of his comments.

"What Mr Pyne said was that he wrote to me, twice, and that he hasn't received a response.

"Well I'm happy to inform you and the committee that Mr Pyne did write to me on September the 4th and I responded to him on a letter dated on the 19th of September."

"It's either an issue in Mr Pyne's office or it's a question for Australia Post at an estimates hearing."

The committee's chair, Liberal Senator Anne Ruston, said the Minister maintained he had not received the correspondence.

"I've had a message from Mr Pyne who has been listening to these estimates," Senator Ruston said.

"He has said that he has had his office check all the correspondence in.

"He has not received a letter from yourself in relation to either of the correspondence he has sent to you."

Mr Scott promised to send Mr Pyne a copy of the reply.

First step on road to privatisation: Katter

The head of Katter's Australian Party said he had a bad feeling the government was taking the first step towards selling or privatising the ABC.

Bob Katter said he did not buy the Communication Minister Malcolm Turnbull's claims the cuts were necessary due to the budget deficit.

"No, I wouldn't put a shred of credibility in that statement," Mr Katter said.

"I respect Malcolm's intelligence but there are many other issues where I could react with extreme anger towards the ABC.

"But I am not backing them cause they are the good guys, I'm not backing them cause I love them, I'm backing them because they are the only guys out there that are not 100 per cent controlled by the corporations."

The ABC managing director also sparked a strong response from committee members when he made a comment at the hearing about Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull's understanding of Mr Scott's role as editor-in-chief.

"The Minister has clearly indicated that he is confused by how it operates," Mr Scott said.

That evoked a response from one of the senators: "Well I think that's going too far".

Mr Scott replied, "No, no, he said he wasn't quite sure what the editor-in-chief actually means".

The hearing then descended into confusion with committee members calling out to each other and was only brought back under control after Senator Ruston repeatedly called out "senators, senators, senators".

Once order was restored, Liberal frontbench senator Mitch Fifield, the Minister representing the Communications Minister, said Mr Turnbull and Mr Scott had made their comments "tongue-in-cheek".

Topics: abc, canberra-2600

First posted