ABC budget cuts: protesters turn out in Melbourne to rally against slashed funding

Updated

About 2,000 people have turned out at Melbourne's Federation Square to protest against the Federal Government's ABC funding cut.

It is one in a series of public demonstrations scheduled to take place across the country in response to the decision to cut $254 million from the broadcaster's funding over the next five years.

On Saturday people gathered at Sydney's Town Hall to protest against government funding cuts to Australia's public broadcasters.

ABC managing director Mark Scott has indicated the cuts will lead to significant job losses and he is expected to reveal the details to staff around the country on Monday.

But the Government said the ABC should be able to find savings by implementing back-office efficiencies that would not affect programming.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten told the crowd the ABC was part of Australia's soul.

"Our national Government is attacking our national voice," he said.

"This is not a Government of competition, this is a Government of censorship.

"This is a Government of savages, ripping at the heart of our national institution.

"When we hear the ABC signature theme, we know a guarantee of trust, radio and television, on the hour and every evening.

"Over the years, much has changed in Australian life but the work of our ABC continues to be as important as it has ever been.

"We are in a fight to support the ABC in every city and every town, in every street and every house."

ABC, SBS speak to us without fear or favour: Corinne Grant

Comedian Corinne Grant said gutting the national broadcaster was against everything Australians stood for.

"It is our money that funds the ABC. They are our stories the ABC reflects," she said.

"It is our right to be included in the conversation about the future of the ABC.

"The ABC and SBS celebrate our diversity and entertain and educate our children, thrill us and inform us, and most importantly speak to us without fear or favour.

"This government is trying to diminish the ability of its citizens to be truly informed by an independent and free media.

"Hands off our ABC."

Greens MP Adam Bandt said the strong crowd showed Australians wanted to keep the ABC and SBS.

"In other countries they actually like their national broadcaster. Their governments get behind it and support it," he said.

"The British government knows ... the BBC ... is vital for a functioning democracy.

"We know that in a country the size of Australia ... that if we left everything up to the market there would be people in this country that would never find out what was going on."

He said the Abbott Government needed to know that not all media is about "turning a buck".

"It is in the public interest that we have a public broadcaster that will reflect the true spirit of Australia and will hold politicians true invested interests to account," Mr Bandt said.

Topics: federal-government, budget, abc, journalism, melbourne-3000, vic, australia

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