The repositioning efforts are aimed at financing the development of new programming at the ABC, under changes set to be further announced by the new managing director, Hugh Marks.
Marks, aboard the ABC since March, is planning to present his inaugural set of structural reforms, which are expected to affect at least 80 staff members.
“Q+A was indeed a visionary program that made a remarkable impact on Australian society,” according to Justin Stevens, the ABC’s director of news.
“We take immense pride in the legacy and achievements of Q+A. The team excelled, especially during the recent federal election. The cancellation does not cast any reflection on the show’s participants.
As presenter of Q+A, Patricia Karvelas—who continues her tenure with the ABC—has expressed appreciation for the audience members who contributed to the program’s success on Monday evenings.
Stevens confirmed that redundancies will occur without specifying the exact number of job losses.
The funds from the Q+A cancellation will be reinvested in projects including “Your Say,” a successful audience engagement initiative, as well as news documentaries similar to “Killing Season” and “Nemesis,” Stevens stated.
Karvelas, in addition to her role on “Afternoon Briefing” and the “Politics Now” podcast, will be featured more frequently in upcoming episodes of “Four Corners,” as time allows.
Discussions of a restructuring within the ABC began when staff were informed of impending cuts by the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance. The organization had indicated to ABC members that some were being invited to meetings discussing a restructuring.
Among the changes, the Innovation Lab, established in 2018 to explore future-focused content and technology, is to be discontinued. The team, reportedly around ten members, has been offered the choice between voluntary redundancy or entry into a redundancy pool in an effort to retain their employment within the company.
Other divisions, including Radio National teams in Brisbane, Adelaide, and Victoria, have also reported being called into meetings, signaling a larger strategic revision within the ABC.
