Bush Telegraph will end after Christmas, the show has confirmed.
Can confirm that we at @RNBushTele have been cut. Thanks for your thoughts. We will keep going until Christmas #ABCcuts
— RN Bush Telegraph (@RNBushTele) November 23, 2014
Not everyone is against the cuts. Louise Evans, the former manager of Radio National, says there is definitely fat to be cut.
Writing in Fairfax papers this morning, Evans says she was “shocked by the culture, waste, duplication and lax workplace practices exercised in some pockets” when she began at the station.
It’s a harsh assessment that pulls no punches, but is worth a read.
Here’s a snippet from Evans, talking about RN staff.
They didn’t have a 9-5 mentality. They had a 10-3 mentality. They planned their work day around their afternoon yoga class. They wore thongs and shorts to work, occasionally had a snooze on the couch after lunch and popped out to Paddy’s Market to buy fresh produce for dinner before going home.
They were like free-range chickens, wandering around at will, pecking at this and that, content that laying one egg constituted a hard day’s work.
The meetings some staff have been called to this morning (prior to the 11am announcement) are to inform individuals who will be affected by the cuts before it is made public.
The Community and Public Sector Union has contacted its members and given advice to those who may be impacted:
- If you are called to such a meeting, you are under no obligation to accept without representation, whether that be by a union organiser, delegate or member, or another person of your choice. Should you wish to postpone the meeting until such representation is available, you have the right under your agreement to do so.
- We understand that staff so impacted may want to hear the news sooner rather than later. Please be aware that these meetings are a formality by ABC management – there is no obligation on individuals to react, respond, or make decisions based on the content of such meetings until the formal consultation is complete and a process mutually agreed upon.
Bush Telegraph axed
The Bush Telegraph program on Radio National, which focuses on regional and rural news, is the first casualty of budget cuts revealed this morning.
I can confirm that @RNBushTele has been axed this morning.My husband @williereid is/was the executive producer.My best to the team #abccuts
— Zoe Daniel (@zdaniel) November 23, 2014
Looks like Bush Telegraph on ABC Radio National will be cut. Staff informed this AM - 4 jobs. Great show giving rural issues a voice.
— Will Ockenden (@will_ock) November 23, 2014
Good morning.
ABC staff have been called in to early morning meetings today ahead of an all-staff briefing at 11am. It’s expected a large number of staff will lose their job, and some regional radio services will be severely downsized or cut.
Last week communications minister Malcolm Turnbull announced budget cuts to both the ABS and SBS of $254m and $53m over five years, respectively.
I’ll be bringing you updates as they come through as well as pointing to some of the commentary that’s around about these cuts to the national broadcasters.
Below is from Guardian Australia’s media correspondent, Amanda Meade. Read her full report here.
Scott is expected to outline sweeping changes to the ABC, including moving resources from television and radio into online and mobile services and stripping the public broadcaster of much of its internal production capacity.
A significant number of staff from ABC 1233 Newcastle received emails on Friday, leading to fears programs from regional radio stations will be networked from the capital city.
Program makers from Radio National’s features unit and staff from Encounter, Bush Telegraph, Books and Arts Daily and Classic FM staff were all told to meet their managers at human resources at 8am.
