Culture

Today Is Not Going To Be A Good Day For The ABC

Not good news for Aunty.

by Alex McKinnon  24 November 2014

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The government’s controversial cuts to the ABC are due to really start biting today, when ABC Managing Director Mark Scott addresses staff at 11am. According to the Guardian, dozens of ABC staff members are being called into private early-morning meetings, where they will likely be given the news that they are losing their jobs.

Over the weekend thousands rallied in Australia’s capital cities to protest the ABC cuts, alongside senior Opposition politicians Bill Shorten, Tanya Plibersek and Jason Clare, Greens Parliamentarians Adam Bandt and Scott Ludlam, and media personalities including Quentin Dempster and Corinne Grant.

At the Sydney rally on Saturday, 7:30 NSW anchor Quentin Dempster fired up at the cuts, labelling Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull a “bullshit artist” and claiming the cuts are ideologically driven by the ABC’s Murdoch critics.

“I appeal to members of the Liberal Party of Australia and the National Party to think carefully about the power play now apparent in what is a Rupert Murdoch-directed ideological attack on the public broadcasters of this country. If you get into bed with Murdoch in the hope of tactical advantage in the adversarial game of politics you will sell your souls.

“When the tide turns he will dump you in the gutter and laugh at your gullibility. Memoirs from fallen political leaders, double-crossed business partners and pubs full of sacked editors attest to his ruthlessness, unethical culture and expediency,” Dempster said.

Earlier today, people began tweeting out messages of support to ABC staff members in anticipation of the announcement of job losses.

Some ABC staff members have already begun announcing they have lost their jobs.

We’ll bring you more throughout the day.

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Feature image via Hands Off Our ABC/Facebook.