What's New
BY Sarah Patterson April 26, 2024
What's New July 1, 2020
Petition to save ABC’s 7.45am news bulletin closes in on 12K signatures
The ABC recently axed its flagship 7.45am radio news bulletin as part of a new five-year strategic plan following budget cuts, but many thousands are unhappy with the decision.
The changes to the national broadcaster last week saw as many as 250 jobs cut across most areas, with 350 casual staff offered permanent positions, with managing director David Anderson confirming the 7.45am radio news bulletin would be replaced by a five-minute bulletin at 8:00am.
Now a change.org petition to save the bulletin is gathering momentum, with almost 12,000 signatures pushing to save the bulletin since the petition launched on June 25.
The 7.45am news bulletin has run for around 80 years and attracts around 430K listeners daily, and is known for beginning with the ABC’s iconic Majestic Fanfare.
“We’re battling a pandemic, a recession, social unrest, an evolving cold war, a US election and our own political shenanigans – we need more coverage not less,” said petition founder Brett de Hoedt, former 3AK broadcaster and host of The Hardest Word podcast.
The changes have been made following a budget freeze from the Morrison Government, leaving an $84 million shortfall. The petition points out that the savings “come at a great cost to the people who fund the ABC and we demand the decision is reversed.”
“Some people have started their day with the 7.45 bulletin their entire adult life – how many radio programs can claim that?” said de Hoedt.
“The saving is relatively measley. For the cost of a couple of houses we’re trashing a taxpayer-funded icon that keeps the citizens informed and the bastards honest.”
The embattled ABC recently paid out $12 million to over 1,900 underpaid current and former casual workers, and entered into an Enforceable Undertaking with the Fair Work Ombudsman.
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What's New
BY Sarah Patterson April 26, 2024
… why is it people who call themselves journalists suddenly claim that a program that has been losing listeners for years (Source: ABC Gaven Morris) and is now being canned is a “flagship” … most of the complaints have been about the loss of Majestic Fanfare rather than its content … but just wait, next we’ll have a claim for another pay rise from all the presenters/producers who have to find another fifteen minutes of content to fill their breakfast programs …
The Marxist controlled ABC is pretty clever.
About the only things that many Aussies do listen to on ABC, is the news (as apposed to the leftist slanted commentary that often follows)
So they axe the popular 7.45 AM news.
Got it. Smart move. Get a petition going.
Why not axe The Man in Blacks’ 4PM daily diatribe against Trump & anything faintly to the right?
What does that program cost us, the taxpayer? Ita, hello, what does it cost, tell us? Another ‘state secret’ we the great unwashed taxpayer funders of the ABC cannot be allowed to know…? Disgusting secrecy treating taxpayers like c**p.
(It’s $$ millions, I believe, with unbelievable high staff numbers for a show that basically interviews a couple of leftists around the world to support the hosts’ political viewpoint. All AT OUR EXPENSE..
But anyway, to end on a bright note, at least a few are getting the (golden, no doubt) shaft.
When ABC staff numbers are down to comparable commercial radio stats, I’ll take notice.
Long wait.
This is a complete waste of time. Consumers DO NOT need a lengthy radio news bulletin anymore, this has been superseded with the Internet, Twitter, Mobile devices etc etc etc Get with it you guys.
Extremely disappointing to see it go after 80 years. I (along with many friends) have listened to the 745 for years. Yes it was the flagship of ABC radio. It was the main reason for tuning in to ABC radio. Now that it’s gone so will my loyalty. I will be looking for another radio station. Cutting programs like this also means cutting listeners!