We are former ABC employees and contracted media professionals who have helped to produce stories and programs for the ABC across all genres. We believe passionately in the need for a fearless, well-funded and independent public broadcaster as a vital part of Australian democracy.
Will this election bring the end of a taxpayer-funded ABC?
In the USA, the Trump administration has cut all federal funding for the Voice of America and is threatening to do the same for domestic public television (PBS) and radio (NPR).
Might a Dutton-led government do the same in Australia?
The Liberal Party’s National Council passed a motion in 2018 calling for the privatisation of the ABC. No one spoke against that motion, and it has never been rescinded.
News Corp Australia has renewed its decades-old attack, claiming the ABC is a waste of public money.
Peter Dutton has made clear that a government he leads will follow the customary coalition playbook: an ‘efficiency review’ (about the 14th since the year 2000) followed by yet more cuts to the ABC’s budget.
But might he go further? ABC Alumni has written to Mr Dutton asking him to guarantee that the funding model of the ABC won’t change under a government he leads. No subscriptions, no ads, no privatisation.
So far, we’ve received no reply.
Help us make the ABC’s survival a vital issue in the coming election. For more, visit our Election 25 page.
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April 19, 2025
The cohort of first time voters at this year’s Federal election have different ways of learning about the world than many of us. Generation Z’s media consumption habits are shaped by growing up with high-speed internet, smartphones and streaming media from an early age....
Read MoreApril 15, 2025
In this interview with Jonathan Holmes on 7am Podcasts broadcast on 15 April, Jonathan discusses on the Coalition’s plans for the ABC, and whether it’s possible to truly shield the national broadcaster from outside interference.
Read MoreMarch 29, 2025
The 2025 Budget announced on 25 March contains no new funding for the ABC.[1] The Budget did confirm commitments made by the Government and announced by Minister Rowland in December 2024 of extra funding of $85 million over two years, beginning in 2026-27.
Read More