In its 2026 pre=budget submission to Federal Treasury,  ABC Alumni argues that, to ensure the ABC can meet its legislated policy role, the following budget actions should be taken:

• Additional ABC funding for emergency media services
• Additional ABC funding to extend regional and local media
• Adjust the formula and increase the rate of indexation applied to ABC operational funding
• Extend international media funding for the ABC at a rate of $20 million annually, plus indexation.

As the Australian Parliament tables legislation to require streaming services to expend a percentage of their revenue on original Australian content, ABC Alumni Chair, Dr Michael Ward, and Director, Sandra Levy, unpack the cost to Australians of accessing quality original Australian programs behind their paywalls. They present a compelling argument for increased funding for quality Australian content available on ABC and SBS free-to-air streaming platforms, and for increasing Screen Australia's capacity to invest.

Did a targeted social media campaign run on peanuts help secure a safer future for our ABC?

The ABC Alumni is but a tiny speck of people compared with our allies, the mighty Friends of the ABC. We are around 200 people who’ve worked at or with the ABC as journos, producers, techs, execs, film-makers and digital creatives, so we are at least good at ferreting out the root of a problem, making content and meeting a deadline (on crumbs).

Late last year, with the Federal election looming dateless, in the shadow of Trump’s attack on public broadcasting, accountability and facts, and Peter Dutton parroting much of his cant, the ABC Alumni Board decided the problem might be Dutton getting in, and we started hammering out an election campaign. We communicated closely with ABC Friends throughout, sharing data, ideas and strategies between us..

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.

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.

"The ABC is an investment in Australia's future because a revitalised ABC will be a source of great national strength" Kim Williams, Chair ABC, 20 June 2024.

Australians trust and value the ABC. The need for a strong and effective source of Australian news and Australian stories has never been greater.

When Australians needed it most, the ABC suffered a decade of damage: its funding was heavily cut, its ability to operate at a time of rising costs destroyed and its independence and integrity threatened and undermined.

News Corp’s tabloid papers published a vicious attack on the ABC on Friday 14, and another on Saturday 15 February. .  Their content has been endlessly regurgitated on Sky News.

On the same day, 17 December 2024, the government has given the ABC some more money and promised to look at a new law to safeguard its independence. And the ABC Board has announced its choice for a new managing director: former CEO of Nine Entertainment Hugh Marks.

A plethora of Christmas presents, all of which ABC Alumni broadly welcomes – though in the case of the government’s decisions, with reservations.

Dr Michael Ward of the University of Sydney, a former senior ABC executive, has been poring over the figures.

In this disturbing article for ABC Alumni, he confirms what we’ve all suspected.  First release, non-news and current affairs screen content on the ABC’s main TV channel has dropped by 40% in ten years, and on all ABC platforms by around 20%.

If you’re looking for evidence that the ABC desperately needs its funding restored, THIS IS IT!