Budget 2025: What it means for the ABC

Posted on March 29, 2025 by Peter Marks

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. ABC PBS, p. 99 Detail of annual allocations in the ABC’s Portfolio Budget Statement (PBS) shows: actual funding for 2024-25 ($989 million) allocation for 2025-26 and “forward estimates” for future years to 2028-29. In 2025-26 the ABC wi...

Following the money: An Analysis of ABC Funding

Posted on March 12, 2025 by Peter Marks

"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...

Vale Julie Copeland – RN Arts pioneer

Posted on March 8, 2025 by Peter Marks

Much-loved Melbourne based ABC radio broadcaster Julie Copeland died early this year and will be farewelled at a celebration in St Kilda later in March.Julie had come to the ABC from commercial radio but had a global view of the arts that only ABC Radio Two (as RN was called back then) could properly host. "Arts National", "Arts Talk", "Sunday Morning Arts", but I met her as a young radio panel operator (ROPO) when she was presenting the book program "First Edition". My memories are fond. She w...