The financial impact of an ABC funding freeze: $84 million.
A review of how the national broadcaster competes with commercial media: $200,000.
A small child asking politicians why her favourite ABC Me presenter just lost her job: Pricelesss.
Well, not really. It still cost $84 million – but you get the gist.
In the aftermath of that budget shortfall and projections of 250 job losses, Monday night’s Q+A saw young gun Matilda Drage ask Communications Minister Paul Fletcher why on-screen talent Pip Rasmussen is out of work.
The basic answer is that ABC funding will be stuck at 2018 levels for three years, leading up to what ABC managing director David Anderson called a “budget gap of $41 million per annum” in 2021-2022.
Those projected shortfalls have caused chaos at the national broadcaster. Redundancies set in last week, with Rasmussen and ABC Me’s entire Melbourne operation among the job losses.
ABC Life, which provides audiences readers with a relatable and diverse slate of content, is expected to rebrand and lose half its staff.
This brings us to young Matilda, who asked Fletcher, “Have you actually watched ABC Me? It is really good, and they should get the money they need. Thank you.”
“Matilda, there’s a thing called operational, editorial, and financial independence of ABC board and management,” Fletcher told the child.
What followed was essentially a pile-on, with the panel show’s guests, including former opposition leader Bill Shorten, questioning the decision to mess with funding levels.
That’s what you get when financial hardship sees the ABC meddle with the kids’ channel. Watch the exchange below:
Can Paul Fletcher explain to Matilda why some of the people who work at ABC Me have lost their jobs? #QandA pic.twitter.com/qTiwQavTx2
— QandA (@QandA) June 29, 2020
Rasmussen was pretty happy to hear from Matilda, for what it’s worth.
I’d love to send Matilda some stickers and cards to say thank you for the support and love for ABC ME on #qanda tonight! It’s a shame your question wasn’t really answered Matilda, but thank you for asking it 🧡 https://t.co/phHDrJXZpP
— radmuscles (@PipRasmussen) June 29, 2020
