ABC stung by softer news cycle as payouts hit home
By Calum Jaspan
ABC boss David Anderson’s pay packet went up 12 per cent in 2023, in a year when the public broadcaster’s redundancy costs ballooned and its total audience reach fell four per cent, according to its annual report.
The report, released on Friday afternoon, highlighted a dip in how many Australians were tuning into the ABC (television, radio and online), from 69.4 per cent in 2022 to 65.4 per cent.
The ABC’s audience declined in a challenging year.Credit: Christopher Pearce
The fall in reach was heavier across the broadcaster’s digital products, down 23 per cent, despite its new Five-Year Plan, which was published in June this year and emphasises a greater focus on digital products.
In total, the ABC reached 13,039,000 Australians via its online services, including iview, the ABC News website and the ABC listen app.
“Declines in weekly users year-on-year was primarily driven by growing news avoidance in a post-pandemic media environment and as people’s heavy need for news during the pandemic reduced, the ABC’s audience also reduced,” the broadcaster explained.
Total staff provisions at the ABC rose by nearly $22 million across the year, largely owing to significant redundancy costs, which occurred during a round of high-profile layoffs, including the broadcaster’s then-political editor Andrew Probyn in June.
Total employee financial provisions reached $176 million, the figure including leave, superannuation and redundancy costs.
Anderson’s total remuneration rose from $1,036,902 to $1,156,969, aided by a rise in base salary and other long-term employee benefits including long service leave. His salary is set by the public remuneration tribunal.
He was handed a second term as boss of the ABC by its board this year to help lead the broadcaster through its new long-term plan. Meanwhile, Ita Buttrose, who will leave the ABC after one term as its chair in March, saw her remuneration rise slightly from $205,631 to $211,297. The government is in the process of appointing a successor.
The ABC’s radio audience, including via digital channels, fell 7.7 per cent compared to 2021-22 figures to 4.97 million, while its five-city metro audience, listeners to local radio channels was down 15.2 per cent to 1.87 million. Listeners of Radio National fell 21.6 per cent to 529,000.
ABC Radio audiences in 2022-23.
ABC Radio is enacting the results from a review of its local operations.
The ABC’s listen app, its digital streaming platform for audio content, which provides access to live ABC Radio content and podcasts, fell 1 per cent to 452,000.
Its TikTok audience grew significantly, with 279 million total views on the platform.
ABC’s broadcast television also experienced a decline in total reach across metropolitan, regional and digital channels. The broadcaster said the dip was on the back of an ongoing trend of customers moving away from scheduled viewing, with Australians increasingly using both subscription video on demand (SVOD) and broadcast video on demand (BVOD) services.
ABC metropolitan TV audiences in 2022-23.Credit: ABC
Despite this, the ABC said it had outperformed many of its competitors dealing with similar challenges, with ABC iview ranked the number one BVOD service over the year. However, average weekly time spent on the ABC iview platform slipped by seven minutes on average to one hour and 28 minutes.
On social media, the ABC News YouTube channel grew its subscriber base by 11 per cent to 1.8 million, while it ranked as the second most popular Australian news account behind Daily Mail Australia.
On Friday afternoon, Anderson also updated staff on its long-awaited review into racism experienced by staff, sparked by the treatment of veteran broadcaster Stan Grant, who has since departed.
Anderson said the review will be led by Dr Terri Janke, a Wuthathi, Yadhaighana and Meriam woman and a lawyer, beginning immediately, with a view to publishing its findings in mid-2024.
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