AT LEAST eight Tasmanian ABC staff will lose their jobs and state-based current affairs program 7.30 TAS will be axed as the national broadcaster absorbs a quarter of a billion dollars in funding cuts. The state's ABC branch has been instructed to shed more than 5 per cent of its 150-strong workforce, equating to eight or nine full-time workers. Apart from the ABC's flagship morning radio news bulletin, all hourly updates will be sliced from 10 minutes down to five. The last local bulletin will now air at 8pm. Across the country, more than 400 ABC employees are facing redundancy, with at least 300 to be given their marching orders by Christmas. Community and Public Sector Union spokeswoman Jessica Munday said Tasmanian ABC job cuts would span every department and platform. "Unfortunately or fortunately, though, cuts like closing television production departments and scaling back local sport coverage have already happened here, so we just didn't have as much to chop as other places," she said. Ms Munday said the loss of the 7.30 TAS - formerly known as Stateline and The 7.30 Report - was incredibly disappointing. "We deserve more than nationalised news being pumped to us in the place of local, regional Tasmanian stories," she said. Premier Will Hodgman said axing 7.30 TAS was regrettable, laying blame for the decision at the feet of ABC management. "My position on this is clear ... I've wanted to maintain strong, local content for the ABC here in Tasmania," he said. "You can't ignore the fact the federal government has its own budget mess to fix, and it's regrettable the ABC management have seen fit to make decisions that are going to impact on local content." Labor leader Bryan Green said axing the weekly current affairs program was a disgrace. "I just cannot understand why regional Australia is being penalised in the way it is ... it's been such a vital and important part of general commentary for our state," he said. Greens leader Kim Booth said losing the show dealt a bitter blow to democracy. "From a Tasmanian point of view what it means is that the Abbott government, in cohort no doubt with the Hodgman regime, are trying to suppress news and information getting out to the public," he said.
AT LEAST eight Tasmanian ABC staff will lose their jobs and state-based current affairs program 7.30 TAS will be axed as the national broadcaster absorbs a quarter of a billion dollars in funding cuts.
The state's ABC branch has been instructed to shed more than 5 per cent of its 150-strong workforce, equating to eight or nine full-time workers.
Apart from the ABC's flagship morning radio news bulletin, all hourly updates will be sliced from 10 minutes down to five. The last local bulletin will now air at 8pm.
Across the country, more than 400 ABC employees are facing redundancy, with at least 300 to be given their marching orders by Christmas.
Community and Public Sector Union spokeswoman Jessica Munday said Tasmanian ABC job cuts would span every department and platform.
"Unfortunately or fortunately, though, cuts like closing television production departments and scaling back local sport coverage have already happened here, so we just didn't have as much to chop as other places," she said.
Ms Munday said the loss of the 7.30 TAS - formerly known as Stateline and The 7.30 Report - was incredibly disappointing.
"We deserve more than nationalised news being pumped to us in the place of local, regional Tasmanian stories," she said.
Premier Will Hodgman said axing 7.30 TAS was regrettable, laying blame for the decision at the feet of ABC management.
"My position on this is clear ... I've wanted to maintain strong, local content for the ABC here in Tasmania," he said.
"You can't ignore the fact the federal government has its own budget mess to fix, and it's regrettable the ABC management have seen fit to make decisions that are going to impact on local content."
Labor leader Bryan Green said axing the weekly current affairs program was a disgrace.
"I just cannot understand why regional Australia is being penalised in the way it is ... it's been such a vital and important part of general commentary for our state," he said.
Greens leader Kim Booth said losing the show dealt a bitter blow to democracy.
"From a Tasmanian point of view what it means is that the Abbott government, in cohort no doubt with the Hodgman regime, are trying to suppress news and information getting out to the public," he said.
