Thread by @s_mitchell

At the start of last week, ABC restructuring led to a string of redundancies at Triple j.

I learned that in the aftermath, came resignations elsewhere.

In a single week, the ABC lost cohort of younger leaders, expect to drive change. What was going on?

thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/media/202…

Six months into the restructure, it seemed like a good time to take stock.

The new head of content, Chris Oliver-Taylor told me, of some of the younger women in leadership positions who had left staff, “I wish they were staying.”

The goals of this restructure include: expanding online reach and a new priority on younger audiences.

In any restructure, staff losses are to be expected. But these losses include people experienced and known to be passionate about both those goals, according to ABC sources.

I also learned that @AuntyDonnaBoys well-received ABC show would not be returning in 2024.

This is interesting because its commissioning is even heralded as savvy in the ABC’s own 2023 annual general report.

@AuntyDonnaBoys It says: “The team (@AuntyDonnaBoys) had a well-established social media brand, allowing for total socials views to exceed 20 million.”

@AuntyDonnaBoys Chris Oliver-Taylor admits that for the time being, the screen slate (television and iView) for 2024 skews slightly older than younger.

“We just have to make sure that we’re not putting all of our commissioning money into a younger-skewing audience that is not there yet…

@AuntyDonnaBoys …But conversely, if we’re not putting any of it there, they will never come.”

I also learned some shows developed for the 2024 television slate to get young people onto the iView platform were scrapped.

@AuntyDonnaBoys They included projects from Alexei Toliopoulos and Cameron James +Lewis Hobba and Michael Hing.

Instead, Shaun Micallef, who ended his show Mad as Hell just last year saying he wanted to make way for younger stars, will return to ABC TV in 2024.

@AuntyDonnaBoys All of this paints an interesting picture of the restructure at the ABC.

Are decisions being taken during this restructure, actually living up to the publicly stated goals?

@AuntyDonnaBoys Chris Oliver-Taylor is a definitive yes on that. But concedes that, with limited funds and ability to make drastic changes immediately, change has to be an iterative process of trying things.

“We just want to keep evolving.”

@AuntyDonnaBoys Speaking to many at the ABC, cautious optimism at the beginning of the restructure had turned for many.

After the last ten years of near constant restructure — there is cynicism.

New reporting lines, merging of divisions — in the past it’s led to little tangible improvement.

@AuntyDonnaBoys It’s too early to say whether this restructure will deliver.

But the politics are interesting. There are no fresh coalition govt cuts to draw public attention.

This ABC restructure and its wins and losses will rest with the current leadership at the public broadcaster.