Guthrie targets ABC middle management
Savings of up to $50m to be reinvested back into programming, in ABC management restructure.
- Published by David Knox
- on
- Filed under News
Michelle Guthrie is set to take the axe to middle management at ABC.
The new managing director is expected to hit staffing levels in areas such as the ABC’s finance, property and information technology departments, radio, news and television divisions.
Savings of up to $50m could be reinvested back into programming, Fairfax reports.
Guthrie’s plan will be presented to the ABC board for final approval next week, with an official announcement scheduled for next month.
Senior departures recently have included director of television Richard Finlayson, chief operating officer David Pendleton, director of digital networks Angela Clark and the head of ABC international Lynley Marshall.
There has been talk of a chief content officer to oversee all news, television and radio content, which would would demote traditionally powerful division heads. But Fairfax suggests this idea has been shelved for now.
TV Tonight understands David Anderson is the likely successor to Richard Finlayson as Director of TV. An official announcement is yet to be made.
5 Responses
ABC middle management, otherwise known inside the ABC as Program Prevention Officers. They should have been shown the door decades ago. Sometimes you could count upwards of 7 or 8 levels of line management from the MD down for an ordinary program maker in the past there. Ideally should be down to 3 or 4 levels of line management.
The guy that approved the second series of Glitch and The Code should be the first to go.
Not a guy. And there has already been a change heading up ABC drama.
Well hopefully the ‘person’ who replaced them doesn’t think programs like Glitch and The Code are good, with their insufferable shakey cam and revolting over desaturation!
Glitch has been well received, including internationally via Netflix. But everyone is entitled to an opinion.