ABC finalises deal with Google, closes in on Facebook.

ABC has confirmed a deal with Google and is close to finalising another with Facebook.

Speaking yesterday at Charles Sturt University, managing director David Anderson said, “I am pleased to announce today that we have just finalised a multi-year agreement that will see ABC content on the Google News Showcase.

“Negotiations with Facebook are well advanced and I am hopeful that we will be able to finalise an agreement with that platform by the end of the month. These agreements will provide a significant boost to our services in regional Australia.

“As you would expect, we are giving careful thought to development and rollout of this reinvestment, to ensure that resources go to the areas where they are needed most, and where they can have the most impact.

“Over the next 12 months, we will be running a series of pilots and experiments to inform our longer-term decision-making,” he continued.

“We will be announcing more details of the ABC’s planned reinvestment in regional services in coming weeks.

“What I can say today is that when both deals have been completed, and assuming our current levels of funding continue into the next triennium, we expect we will create dozens of new positions across rural and regional Australia.”