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ABC’s Insiders relocating to Canberra

End of an era for ABC Melbourne production which shfts to Canberra from July.

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Insiders is moving to Canberra after 21 years of filming in Melbourne.

Guardian Australia reports it will be filmed in Canberra’s Northbourne studio from July with savings in travel, given the vast majority of guests on the Sunday morning show are flown in and put up overnight.

Host David Speers recently moved back to Canberra from Melbourne, where he lived during his years for SKY News.

Deputy director of ABC news, Gaven Fang, said, “About 70% of the program’s regular panelists are based in Canberra and this change would allow us to be more flexible and responsive to news events.

“Insiders started in Melbourne more than 21 years ago and I know many people at Southbank have worked on the program or collaborated with the team – including me.

“Insiders is one of our most successful programs and we believe its future is best-served by taking it to the nation’s capital and home of the federal government, where the vast majority of our guests and panelists live and work.”

Executive producer Sam Clarke, will remain in Melbourne and fly to Canberra each week for the show while two ABC Melbourne production jobs may be impacted.

A spokesperson for ABC News said, “Canberra is where Australia’s big national decisions are made and where the decision-makers, and most of the Insiders guests and panelists, are based.

“It makes sense for the program to be there, too. It means we are much closer to the action of Parliament House, as well as the Press Gallery, the public service, the diplomatic corps and Defence.”

Insiders began in 2001 with host Barrie Cassidy with David Speers assuming hosting duties from 2020, after Fran Kelly & Annabel Crabb stints.

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  2. Even though Melbourne has archives, which includes the history from Rippolea, and I believe there is still correspondence and cooperation to Ultimo from Southbank in regards of archival content, the bureaucracy, particularly related to public broadcasting has moved, or has been retained over the years to Brisbane, Canberra and Sydney offices in the recent years.

    The Dickson offices in Canberra are much closer to the political action in Canberra, and Barton, where the press and press club are, as well as Canberra Airport where the press is on the lookout for politicians and celebrities.

    It’d also be good to see a revival of the election coverage at the exhibition park there in the future, as it was a meeting place for the media, political pundits or fans during elections. The atmosphere was always congenial and never hostile, despite how politics can get sometimes, and it was a relief when everyone got together after the campaigns.

  3. I like it’s made in Melbourne as a bunch of their news and current affair programming is based mainly in Sydney and Canberra

    Oh well

  4. This sounds like a good move that saves the ABC money without negativley impacting the program. I am sorry to hear that two production jobs in Melbourne may be impacted. I hope the ABC can redeploy the impacted emoloyees to new roles.

    1. As many production jobs at the ABC are now performed by casuals, this will affect a few casuals as well as the identified 2 existing production positions.
      Is Studio 11 at Nortbourne Ave suited, large enough? As Studio 12 at Parliament House would not be large enough barely fitting the newsdesk that is there now.

      1. Job losses are never a good thing, especially in the news industry, which has already been cut well into the bone. While I still don’t blame the ABC for wanting to make this move, it sounds like it might not be quite as positive as I thought.

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