Brian Burston (NSW, United Australia Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Communications and the Arts, Senator Fifield. Can the minister advise what percentage of the ABC budget has been allocated to regional broadcasting?

Mitch Fifield (Victoria, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you for the question. I'm advised the ABC estimates that currently over one-third of its total annual budget is invested in services to regional Australia. This expenditure includes content, transmission and other infrastructure costs. It may also be of interest to Senator Burston that ABC regional local radio is broadcast from 48 locations across Australia. The ABC also advises that it has what it believes to be the largest dedicated rural reporting workforce in the world. In addition, in 2017-18 the ABC added 80 new regional jobs through the Connecting Communities package, which supports audience and content initiatives across the organisation.