That’s what the BBC do with different LCNs on DVB-T. Basically just shifting from a static “closed” slide to full programming and swapping the bandwidth utilistation from one LCN to the other.
ABC Kids does this currently on their iView app stream showing a “closed slide” after 7:30pm.
ABC Managing Director Hugh Marks has announced the appointment of Kelly Williams to the role of Director First Nations Strategy.
Kelly, a Bundjalung woman from Northern NSW, is the first Indigenous woman to join the ABC Leadership Team. She has worked at the ABC for more than 36 years and is passionate about creating pathways to senior management and editorial roles for Indigenous and diverse employees.
Previously, Head of Indigenous, Diversity & Inclusion, Kelly has co-ordinated the ABC’s last three Reconciliation Action Plans and the 2023-2026 Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Plan and lead the strategic partnerships between the ABC and First Nations Media Australia and First Languages Australia.
She was appointed Acting Director last October and her responsibilities include developing the plan to implement actions in response to Dr Terri Janke’s Listen Loudly, Act Strongly report.
Kelly Williams: “There are many people who have contributed to the development of this important role of Director First Nations Strategy.
“I am passionate about continuing that contribution and am excited to be working with Hugh and the Leadership Team to deliver the ‘Listen Loudly, Act Strongly’ implementation plan.
“This will include a strong and ambitious Indigenous Employment Strategy for the ABC that delivers well defined and supported career pathways to senior management and editorial roles for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees.”
Hugh Marks: “Kelly has made a huge contribution to the ABC over more than three decades and will be a valuable voice on its Leadership Team.
“She will play a key role continuing to build on the significant change underway at the ABC to improve our workplaces and fully represent the Australian community.”
“I look forward to working with Kelly in realising her ambition to deliver real and lasting outcomes from her work.”
The simplest and most effective solution would be to revert ABC Kids to a format similar to that of the Fly TV era.
Programming could be structured as follows:
ABC Education could air during mid-mornings on weekdays and weekends, tailored to each state’s curriculum—particularly during school terms—to support classroom and at-home learning.
Additionally, merge ABC Family and ABC Entertains into a single channel under a new brand, such as ABC+. This channel’s scope could be expanded to include:
This reconfiguration would modernise the ABC’s content delivery while retaining clear audience segmentation across age groups and interests.
A few things.
This kind of sounds like AI… not to sound accusatory or anything just my two cents. If it’s not, exquisite English writing.
Yes, I’m aware that introducing new brands would require the development of new graphics packages—a standard and expected aspect of any rebranding effort.
This concept is ultimately about thinking outside the box—exploring fresh, innovative ways to restructure and deliver ABC content in a way that better reflects audience needs and viewing habits.
ABC+ would ideally offer a comparable number of news bulletins to the ABC’s main channel. However, while ABC’s primary channel focuses on national bulletins, ABC+ would deliver state-based editions, providing a stronger local focus that reflects the news and interests of each community more directly.
As I’ve mentioned previously, I use AI to help refine and structure my posts for clarity and cohesion.
Did not realise this. All good.
The ABC can and should do live sport on TV. It gave up rights to state level football codes and Australian Women’s Open golf) a decade ago because of funding cuts under the Liberal federal government. Now with Labor in its second term and a stabilised funding arrangement, the ABC should start looking for opportunities at televising lower level sports once again.
and to be honest, Family and Kids kinda work well together imo - allows for consistent programming, and a flow-on after the Kids audience goes to bed
I think Entertains needs to be looked at…
I think that an ABC Me market needs to be looked at somewhere.
Entertains needed to reinstate that morning block of ME shows tells me something IMO.
i reckon a clean cut, like CBBC/BBC Three might work
so do ABC Me until like 8pm, and then move it over to a young adult-skewing channel
Honestly? Clean cut it as ABC Me 5am-8pm, and do something like jTV. Use your younger skewing demo of triple j.
The ABC and the Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC) are pleased to announce Dylan Nicholls as the recipient of the Indigenous Documentary Placement for 2025.
The annual placement provides emerging filmmakers with an opportunity to develop their craft within the ABC’s Factual and Indigenous teams. Dylan will spend four months based at the ABC in Sydney starting next month, furthering his skills in documentary and factual development and production.
Dylan Nicholls said: “I’m so grateful to have this opportunity to develop my skills, experience and networks further as a documentary filmmaker at the ABC. I’m really looking forward to joining the ABC Indigenous team for this four-month placement and hoping I can bring something to the table with my skill set.”
Dylan is an emerging filmmaker who was a recipient of the inaugural First Nations Netflix Scholarship in 2023 to undertake a Master of Arts Screen: Documentary at the Australian Film Television & Radio School (AFTRS). During his time at AFTRS, Dylan directed and produced three short films: One in a Million (2023), currently screening on DocPlay; Echoes of Dissent (2025), which premiered at Flickerfest International Short Film Festival and Bringing His Spirit Home, which is set to premiere at the 2025 Sydney Film Festival where it is shortlisted for the First Nations Award.
Past participants in the ABC-AIDC program include filmmaker Daniel King, Ngarluma writer and director Perun Bonser, and cinematographer Anna-Marie Harding.
ABC TV Head of Indigenous Kelrick Martin said: “We are overjoyed with the number and quality of applications for the Indigenous Documentary Placement this year. Dylan will be embedded within ABC Indigenous and gain valuable insights into how ABC creates its factual programming for Australian audiences. He’s in for an experience few get to be part of – we can’t wait to have him join us!”
AIDC CEO and Creative Director, Natasha Gadd, said: "Congratulations to Dylan on being selected for this year’s Indigenous Documentary Placement! AIDC is committed to supporting First Nations filmmakers to sharpen craft, build new industry connections, and find new pathways to tell stories, and is proud to co-present the fourth edition of the Indigenous Documentary Placement with the ABC. We’ve been tracking the impressive work of previous recipients Daniel King, Perun Bonser, and Anna-Marie Harding, and we’re looking forward to what Dylan will bring to the ABC Indigenous team, as well as the new skills and career opportunities he will take away from the experience.”
Learn more about AIDC at www.aidc.com.au
ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) International welcomed media leaders for the Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union’s (ABU) 119th Administrative Council meeting, held on 8 and 9 May in Sydney.
The ABU is the world’s largest broadcasting union, and its members cover more than half of the world’s population in nearly 70 countries. The ABC is a founding member of the ABU and was elected to the organisation’s peak decision-making body, the 18-member Administrative Council, in 2022.
Alongside ABU Secretary General Ahmed Nadeem, ABC International leadership hosted leaders from Korean Broadcasting System (KBS), Nippon Hoso Kyokai, Japan (NHK), MTV Channel (Pvt) Limited, Sri Lanka, Vanuatu Broadcasting and Television Corporation (VBTC), Prasar Bharati, India (PB), Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI), Radio Television Malaysia (RTM), Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK), Teledifusao de Macau, S.A. (TDM), Television Broadcasts Limited, Hong Kong, China (TVB), Radio and Television of the People’s Republic of China (RTPRC), Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) and The Voice of Vietnam (VOV) for high-level discussions about the ABU’s finances, administration and policies.
ABC International Head Claire M. Gorman said: “It is a great honour and responsibility to be part of the Administrative Council and to host this year’s meeting. We thank the ABU and its members for this opportunity to meet and discuss how we can strengthen regional co-operation and work collaboratively as media and broadcasters in our countries and internationally.”
ABC Managing Director Hugh Marks also met with delegates during the two-day conference and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS), endorsing the commitment of the two public broadcasters to collaborate and partner across future endeavours.
ABC Managing Director Hugh Marks said: “South Korea is a cultural powerhouse and its public broadcaster KBS is a leading provider of high-quality content across its varied platforms. It is important for the ABC to work closely with our regional partners, in particular public service media organisations, and to look for ongoing opportunities to exchange content and information to improve our respective services and audience offerings.
“The ABC also congratulates KBS for the Korean parliament’s recent legislating of an integrated licence fee which will ensure KBS’ ongoing financial stability and the provision of its essential services.”
With Labor now back in a second term of govt with a thumping majority, the time is ripe in the next budget to give ABC additional funding for digital radio expansion into Newcastle, Central Coast and Wollongong over the next 3 years. This also includes funding for SBS to also roll out digital radio to these 3 markets.
This will help to reduce the digital divide in NSW’s second, third and fourth largest cities.
Also the sunshine coast which is pretty much an extension of Brisbane now
ABC Commercial secures a milestone sale of Ready, Steady, Wiggle! to Malaysia’s RTM
ABC Commercial is thrilled to announce the sale of Ready, Steady, Wiggle! into the Asian market, with Malaysia’s national broadcaster, Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM), acquiring Series 4-7 of the hit children’s program.
This landmark deal marks a significant step for The Wiggles, expanding the reach of Australia’s most iconic children’s brand to a growing audience in Asia. The agreement aligns with ABC Commercial’s broader strategy to establish The Wiggles as a household name in the region, tapping into the increasing demand for high-quality preschool content.
The Wiggles’ expansion into Asia follows their immense success in Australia, North America, and the UK, reinforcing both ABC Commercial’s extensive distribution network and the global appeal of The Wiggles’ engaging, music-driven television entertainment.
The sale to RTM will offer audiences in the region the opportunity to build a strong cultural connection to The Wiggles – with the group’s diverse lineup (including John Pearce, the Purple Wiggle, who is Asian heritage) enhancing relatability for young audiences.
ABC Commercial believes this is the perfect moment to introduce the new lineup to Asia. “There is a growing demand for premium children’s content, with broadcasters increasingly seeking engaging, trusted brands that provide safe, high-quality entertainment for families” said Alex Zhou, ABC Commercial’s Content Sales Manager for Asia & MENA, “The Wiggles globally recognised and trusted brand has entertained pre-schoolers for over three decades with its fun, educational approach. Their catchy songs, interactive storytelling, and positive messaging make learning enjoyable while helping children develop key skills in language, movement, and social interaction. The post-pandemic content boom has further amplified the demand for safe and educational entertainment, making this an ideal time to introduce The Wiggles to Malaysian families.”
Luke O’Neill, CEO of The Wiggles , said: “This partnership is a significant milestone in The Wiggles’ international growth strategy. We’re incredibly excited to work with RTM and ABC Commercial to bring our world-class preschool content to new audiences in Asia. With a strong, diverse cast and a universal message of positivity and early learning, The Wiggles are uniquely positioned to connect with children and families across the region.”
Anthony Field, Founding member and Blue Wiggle comments, “We’re thrilled to be sharing The Wiggles’ content with even more families in Asia. Our songs are all about joy, learning, and inclusiveness, and it’s wonderful to know that children from so many different cultures will now have the chance to sing, dance, and learn with us. This is a proud moment in our journey.”
The program will be available in the English language on RTM’s free-to-air channel, maximising visibility and engagement, and laying the groundwork for future collaborations and content expansions in the region. While the release date is still to be confirmed, it is anticipated that the launch will be scheduled for later in 2025.
This milestone sale to RTM not only paves the way for future collaborations and expansion opportunities in Asia, but also strengthens The Wiggles’ position as a top pre-school program worldwide. With successful launches in South Korea, Taiwan and now Malaysia, ABC Commercial is excited to continue growing The Wiggles’ footprint in Asia and looks forward to announcing more partnerships in the near future.
Was announced about 3 weeks ago, finished up on 730 last night.