Mumbrella has published an article about the 1975 Lateline interview. The article says the audio has now been pulled from YouTube and it is not yet clear if the ABC will take further action against the unauthorised release.
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RN has been counting down the top 100 books of the 21st century through two live broadcasts, yesterday and today. We are now well into the top 10.
The full list
UPDATE: Trent Dalton’s Boy Swallows Universe has been voted No.1 book of the 21st century.
The five lectures are broadcast on Sunday Extra on RN at 8.05am.
The key lecture by Justin Wolfers is now available on ABC Listen app and ABC iView (look for Boyer lecture).
The rest of the broadcast schedule is:
October 26: John Anderson, former deputy prime minister
November 2: Distinguished Professor Larissa Behrendt, Laureate Fellow at the Jumbunna Institute of Indigenous Education and Research at the University of Technology, Sydney
November 9: Amelia Lester, deputy editor at Foreign Policy magazine
November 16: James Curran, Professor of Modern History at The University of Sydney
One new ABC program that wasn’t mentioned at last week’s showcase was Radio National’s popular Global Roaming show, featuring Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald.
Next year it will expand from one half-hour episode each week to as many as four, with speculation that ABC regular Waleed Aly will join the team.
It’s understood that ABC chair Kim Williams and managing director Hugh Marks are big fans of the show – and well might they be, given that there’s plenty of other content on RN that fails to move the dial.
Note: this is an excerpt of two longer articles about the ABC’s 2026 Showcase which took place last Thursday.
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are these links from The Australian from behind a paywall? Are they being reproduced here in full?
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The ABC and ABC Friends Victoria announce Science Journalist Fellowship Program
The ABC is delighted to announce the establishment of the ABC Science Journalist Fellowship Program, a new initiative within the ABC Radio National Science Unit.
The recurring annual fellowship will provide a science journalist or content maker with an opportunity to develop science programming for ABC Radio National and the broader ABC network, including digital platforms, with the support and guidance of the ABC Radio National Science Unit.
The Fellowship has been made possible by a generous $1 million private donation from Ms Margaret Bales, a lifelong ABC listener and former librarian from Victoria.
Ms Bales, who was particularly inspired by the work of pioneering ABC science and medical reporter Dr Gael Jennings, made the donation to support more groundbreaking science reporting at the ABC, with a particular focus on engaging younger audiences.
“I’m 83 and I have been listening to the ABC all my life. The presenters are national treasures.” Ms Bales said.
The donation was facilitated by ABC Friends Victoria and was announced by ABC Managing Director Hugh Marks at an ABC Friends dinner event in Melbourne on Friday evening.
“We are deeply grateful to Ms Bales for her extraordinary generosity and her passion for public broadcasting.” Mr Marks said.
“Her support will help ensure that science journalism continues to thrive at the ABC, informing and inspiring audiences across Australia.”
The ABC will sign an MOU with ABC Friends Victoria, a registered charity, who will hold the funds. The ABC will receive annual funding allocations aligned to the cost of each upcoming fellowship appointment.
Pam Creed, President of ABC Friends Victoria welcomed the announcement, saying: “This Fellowship is a wonderful example of how passionate supporters of public broadcasting can help champion its future.
“We’re proud to partner with the ABC to ensure this funding directly supports their high-quality science journalism.”
Additional details about the ABC Science Journalist Fellowship including how interested individuals can apply will be announced in 2026.
The Ombudsman found the interview did not breach Standards 4.1 or 4.2.
4.1 Gather and present news and information with due impartiality.
4.2 Present a diversity of perspectives within a reasonable timeframe, aiming to reach a similar audience, so that no significant strand of thought or belief within the community is knowingly excluded or disproportionately represented.
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So why post it?
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What’s wrong with it?
likely audience expectations of the content are important considerations
Justification via context.
For the Ombudsman to be content with this is akin to implying the audience largely will tolerate light touch interviews where the interviewee has close to carte blanche on their content.
Makes The Conversation Hour appear to be investigative journalism.
Ah yes “Impartiality”, takes me back to 1975 when Radio National did due journalistic diligence and interviewed pedophiles to discuss whether or not what they do is bad. Two sides to everything after all. They also haven’t been giving the Flat Earth movement enough of a crack lately, might complain about that
The Age and SMH’s Calum Jaspan writes that following his stint on Mornings on ABC Local Radio this summer, Waleed Aly was set to join RN’s Global Roaming alongside Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald, but the plans have now fallen through. The ABC declined to comment and Aly offered an alternative story, saying while the ABC approached him about the idea, it wasn’t that it wasn’t feasible.
According to an opinion piece by Tim Burrowes on Mumbrella, RN has axed MediaLand on which he is a regular contributor. The final episode is this Friday (December 12).
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That is a shame, it was one of my top podcasts in 2025!
Really? I found it incredibly lightweight and dumbed down. Nothing like the BBC’s meaty Media Show.
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Global Affairs, Arts and Science take centre stage on ABC Radio National in 2026
In 2026 ABC Radio National will offer audiences more of what they love, including additional episodes of the acclaimed Global Roaming program and a refreshed schedule with regular appointment listening blocks for arts and science content.
In the new year, Global Roaming will welcome author and journalist Latika M Bourke and foreign affairs journalist Kylie Morris who will join existing presenters Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald presenting episodes every weekday.
Latika said: “The world order is changing before our eyes and understanding Australia’s place in this turmoil has never been more important.
“Radio National’s expansion of its already unmissable Global Roaming program is much-needed for our times and as The Nightly’s Writer-at-Large based in London, I’m excited and honoured to contribute to helping make sense of our rapidly shifting global order.”
In 2026, Radio National will double down on its commitment to the arts with a new and live, weekday Radio National Arts Hour airing from 10–11am. The hour will be anchored by an arts presenter from Monday to Thursday, presenting interviews and news focused on visual and performing arts. The program will then lead into a daily specialist arts program covering books, design, food, and film including:
- The Screen Show with Jason di Rosso
- Every Bite with Jonathan Green
- The Book Show with Claire Nichols
- And a new architecture and design program Anthony Burke’s By Design , presented by the much-loved host of ABC TV’s Grand Designs Australia, Grand Transformations, Restoration Australia and Culture By Design.
On Friday, the hour will be dedicated to The Bookshelf hosted by Kate Evans and Cassie McCullagh.
Following the decisions of presenters Daniel Browning and Michael Cathcart to step away from their roles, ABC Radio National will retire The Art Show and The Stage Show and Arts in 30.
After a wildly successful debut, the network’s ABC Radio National’s Top 100 Books countdown will return for another year. The 2025 Top 100 Books campaign brought together avid and occasional readers alike around the theme of “Top 100 Books of the 21st Century.” The results of the vote were celebrated over a wonderful two-day live broadcast in October. Next year’s theme will build on the success of year one and will be sure to ignite lots of debate!
For the scientifically inclined, Radio National’s stable of renowned science programming will feature each weekday with 1.30-2pm becoming the daily home for All In The Mind, What the Duck, Science Friction and the Science Show.
On Saturdays, The Science Show continues as a full-hour program, with Robyn Williams welcoming a co-presenter for the first time in the show’s history. After five decades of solo hosting, Robyn will be joined by Belinda Smith, an award-winning science journalist and presenter of Lab Notes.
In January 2026, Australia’s voice of science Dr Karl will co-present a new six-part series, The Challenger Legacy, alongside Walkley-nominated science reporter Fiona Pepper. The series explores the lessons of the 1986 Challenger Space Shuttle disaster, its impact on space exploration, and the big questions that still resonate as NASA prepares to launch astronauts back to the Moon early next year.
“The Challenger disaster was a tragedy, but it also reshaped how we think about engineering and risk. This series takes a deep look at the science behind the fateful mission and asks what NASA - and all of us - have learned from the disaster,” Dr Karl said.
Schedule changes in the new year see ABC Radio National Breakfast with Sally Sara shift to a 6am start.
News coverage will still begin at 5.30am with a mix of ABC News Daily and highlights from The Radio National Hour.
The Radio National Hour with Fran Kelly continues at 6pm each weeknight.
On weekends, The Music Show will move from the morning to afternoons.
The full Radio National schedule for 2026 can be found here.
About Latika M Bourke
Latika M Bourke is The Nightly’s Writer-at-Large in London, specialising in geopolitics.
She is a moderator and MC and Expert Associate at the Australian National University’s National Security College.
Latika spent eight years in the Canberra press gallery and has worked for The Sydney Morning Herald, ABC and 2UE.
Latika hosts Latika Takes: The Podcast, whose guests have included Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Virgin co-founder Richard Branson, Retired US General and former CIA Director David Petraeus and more.
She regularly appears on the BBC, Sky UK, Monocle and Times Radio.
About Kylie Morris
Kylie Morris is an award-winning foreign correspondent and broadcaster who holds a Master’s in International Relations from the London School of Economics. She reported on the Trump presidency as Washington correspondent for Britain’s Channel Four News, where she helped break the Cambridge Analytica story, earning BAFTA, Emmy, and Peabody awards.
Kylie previously hosted More 4 News in London, worked as Asia correspondent, and reported for the BBC from Bangkok, Kabul, and Gaza, covering conflicts in Iraq, Lebanon, and the Palestinian Territories. She began her career with the ABC in Newcastle and reported for Radio National’s Background Briefing. Most recently, Kylie has been a presenter and producer for The Radio National Hour, alongside Fran Kelly.
Agree, an absolutely abhorrent piece of content.
Rather than the ABC doing their best to pretend it was never broadcast, it should be made available as a clear example of what never to even consider to broadcast, let alone plan.
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What’s really weird is that the only people who are talking about Pederasty are right-wing cookers who just hate the ABC in general. Also the main person who spoke out against it at the time was Fred Nile. It’s a broken clock is right twice a day situation.
The new 2026 lineup starts today and I wanted to see how the 10-11am hour worl work with the new Arts hour incorporating their established arts shows as per this press release from last year:
In 2026, Radio National will double down on its commitment to the arts with a new and live, weekday Radio National Arts Hour airing from 10–11am. The hour will be anchored by an arts presenter from Monday to Thursday, presenting interviews and news focused on visual and performing arts. The program will then lead into a daily specialist arts program covering books, design, food, and film including:
The Screen Show with Jason di Rosso
Every Bite with Jonathan Green
The Book Show with Claire Nichols
And a new architecture and design program Anthony Burke’s By Design**,** presented by the much-loved host of ABC TV’s Grand Designs Australia, Grand Transformations, Restoration Australia and Culture By Design.
Sarah L’Estrange who was the producer of the Book Show is now host of the Arts Hour. She introduced the hour by mentioning that her co-hosts Sky Kirkham, Rudi Bremer and Ce Benedict will join her throughout Mondays to Thursdays with the Bookshelf still taking the whole hour on Fridays. She mentioned that she will be covering performing arts, exhibitions and arts news so it seems to be trying to make up for the loss of the Stage show and Art show while covering topical arts news daily.
Then the Book Show (which previously occupied the hour on Mondays) began at around 10:10am and Claire Nichols hosted for the next 40 minutes. After the Book Show ended (10:50am), Sarah interviewed Randa Abdel-Fattah about the Adelaide Writers Week saga until the end of the show.
So it seems that the Arts hour is so far structured like:
- 10:00 AM News
- 10:05 AM Intro/Rundown
- 10:10 AM Specialist Arts show (Book Show, Every Bite, By design and Screen Show)
- 10:50 AM Arts hour content (news, interviews etc)
- 11:00 AM News
I’ll be tuning in throughout the week to see if all specialist arts shows are now all 40 minutes.
Another change is that Hilary Harper and Cassie McCullagh are now live hosting RN from 11am to 3pm each weekday. This was a change from the previous year’s 12 pm to 4 pm.
Enjoy the ABC and not into cookers of either side of the ledger.
The content needs to be made available as a matter of history and education to not repeat mistakes and understand the flagrancy of the decision.
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