STAFF at the ABC's Wagga office appear to have been spared the axe, but regionally-focused content will be drastically reduced as the public broadcaster reshapes itself in the wake of budget cuts.
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The Advertiser understands the ABC is reshuffling its regional afternoon programming, which is picked up by ABC Riverina, with Statewide Drive presenter John Morrison's segment facing the chopping block.
Statewide Afternoons presenter Fiona Wyllie is slated to move to an expanded drivetime slot, from 3pm to 6pm, and will continue to broadcast that segment from Port Macquarie.
From 2pm to 3pm, the ABC will replace its regionally-focused Statewide Afternoons with its Sydney-based Afternoons program hosted by James Valentine.
In Monday's drive slot, ABC Riverina broadcast ABC Sydney's Drive program with Richard Glover in place of Mr Morrison's regular segment.
Radio National's Bush Telegraph program and ABC TV's Landline have also been cut as a result of Monday's restructure, further reducing the network's regional footprint, while five small regional outposts will close.
Despite fervently backing the government's cuts to the ABC's budget, member for Riverina Michael McCormack is outraged regional programming has been targeted as part of the broadcaster's savings measures.
"They can make efficiency cuts while quarantining the regions and they know they can," Mr McCormack said.
Mr McCormack plans to write to ABC management to express his dismay at the axing of regional content, which he said was unnecessary despite the government stripping $254 million from its budget over the coming five years.
"What we are now doing following on from (the efficiency review) is looking how we can make some savings to ensure taxpayer dollars are getting value for money," he said.
"For the ABC to now come out and say we're slashing hundreds of jobs, that we're taking away regional programming, is quite frankly, a bit rich."
Country Labor Wagga branch president Daniel Hayes, however, believes Mr McCormack's grievances are somewhat hollow given the government he is a part of elected to slash the ABC's budget.
"They can't make the cuts and turn around and say they're disappointed with the cuts," Mr Hayes said.
"I think people can see through that."
The Roast, which in September presented a satirical sketch depicting Prime Minister Tony Abbott's mother in bed with a solar panel, was singled out by Mr McCormack as a program that in his eyes should have been cut instead of regional content.
"It's rubbish like that that should be the first thing on the chopping block," Mr McCormack said.
"I think the ABC would know that ... if they were being honest with themselves and up-front.
"I'm sure they get a lot of backlash over that sort of filth."
In other changes, afternoon radio news bulletins will be cut from 10 to five minutes in length, while the Friday 7.30 state editions have been axed, to be replaced by a national program.