Popular daily ABC News The Drum is AXED as the national broadcaster undergoes a major restructuring
- ABC current discussion program The Drum has been cancelled
The ABC has confirmed that panel discussion program ‘The Drum’ will not return next year and that the final episode will air next Friday.
In an email to all staff, ABC News director Justin Stevens described the decision as “difficult” and noted it would lead to job losses.
The move is part of a broader restructuring initiative that includes disbanding a programming team at ABC News Channel and eliminating one executive position.
Stevens expressed his gratitude to “The Drum” for its role in discovering new talent through its diverse panelists.
However, he acknowledged that the show had seen a “relatively small and declining” viewership in recent years.
Despite the programme’s axing, co-presenters Julia Baird, Ellen Fanning and Co-Presenters will continue with the ABC in new roles.
The program has been running for over a decade with a variety of hosts. The current hosts are journalists Julia Baird and Ellen Fanning (pictured)
The program first aired in 2010 with the launch of ABC’s 24-hour news channel, but was moved to the main channel in 2014 and given a longer format and a 5.30pm slot.
The show then underwent another renewal in 2019 after it was moved to the 6:00 PM slot and extended to an hour to appear immediately before the 7:00 PM evening news bulletin.