Thank you for the incredible support you’ve given ABC Friends this year. We’ve had some wins and some disappointments, but throughout it all we’ve been heartened by your encouragement.

With so much having occurred over the past 12 months – and even in this past week – it can be easy to lose sight of the big picture, of why we are friends of the ABC.

Imagine a world without a strong public broadcaster. Australia would be much poorer for it.  

Our task is to fight for the ABC as a fearless and independent public broadcaster that all Australians can be proud of. That’s where our focus lies and where we’ll devote our energies in 2025, an election year. 

We are working diligently to prepare for the coming federal election and will report our plans to you early in the new year. We must send an unambiguous message to all members of Parliament, political parties and their leadership: Australians value and trust the ABC and will fight to protect it.

With your support we know it's a fight we can win.

For now, we'd just like to say thank you and we hope you have a wonderful Christmas.

Thank you for supporting ABC Friends. We’d love to have you as a member! I encourage you to join us.

What’s your New Year’s wish for the ABC?

2025 will be a big year for ABC Friends as we campaign for a substantial increase in the ABC’s funding. 

In this first phase of the campaign, we’re asking you to tell us what programs or services you’d like the ABC to offer.

Funding relief for the ABC

A week before Christmas the government announced that it would deliver additional funding to the ABC of $83.1 million for 2 years from 2026-27, followed by ongoing funding of an extra $43 million per year.

ABC Friends welcomes that decision.

A new Managing Director for the ABC

The announcement of Hugh Marks as the ABC’s new Managing Director hints that big changes could lie ahead.

ABC Friends will be looking to Marks, as the ABC’s editor in chief, to uphold the ABC’s editorial independence and integrity as laid down in the legislation that governs the ABC.

Thank you again for your support. We look forward to working with you in 2025.

Warm regards

Cassandra Parkinson
President
ABC Friends

Carol Stuart
Vice-President
ABC Friends

P.S. If you can, please consider making a donation to support our work.

In the photo:

Board directors (and proxies) at the ABC Friends annual planning meeting in October 2024. Back row: Susan Scott, Michael Henry, Mark Hayes, Carol Stuart, Rowan Wylie, Cassandra Parkinson, Pamela Creed, Peta Fitzgibbon

Front row: Jenny Meyrick, Cathy Bardon, Judy Gonda, Gia Metherell, Vaithehi Subendranathan, Tess Howes, Peter Vandeleur