THE ABC forked out almost $3 million on taxpayer-funded bonuses — some as much as $70,000 — to some of its highest paid staff last year.
The public broadcaster, which has mounted a fierce campaign against a government’s freeze in its funding, rewarded 189 employees on executive pay grades more than $2.2 million.
Several of the highest-paid employees — which the broadcaster is refusing to publicly disclose despite Turnbull Government demands — received bonus payments of more than $55,000.
It comes as ABC News director Gaven Morris warned there “is no more fat left to cut” at the national broadcaster and any more would “cut into the muscle of the organisation”.
Bonuses were also paid to 190 non-executive employees totalling $384,989.
The broadcaster’s 2016-17 report also shows it splurged more than $10 million in market research and promotion and more than $1.5 million on consultancy firms.
The majority of the 4769 staff at the broadcaster are eligible bonuses of 2 per cent of their base salary each year if they received a favourable performance review.
Communications Minister Mitch Fifield announced in last week’s Budget the ABC’s annual funding indexation would be frozen for three years from July 2019, likely costing the organisation $84 million.
It will however received more than $3 billion over the next three years.
ABC Managing Director Michelle Guthrie, whose salary is disclosed as $890,987, has said freezing the indexation amounted to cutting the broadcaster.
The $10,020,454 spent on market research and advertising was predominantly for activities related to its radio and television services and Australia Plus — its international online and mobile network.
Several consultancy firms were paid as much as $90,000 for “strategic advice” while one firmer — Trevor-Roberts Associates — was paid $64,000 to give career advice to staff who had been made redundant. McGees Property was paid $217,118 for property valuations.
Mr Morris, whose salary package was recently disclosed as $499,486, told the Melbourne Press Club last week the ABC was the “most minutely scrutinised media organisation in Australia” and “every dollar we spend must be accounted.
An ABC spokesman told the Herald Sun all fixed and variable remuneration rates were disclosed to the public and bonuses were linked to an individuals performance.
“Remuneration rates for the ABC Leadership Team are benchmarked using an external, independent provider against market rates,” he said.
“Fixed remuneration rates for the Leadership Team fall in line with market rates while variable/performance pay is below market rates.”
He said the ABC’s total marketing spend and market research was “much lower than any commercial media”.
Senator Fifield told ABC last week the funding freeze was “entirely about ensuring that the ABC continues to be a good steward of taxpayers’ dollars”.
“It was entirely about every Commonwealth Government organisation living within its means and making a contribution to ensuring that we’re in a position where we can balance the Budget,” he said.
“When we balance the Budget ... we can do things like the $7.8 billion on new major projects in Victoria.”
as a tax payer funded entity..
this makes sense to some...
they probably double the bonus' for staff who bag a Lib on air..
