ABC chief Mark Scott is pledging to remain at the helm of the public broadcaster to implement hundreds of jobs cuts, unpopular program changes and a bigger emphasis on digital content.
After announcing that more than 400 ABC employees could be made redundant, Mr Scott committed to seeing out the rest of his contract.
"I've still got 18 months or more to go ... I'm planning to fulfil that," he told Fairfax Media on Monday. "The board's asked me to do that. And I'm keen to do that, so that's my planning at this point."
Mr Scott's pledge stares down recent pressure from Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who announced last week that he would write to the ABC Board, recommending it strips Mr Scott of half of his responsibilities. Mr Turnbull has argued that it is inappropriate for Mr Scott to be both editor-in-chief and managing director of the broadcaster.
Mr Scott did not buy into the idea, simply saying, "If the Minister has other views on how we should be organised ... then he can write to the board and of course the board will consider that and respond."
In an address to ABC staff on Monday, Mr Scott said that close to 10 per cent of the ABC's permanent workforce could lose their jobs as the broadcaster deals with a $254 million funding cut announced by Mr Turnbull last week. In a separate briefing to journalists, ABC news director Kate Torney announced that 100 of the 400 job losses would come from the news division. However, with new digital positions being created, the overall job losses for the division are expected to be around 30.
While many ABC news journalists were expected to find out on Monday if they would be effected by the redundancies - which will not be an open, voluntary scheme - others within the ABC will have to wait until next year to learn of their fate.
Among other changes, which are supported by the ABC board, the Friday state editions of 7.30 will be axed, TV production in South Australia will end, most radio bulletins will be cut back to five minutes and local sports coverage will be reduced. Ms Torney also told reporters the ABC's Auckland bureau would be axed and that a new bureau would be created in Beirut.
The prestigious Lateline will move to an earlier, regular slot on ABC 24, while continuing in a later spot on ABC1 for 2015. Mr Scott said that he frequently received complaints that Lateline aired too late and did not have a regular timeslot.
"I think we've just got to recognise that we've got a news channel and we plan to use that news channel well," he said.
The ABC head dismissed suggestions that he was using the cover of the budget cuts to carry out long-planned, unpopular reforms.
"They're decisions that we're a bit reluctant on, we don't approach them with any great joy," he said.
But Mr Scott stressed that the ABC had a greater priority, which was to invest in mobile and online media to ensure the broadcaster's future. He described a new $20 million digital investment fund as "just a downpayment". "We need to be able to continue to follow our audiences."
The ABC managing director is more than half way through his second term as head of the ABC. He started the role in July 2006 and is due to finish in July 2016.
In response to the changes, ABC Friends said it was dismayed by the "damage that this government is inflicting on the ABC". "The government was given no mandate to destroy the national public broadcaster," national spokeswoman Glenys Stradijot said.
In question time, Labor tried unsuccessfully to censure Prime Minister Tony Abbott for promising there would be no cuts to the ABC or SBS. "He is a narrow man," Labor leader Bill Shorten said. "He has no ideology other than extremism."
Earlier, Mr Abbott argued that "everyone" knew efficiency dividends would be applied across government and he had not said there would be "special treatment" for the ABC.
