“The cost of the ABC’s emergency broadcasting coverage come out of base funding – there is no specific government funding for this coverage,” the ABC spokesman said in a statement.
“These costs are growing,” he said.
“We will always prioritise coverage of emergency information and will continue to speak with government to ensure that we are adequately funded to serve the Australian public.”
The ABC’s extensive coverage of bushfires ravaging the country threatens to push the taxpayer-funded news organisation into more budget strife with emergency broadcasting events on track to double in 2020.
Jennifer Duke discusses the pressure on the ABC associated with emergency broadcast events.