This afternoon, the ABC announced to staff that it has abandoned its planned changes to the Indigenous TV department, which would have effectively closed it, with management admitting they will go back to the drawing board.
Lamestream can reveal that the ABC will embark on a months-long process to sift through feedback, establish a working group of Indigenous staff to examine the changes, and give staff a greater say in any future restructure.
"The future model will be built with First Nations staff," wrote the ABC's Director of First Nations Strategy, Kelly Williams.
Back in August, it was Williams who unveiled the original proposal to restructure several Indigenous departments, and she was set to lead the new division that would have been created.
"The teams will report to me through the new division," she wrote in August.
Scott Mitchell
That change proposal now appears to have been shelved and will be redrawn with the input of a working group of Indigenous staff from across the whole of the ABC.
"More information about the working group will be shared in the coming weeks," she wrote.
"In the interim, the current structure remains in place, with Indigenous Screen, Audio and Archives continuing in their existing divisions."
This is something Williams said would happen over the "coming months" and no other details were given on just how long the status quo would continue for.
