Turmoil at ABC Australia to be focus of investigative special

Ousted ABC Australia MD Melissa Guthrie and former chairman Justin Milne are to give their accounts of the inner turmoil at the broadcaster in an hour-long special.

The two execs, who were at the centre of a major shake-up at ABC, will be the focus of Bitter End, which is to air as part of ABC investigative strand Four Corners on Monday (November 12), and will feature Guthrie speaking for the first time about her sacking from the broadcaster.

The exec was fired halfway through her five-year term in September, though no specific reasoning was given at the time by ABC.

Milne made the announcement of her departure, telling local reporters that Guthrie’s “leadership style” came into account and that her relationship with the Australian government “could have been better”.

Milne then stepped down from ABC days later after reports emerged that he had called for certain political journalists to be fired because the Australian government took umbrage with their reporting.

Last month, the broadcaster confirmed that an independent advisor is investigating claims made by Guthrie.

The ABC special will feature reporter Sarah Ferguson interviewing both Guthrie and Milne, who are, respectively, to give an account of the breakdown of the relationship with the ABC Board, and the power struggle behind the scenes.

Bitter End airs on November 12 at 8.30pm. It will be replayed on November 13 and 14.