The ABC has today announced it will axe as many as 200 jobs and reinvest in its rural and regional stations. The jobs will go via voluntary redundancies.

The public broadcaster will also spend $15 million per year on regional jobs and digital programs as part of a $50 million content fund designed to attract people who don’t typically watch the ABC.

Commenting on the new strategy, the ABC’s managing director, Michelle Guthrie (pictured above), said: “The fund enables us to respond with flexibility and speed to shifting audience trends and to extend our reach and engagement, especially with audiences who are infrequent ABC users.

“We’re committing to an injection of funds, ultimately building to $15m a year, to provide more reporters and content makers, better tools and increased video and digital output,” Guthrie said, her comments reported on The Australian.

Guthrie acknowledged it was a tough time for media companies who had to let staff go.

“These changes are essential to the long-term health of the Corporation, but I acknowledge that this is little comfort to those whose roles are impacted.

“We will work with unions and with affected staff. We will be open and move as quickly as possible to end the uncertainty in affected areas,” she said.