ABC to axe Q+A after 18 years as part of a broader reshuffle

The ABC has confirmed it will discontinue flagship discussion program Q+A, ending the show’s 18-year run as part of a broader restructure aimed at modernising public engagement and boosting investment in long-form news storytelling.

The move comes as the national broadcaster shifts resources towards audience-led journalism initiatives such as Your Say, and a new push into high-end news documentaries, following the success of programs like Killing Season and Nemesis.

ABC director of news Justin Stevens said the decision to axe Q+A was not a reflection on the current team, but a response to shifting audience behaviours.

“We’re very proud of Q+A’s great achievements over the years. The team has done a terrific job, including a strong performance during the federal election campaign,” Stevens said in a statement. “We always need to keep innovating and renewing, and in the two decades since Q+A began the world has changed.”

The show, which launched in 2008 under executive producer Peter McEvoy and host Tony Jones, has been off-air since last month. In its final iteration, it was hosted by Patricia Karvelas, with Eliza Harvey as executive producer.

“Many extremely talented and dedicated people have worked on Q+A, as presenters and behind the scenes,” Stevens said. “I want to call out current executive producer Eliza Harvey and presenter Patricia Karvelas. They are hugely talented journalists who have done an outstanding job with Q+A in recent years.”

Karvelas said engaging with the audience had been the highlight of her time on the show. “Spending time with the audience members who came to Q+A late on a Monday night has been the best part of this job. They have always been the reason for this show.”

In place of the weekly panel format, ABC NEWS will embed Your Say as a permanent audience engagement platform. During the last federal election, it received nearly 30,000 submissions, more than a third from outside capital cities and informed topics and questions across the ABC’s election coverage, including its leaders’ debate.

“Your Say ensures we have a strong framework for putting the public’s views, concerns and questions at the heart of our journalism,” said Stevens.

The ABC will also advertise for a new executive producer to lead a slate of documentaries and specials, as it expands its factual output under the news division.

“We’re excited about being able to produce additional high-impact, premium news documentary programs to complement the ABC’s strong factual slate,” Stevens said.

Karvelas will continue hosting Afternoon Briefing, co-hosting the Politics Now podcast, and contributing to Four Corners, with Stevens noting she will take on more Four Corners assignments as time permits.