The ABC has confirmed it will not bring back its flagship panel program Q+ A, ending an 18-year run.
The weekly show, which went on break last month, will not return to air, the national broadcaster announced on June 11.
Hosted by Patricia Karvelas since 2023, Q+A earned a reputation as a high-profile forum for political and public debate.
ABC News Director Justin Stevens acknowledged the program’s legacy in shaping national dialogue.
“Discontinuing the program at this point is no reflection on anyone on the show. We always need to keep innovating and renewing, and in the two decades since Q+A began, the world has changed,” Stevens said.
Stevens said the ABC would now focus on finding new ways to engage the public in political and national discussions.
“It’s time to rethink how audiences want to interact and to evolve how we can engage with the public to include as many Australians as possible in national conversations,” he said.
The announcement follows Network 10’s decision to axe The Project after 16 years, with the final episode set to air on June 27.
Karvelas to Expand ABC Reporting Role
While Q+A ends, Karvelas will continue in her other ABC roles, including Afternoon Briefing, the Politics Now podcast, and her regular column on the ABC News site.
“Patricia (Karvelas) also recently reported for Four Corners, and we’ve now asked her to do more for Four Corners as time permits,” Stevens said.
ABC staff were informed that the show’s cancellation would involve some job losses. In place of Q+A, the ABC will expand its long-form current affairs content, including the creation of a new executive producer role for documentaries and specials.
The public broadcaster will also permanently roll out Your Say, a public engagement initiative first launched during the last federal election. The project is aimed at including more community voices in ABC reporting.
“Your Say ensures we have a strong framework for putting the public’s views, concerns, and questions at the heart of our journalism, complementing our daily commissioning and reporting,” Stevens said.
