Australia’s public broadcaster is returning to the business of live national debate, today announcing a new discussion program ABC National Forum set to launch under the ABC News banner in March 2026.
Set to broadcast live from their Ultimo studios in Sydney and moderated by ABC National Political Lead and Insiders host David Speers, the new format will bring together ordinary citizens, community leaders, experts and policymakers to tackle issues of national significance in front of a live studio audience.
The first forum will focus on the lives and experiences of Jewish Australians, including issues arising from the Bondi terrorist attack, with the ABC describing the discussion as wide ranging and designed to encourage understanding across the community.
– Advertisement –
Host David Speers says the new forum is about creating space for Australians to listen and learn from one another.
“The ABC National Forum will provide a space for Australians to come together to share their knowledge and experiences, hear from others and better understand each other.”
According to Hugh Marks, Managing Director of ABC, the format speaks directly to the ABC’s public service remit.
“The ABC National Forum reflects the ABC’s commitment to bringing Australians together. That responsibility is at the core of our role as the national public broadcaster, and we’re proud to continue investing in content and services that serve and connect our community.”
News boss Justin Stevens says the new initiative continues the ABC’s evolution of the national conversation.
“The ABC has to continually innovate in the space of the town square and this is an important initiative to bring together voices of Australians from all corners of our community in a constructive way. Listening to one another is essential to strengthening social harmony and fostering a more cohesive nation.”
ABC National Forum lands less than a year after the ABC pulled the pin on Q&A, quietly closing the book on the long running panel show after almost two decades on air and a gradual drift across the schedule from its traditional Monday night home.
While the ABC is not positioning ABC National Forum as a direct replacement, the return to a live, moderated national discussion format suggests the genre was never far from a comeback, with Managing Director Hugh Marks clearly looking to make his mark on the schedule through a refreshed approach to national debate.
A premiere date for the first ABC National Forum in March will be announced in the coming weeks.
– Advertisement –
