Veteran ABC radio presenter Sabra Lane is reportedly walking away from the national broadcaster by year’s end- and insiders say it’s all down to one reason.

Veteran broadcaster Sabra Lane has reportedly called time on her role after almost a decade fronting one of the ABC’s flagship radio shows.

The respected journalist, who has helmed Radio National’s daily current affairs program AM for the past eight years, is said to be stepping down at the end of the ratings year, according to The Australian.

It’s understood Lane has already informed ABC’s news director, Justin Stevens, of her decision.

Veteran broadcaster Sabra Lane is reportedly leaving the national broadcaster by the end of the year. Picture: ABC
Veteran broadcaster Sabra Lane is reportedly leaving the national broadcaster by the end of the year. Picture: ABC

“Sabra’s finally had enough of it and given Stevens notice that she is leaving and that, basically, they need to find another host ASAP,” one insider told the outlet’s Diary column.

“She’s fed up with the quality of the program and the constant under-resourcing of the show.”

The source claimed Lane’s frustrations centre on ABC chairman Kim Williams’ alleged failure to deliver on his promised “radio revolution” which would involve greater investment in radio.

 

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“Despite all the promises from management about reinvesting in radio, nothing is changing,” they said.

According to the insider, AM has increasingly sounded like “an extended news bulletin with very little exclusive content other than drops”-  a far cry from the kind of program Lane “signed on for”.

“She’s always pushing to break real news and reckons the current format just isn’t delivering,” they added.

Lane's career at the ABC began in 2008 as a press gallery reporter in Parliament House, covering federal politics for AM, The World Today and PM. Picture: ABC
Lane’s career at the ABC began in 2008 as a press gallery reporter in Parliament House, covering federal politics for AM, The World Today and PM. Picture: ABC

Lane’s career at the ABC began in 2008 as a press gallery reporter in Parliament House, covering federal politics for AM, The World Today and PM.

She later became a political correspondent for 7.30 before returning to radio in 2017 to succeed Michael Brissenden as host of AM.

But while AM was once one of Australia’s most influential programs, its audience has dwindled alongside Radio National’s overall decline.

Ratings figures show just 1.5 per cent of listeners in Sydney and Melbourne tune in, 1.7 per cent in Brisbane, 1.8 per cent in Adelaide, and only 0.9 per cent in Perth.

Lane herself is yet to comment publicly on the reports.

However, she did post on social media on Monday to promote that morning’s show.

Earlier this month, she also shared a link to her Bright Side podcast episode exploring the benefits of a four-day work week.