ABC Sydney will have an all-male presenter lineup from Breakfast through to Drive in 2026, following the replacement of Chris Bath by Thomas Oriti in the Drive slot. Bath announced her resignation after one year, citing a desire to pursue passion projects away from the news cycle. The lineup now features Craig Reucassel, Hamish Macdonald, James O’Loughlin, James Valentine, and Oriti.
Ben Latimer, ABC’s director of audio, acknowledged the diversity deficit, stating that women “continue to play a central and high-profile role across the ABC’s audio services,” but admitted “there is always more to do.” He cited Sally Sara on RN Breakfast and Sabra Lane on AM as examples. Latimer added that Bath made a personal decision about the demands of daily radio, and that the ABC fully supports her choice to remain on Sundays.
Staff and observers expressed dismay. Dr Helen Vatsikopoulos, a journalist and academic, called the all-male lineup “shocking” and said the ABC has “completely forgotten about half the population.” She suggested reinstating Sarah Macdonald or Antoinette Lattouf, and warned of “too many men in top ranks.”
According to the ABC’s Diversity & Inclusion annual report, women comprise 55.8% of the workforce and 57.1% of executive positions, exceeding the 50% target. However, the latest Commonwealth data shows a gender pay gap of nearly 10% in favour of men. Internally, sources noted chronic under-resourcing, with casualised producers and little technical support.
Former ABC presenter Juanita Phillips posted on social media that the “disappearance of smart, capable women over 50 from ABC screens and airwaves has been happening for years,” describing an “entrenched culture.” NSW Greens MP Cate Faehrmann also criticised the lineup.
