Q&A, Australia’s favourite forum for debate and discussion, will again be live on television across Australia when it launches its 2016 season tonight.
The program will air on ABC News 24 at 9pm in SA, 8.30pm in Queensland, 8pm in the NT and 6.30pm in WA. Q&A will also continue to be live-streamed on ABC iview. This means all viewers can join the conversation in real time, including via Twitter. The program can also be watched later in those states at its usual time on ABC TV.
As a result of the change, on Monday nights viewers in those states will no longer see Lateline on News 24. They can catch the program in its later timeslot on ABC TV.
In NSW, ACT, Victoria and Tasmania Q&A will continue to air on ABC TV at 9.30pm AEST. Lateline airs on News 24 at 9.30pm AEST and later on ABC TV. Q&A will also continue to be live-streamed on iview.
Director of News Gaven Morris said: “We are excited to welcome Q&A to the News Division and delighted to be able to offer this very popular program live across Australia once again.
“As Australia gears up for a fascinating federal election, Q&A’s role as a forum for public democracy has never been more vital.”
Q&A will also spend more time on the road this year, with a minimum of 16 episodes broadcast outside its home studio, from locations including Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and regional centres.
The program is looking at ways to help more people participate, including by putting questions to the panel through Skype, Facebook, Twitter and other social media.
Detailed data on every program, including the share of voice of each panelist, will be published weekly on its website.
The changes will add up to a wider range of topics and a greater diversity of voices on the panels, in the audience and asking questions from elsewhere.
Executive Producer Peter McEvoy said: “We are always looking for new ways to make Q&A even better and involve more Australians in debate and discussion around the big issues facing our country.”
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