Sydney – Australia Broadcasting Corporation will establish ABC Resources, a new division that combines Production Resources and Resource Hire to improve the ABC’s responsiveness to the digital media environment. ABC Resources aims to improve efficiency and manage ABC’s shift to new technology. The move follows a TV production methodology and practice review which highlighted ABC’s challenges as having to “keep faith with (traditional) audiences on radio and TV, while keeping pace with audience trends in the rapidly emerging digital media space, notably the delivery of content via broadband.” To be operational from July 1, 2008, ABC Resources is expected to provide a more flexible, multi-skilled production workforce and facilities for internal and external production. Consultation will be held with Production Resources and Resource Hire staff and workforce unions for the formation of ABC Resources. ABC managing director Mark Scott said, “(ABC Resources) will have a guaranteed level of internal production for ABC Television, underpinned by a more transparent system of transfer pricing to improve efficiency.” In addition, ABC will retain a mix of internal and external production, and continue with TV production in the states. Projects to be implemented in 2008 include replacing the TV News studio technology with a new technology it trialed in Sydney and Melbourne; as well as to improve graphics production for ABC TV News programs by maximizing existing capacity of graphic designers and equipment. Also, ABC is currently trialing desktop editing systems for TV journalists and file-based syndication systems targeted at increasing efficiency. Savings generated are to be channeled into production of more ABC content including news, as well as additional TV production from outside Sydney and Melbourne.