ABC funding: Protesters call on Abbott government not to cut money

Hundreds have attended rallies in Melbourne and Sydney to call on the Abbott government not to cut funding to the public broadcaster ABC.

There are fears that funding cuts will be made to the nation's public broadcaster in the May budget after the Abbott government announced an efficiency review of the ABC and SBS

The Melbourne crowd was reminded on Saturday of prime minister Tony Abbott's pre-election pledge that there would be no cuts to funding for the ABC or SBS.

"Does anyone here think that was ambiguous?" said David Risstrom, president of the Victorian branch of Friends of the ABC, drawing a loud chant of "No!".

"I ask this government ... keep to your promise. That's as little as I ask today – you made a promise, keep to it!"

Risstrom urged those at the rally, who had gathered at Federation Square around midday on Saturday, to contact government MPs over the coming days until the federal budget is handed down.

He said said ABC's Australia Network service appeared set to be dropped and "who knows what else we're about to lose?" should severe funding cuts be made.

Another speaker, author Elliot Perlman, said the ABC served vital functions, including recording Australia's unique culture, informing Australians about the world and also as an emergency warning service during times of natural disaster.

"It does this 24/7 and it has been doing it for almost 100 years," Perlman said.

"... When a government starves the ABC it tears the most fundamental cultural fabric of this nation and the people of Australia will duly note the identity of the vandals."

Dave Egan, 67, of Melbourne said he felt the ABC was already operating "on a shoestring" and yet it had provided him with years of enjoyment.

"I've worked on the mines, I've worked everywhere and always you had the ABC there to listen to," Mr Egan said.

"It's an institution, part of Australia, it brings a lot of joy and I don't want to see that snuffed out for the next generation."

In Sydney about 1000 people flocked to Martin Place on Saturday.

Veteran ABC journalist Jonathan Holmes told the animated crowd that the ABC was already producing efficiency dividends "like iView and ABC 24 and radio digital channels popping up everywhere".

Holmes said there may or may not be a budgetary crisis in Australia, but there was a crisis of democracy.

"People simply don't trust the politicians any more. That's why, God help us ... so many people are voting for Clive Palmer," he said.

The former host of ABC Radio's breakfast show in Sydney, Adam Spencer, accused politicians of dressing up their loathing for the broadcaster and political motives with an argument claiming inefficiencies.

The community advocacy group GetUp!, which has been behind a Save the ABC campaign including advertising on billboards and organising a 245,000-signature petition, has indicated it will step up pressure on the Abbott government ahead of the budget in two weeks.

Young ABC supporter James Khlentzos, 5, said his motivation to join the sign-wielding crowd was to ensure that he still got to watch his favourite show Octonauts.

For his father, Dion Khlentzos, democracy was his motive.

"I think it's essential to our democracy that we have a essentially neutral media that is able to scrutinise government without fear or favour and without commercial interests," he said.

Concerns about the ABC have heightened in recent months after the Coalition accused the broadcaster of bias over its reporting of asylum seeker torture claims.