TLDR
The ABC paid Grace Tame $9,200 in total, at $2,300 per episode, to host Autistic AF, a four-part podcast that premiered in June 2026 and has since concluded. A single episode of Media Watch costs the ABC $4,440.52 in non-salary production expenses alone.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
What the ABC paid and what it bought
The ABC paid Grace Tame $9,200 in total to host Autistic AF, a four-part series sitting under the broadcaster's Ladies, We Need To Talk podcast, at $2,300 an episode, covering all presenting, research and promotional work attached to the role.[1] The ABC confirmed Tame's engagement concluded after the series wrapped.
Under Freedom of Information (FOI) reference 202526-115, released 28 April 2026, the ABC disclosed that the average non-salary production cost of a single Media Watch episode is $4,440.52.[2] Tame's per-episode presenter fee of $2,300 is roughly half that figure, before staff salaries are counted.
Autistic AF with Grace Tame was produced jointly by ABC Audio Studios' Ladies, We Need To Talk podcast and the Radio National Science Unit.[3] The series explored the experiences of women and girls with autism.
How the number became public
The $9,200 figure entered public circulation in September 2026, after the ABC's FOI disclosure log made the contract details available and reporting followed.[1] The ABC has been managing editorial job cuts across production units at the same time, making every commissioning dollar a point of attention for staff and critics watching the broadcaster's spending.
The ABC Act requires the broadcaster to publish an FOI disclosure log, documenting the release of production cost and contract materials. Tame's $9,200 total for four episodes sits close to what the broadcaster spends on two Media Watch episodes in non-salary costs alone.
What the ABC said
ABC Managing Director Hugh Marks addressed the controversy in a radio interview on 9 June 2026, the week the series premiered. "Obviously, I understand why people feel Grace shouldn't have a program on the ABC given the controversy," Marks said, "but I think if you look at the program itself, you know, it's a great podcast."[4]
Tame described the series as personal territory in the ABC's press release for the show. "Like too many fellow autistic women and gender diverse people, I've spent most of my life trying to fit into an often-unwelcoming world that I don't fully understand. That is why I am thrilled to be working on this miniseries about women and girls' unique experiences of autism," she said. "I hope it opens hearts and minds, breaks down barriers, answers questions, provokes curiosity, and resonates with autistic and neurotypical listeners alike."[3]
The series premiered on 2 June 2026.[3] The FOI disclosure that put a dollar figure to the arrangement was released five months before the series launched, on 28 April 2026.
SOURCES & CITATIONS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How much did the ABC pay Grace Tame for the Autistic AF podcast?
How does Tame's fee compare to the cost of producing Media Watch?
Is Grace Tame still working with the ABC?
What is Autistic AF about?
Xaviery Malinao writes for Prompt the Market on how brands and agencies are adapting to answer engines, drawing on Bushnote's work with clients across search, AI search and content.
