Australian Musicians Are Busking In Protest to Cuts at ABC Radio National

Musicians around Australia are taking to the streets in an unusual form of protest. In response to the recent decision by ABC Radio National to decommission music programs The Daily Planet, The Inside Sleeve, The Live Set and The Rhythm Divine, buskers will gather en masse outside ABC offices in capital cities to voice their concerns and belt out a few tunes.

Set to take place in Sydney today, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Hobart tomorrow, and Brisbane next Thursday, the RN or Busk protests are being coordinated by the Save RN Music campaign. "We need these shows for our careers, our community, our families and Australian Culture, because these shows play and support independent adult contemporary music," reads the Facebook event page for the Melbourne protest. "They are the lifeline from the musicians to the audience."

Meanwhile, a number of prominent musicians including Paul Kelly, Missy Higgins, Archie Roach, Sarah Blasko, Tim Freedman, Megan Washington and Dan Sultan have co-signed an open letter addressed to ABC board members saying they were "appalled" by the ABC's decision to scrap the programs "without proper industry and public consultation".

"The cuts deliver a fundamental blow to diverse, vibrant and independent sectors of the Australian music industry, which receive minimal national radio coverage elsewhere," the letter reads. It also directs the board to an online petition, signed by more than 15,000 people, that calls on the ABC to reverse its decision.

To find a busk in your city, go here, and to learn more about the Save RN Music campaign, go here.