Julian Day will present Classic Breakfast, one of the station’s most popular shows.

ABC Classic FM have announced changes to the station’s programming as part of the restructuring of the broadcaster’s offering in the wake of recently announced federal funding cuts to the ABC.

Veteran ABC Classic FM broadcaster, and regular Limelight Magazine contributor Julian Day will become the new host of Classic Breakfast, one of the stations highest rating programs. He will be replacing Emma Ayres who recently announced she would leaving the show. Day has been presenting and producing for the radio station for over a decade. “After hosting Classic Breakfast for a number of summer seasons I’m delighted to join your mornings through the coming year,” Day said of the appointment.

The move to Classic FM’s breakfast show will be welcome news for Day, who formerly presented New Music Up Late, the first program at Classic FM to be confirmed as axed. A petition to save the major platform for the promotion of contemporary Australian music has secured over 1600 signatures in recent weeks, and John Davis, the CEO of the Australian Music Centre also published an open letter the ABC’s Managing Director, Mark Scott to compel him to save the show. However the program is still due to be removed from the station’s schedule from January 2015, with new programming already confirmed to fill the time slot previously occupied by New Music Up Late.

Other changes to the station’s programming include a regular slot for Screen Sounds, which will play the best music composed for the screen on Saturday’s 5 – 7pm, presented by Phillip Sametz. There is also the introduction of Sunday Recital, also hosted by Sametz, which will showcase the best chamber music and recital performances from around Australia and beyond.

Saturday night programing receives the biggest overhaul with all the existing programs replaced by a single, five hour show. The new program, titled Evenings, will be presented by Graham Abbott, who has formerly presented Classic FM’s Keys to Music program, between 7pm and midnight. The show will feature a live or same-week broadcast of headline orchestral concert from around the country as well as presenting a “rich and exciting” range of music before and after the concert. Previously Saturday night has been divided between four programmes including New Music Up Late and Jazztrack. As part of the restructuring of ABC Classic FM all jazz programming has been moved to ABC Radio National.

Described by one inside source at Classic FM as “the most critical cut”, a proposed reduction of recording and broadcasting live Australian performances by 50% in 2015 provoked an angry outcry from Classic FM listeners. Despite this cutback Classic FM have pledged to broadcast at least one Australian concert a day next year although the exact amount of live broadcasts is yet to be revealed. Currently live broadcasts constitute 17 hours of the stations output each week.