sentences:  On 13 May 1970, Hulme sent Madgwick a letter saying that he (Hulme) would, for the 1970–71 budget, be asking the Treasurer to cut ABC's budget by $500,000 and that at least half that cut would be applied to current affairs programming.The letter caused anger and consternation among the ABC's administrators, who felt that the threat undermined the ABC's independence and authority to decide its own programming.Because Madgwick was temporarily unavailable due to illness, ABC's board of commissioners met with Hulme to protest his intentions.