Prime Minister Tony Abbott has been accused of unprecedented political interference in the ABC by demanding the broadcaster move panel program Q&A into its news division before he lifts a boycott of the program.

In a letter sent to ABC chairman Jim Spigelman on Friday, Mr Abbott said he would be happy to lift a ban on his frontbenchers appearing on Q&A if the ABC transferred the program from its television department to news and current affairs.

Mr Spigelman had written to Mr Abbott a day earlier saying the shift was under "active consideration".

Mr Abbott's letter has infuriated ABC management and the ABC board, which is insisting it will not rush into a decision to appease the government.

The ABC board is set to discuss the issue, as planned, at a meeting on August 6, meaning the government's boycott of the program is likely to last at least another month.

Mr Abbott has said "heads should roll" at the broadcaster for allowing former terror suspect Zaky Mallah to ask a question live on air and called Q&A a "lefty lynch mob".

Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Friday complied with Mr Abbott's boycott by withdrawing from a scheduled appearance on Monday's Q&A. Mr Turnbull - who has previously stressed the ABC's editorial independence from government - will instead appear on the ABC's 7.30 program.

"This is unwarranted interference in the ABC," a senior ABC source said. "Our message is basically, 'get f----ed'. There is a strong view that this is the most direct interference from government into the ABC in memory."

Former ABC managing director David Hill told Fairfax Media: "This is not compatible with the ABC's independence. The government doesn't decide how the ABC runs its programming."

"The ABC would be crazy to countenance having the Prime Minister decide how it runs its affairs. The board has to disregard it."

Mr Hill,  who ran the broadcaster from 1987 to 1995, criticised the ABC for issuing a "kneejerk" apology for Mallah's appearance on Q&A the day after the controversial broadcast. "It was most unwise to be so hasty in issuing an apology before subjecting Q&A to a reasonable review," he said.

Former ABC staff-elected director Quentin Dempster, now a journalist at Fairfax Media, said: "This looks like coercive pressure on the ABC. It is an issue for the ABC's independence if the board is seen to be buckling to the PM.

"Q&A has been a success in viewer engagement and the clash of ideas in this country and I urge the board not to put it at risk."

In a letter sent to Mr Abbott on Thursday, Mr Spigelman outlined the terms of reference for an editorial review of Q&A to be conducted by television veteran Ray Martin and former SBS managing director Shaun Brown.

"One of the options under active consideration is to transfer the program to the News division," he wrote. "I see merit in this proposal."

Mr Abbott replied by saying this decision would be "appropriate".

"In your letter to me you indicate that transferring Q&A to the news division 'has merit'.

"Frontbenchers look forward to resuming their participation on Q&A once this moves take place. I hope this can happen as soon as possible."

While ABC programs in the news and television divisions are governed by the same editorial policies, moving Q&A into the news division would be a cultural change for the program. Like programs such as 7.30 and Lateline, it would be overseen by a journalist, news director Kate Torney.

Earlier this year Mr Turnbull said: "I have no right, no power, nor should I have, to direct the editorial content of the ABC.

"The responsibility for ensuring that the ABC's news and information services are balanced and objective and impartial, and accurate, is in section eight of the act, and that responsibility lies with the board of directors."

A bemused Coalition source said: "We can't legislate for gay marriage and talk about national security at the same time, but we can talk about a TV show for weeks. Why on earth are we prioritising this?"

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