ABC budget cuts to be about five percent, Malcolm Turnbull says

Budget cuts to the ABC will be about five percent over five years, Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull says.

Media reports have predicted Mr Turnbull will this week announce cuts of up to $300 million over five years to the ABC and SBS.

Mr Turnbull declined to put a dollar figure on the controversial cuts to the national broadcaster, but said they were "relatively modest".

"It's about five per cent of the ABC ... it will average over five years about five percent off the top," he said on the ABC's Q&A program on Monday.

He said he would have a lot more to say about the issue later this week, but was adamant the cuts should not cause programming cuts.

"I have gone to considerable pains to ensure that the ABC is well able to deliver these savings without cutting into the resources available to programming, through cutting back office costs, administrative," he said.

"Anyone here who has been in business ... that could not manage to find five percent out of efficiencies is not even trying."