ABC presenter's pronunciation for his Prime Minister -> Abbott ;
original programme
The presenter, as do other Aussies in the programme, pronounces Abbott as /ˈɛb ət/, while dictionary.com has /ˈæb ət/. Is the dictionary wrong?
When they in Australia call their Prime Minister /ˈɛb ət/, others do /ˈæb ət/?
Or /æ/, dragged by /b/, has approached to /ɛ/?
(When people say /ɛ/ instead of /æ/ it's called broad accent in wikipedia.org, I don't believe they are using it.)
Answer
Pronunciation differs between dialects. Dictionary.com's pronunciation is most likely a General American dialect where "Abbott" would indeed be pronounced as in their example.
With regards to names, pronunciation is dictated by parents for given names and culture/tradition for surnames. If Australians typically pronounce Abbott as /ˈɛb ət/ then it would follow that their Prime Minister's name should be pronounced /ˈɛb ət/. In the end, the final authority would be Abbott himself.
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