Media executive and composer Kim Williams will take over from Ita Buttrose as the new chairperson of the ABC in March after being recommended for the position by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
A previous senior executive at the public broadcaster, Williams has held a range of leadership positions across the past five decades, including chief executive at News Corp Australia, Foxtel, Fox Studios Australia, the Australian Film Commission, Southern Star Entertainment and Musica Viva Australia. He also spent nine years as chairman of the Sydney Opera House Trust.
He has also spent time as chair of the Copyright Agency, the Sydney Opera House Trust, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, the Australian Film Finance Corporation, Musica Viva Australia, and the Richard Gill School, as well as deputy chair of the NSW State Conservatorium of Music and an AFL Commissioner.
Albanese said Williams was “eminently qualified to provide ongoing stability and leadership to this deeply valued Australian institution”.
“The ABC plays an essential role in Australia – it’s a pillar of our democracy, a lifeline in disaster, a voice for the regions, and part of our cultural identity,” he said.
“It’s vital our national broadcaster has a safe and experienced pair of hands at the helm – and that’s what Kim will provide.”
Buttrose, who became only the second woman to hold the position when she took over from acting chair Kirstin Ferguson in March 2019, advised the government in August last year she would not be seeking reappointment.
The announcement of her successor comes as the ABC faces backlash for the dismissal of newsreader Antoinette Lattouf from a short-term contract in December, a matter that has since become the subject of a case before the Fair Work Commission. Lattouf has claimed unlawful termination on the grounds of “political opinion or a reason that included political opinion”.
On Monday, the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) announced union members at the broadcaster had passed a vote of no confidence in managing director David Anderson for failing to defend the integrity of the ABC and its staff from outside attacks. This prompted Buttrose to release a statement on Tuesday, in which she described the notion that Anderson had shown a lack of support for independent journalism and journalists as “abhorrent and incorrect”, while noting the ABC board had passed a unanimous vote of confidence in him.
MEAA acting chief executive Adam Portelli said Williams would take office at a critical time for the ABC’s future.
“Following yesterday’s board meeting, the current chair, Ita Buttrose, revealed she is completely out of touch with the concerns felt in newsrooms across Australia,” he said.
“Dozens of staff have told us their first-hand experiences of feeling unsupported by management when under external attack and the negative impact this is having on their ability to do their jobs and on the reputation and integrity of the ABC. But Ms Buttrose failed to acknowledge these concerns.
“ABC journalists have put forward five very reasonable suggestions to restore the confidence of staff in the managing director but at this stage, Mr Anderson has not committed to an urgent meeting as they requested.
“We are optimistic that the incoming chair, Kim Williams, will bring a more collaborative approach to dealing with issues of cultural safety and editorial integrity than has been witnessed under Ms Buttrose. He must understand that nothing less than the reputation of the ABC is at stake here.”