SBS has promoted director of Indigenous content Tanya Denning-Orman to the newly created role of director, First Nations, where she will lead a network-wide strategy for Indigenous content across all the broadcaster’s channels and platforms.
Denning-Orman moves into this new role after almost five years on the SBS executive team and 12 years of running National Indigenous Television (NITV) as part of the SBS network.
With her new appointment, she will now step back from the management and operations of NITV, while continuing to work closely with the team in delivering the network-wide Indigenous content strategy.
The proud Birri and Guugu Yimidhirr woman said the role’s creation marked another chapter for SBS in “bringing Australians together to benefit from increasing understanding and connection with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stories”.
“It demonstrates the vital role First Nations perspectives have as part of a network that has a history of being a pioneer in ensuring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have an authentic voice and a platform in the national media, and an ambition and commitment to reach higher, and continue to do more,” she said.
SBS managing director James Taylor said Denning-Orman would play a “critical leading role in continuing to evolve and transform SBS as the national, contemporary public broadcaster for all Australians”.
“She will further embed Indigenous cultural perspectives in our strategy, impacting how we meaningfully engage with communities and how we operate and innovate as a network,” he said.
“This reflects our ambition as a network to continue to deepen our approach, and builds on the achievements Tanya has been instrumental in driving across the network, her extensive experience and expertise, as well as SBS’s role and responsibility as an Elevate RAP partner, and the growth and success of NITV.”
NITV will recruit a new position of general manager with editorial and operational responsibility for the channel. Jason Oakley, head of business, relationships, and community impact at NITV, will be acting general manager, with a process to be undertaken for the role ongoing.