Former ABC managing director Brian Johns was ‘a man ahead of his time’

Tim Burrowes

January 1, 2016 8:27

ABC managing director Mark Scott has paid tribute to his predecessor Brian Johns, who has died after a long illness.

Johns ran the ABC from 1995 to 2000 after a career which began in newspapers, and later took in SBS, Penguin Books, Queensland University of Technology and the Copyright Agency.

Johns’ time at the helm coincided with the launch of ABC Online. He was succeeded by Jonathan Shier, who lasted less than two years in the role.

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Tim Burrowes

Tim Burrowes is the publisher of Mumbrella and Unmade. He co-founded Mumbrella in 2008 and sister title Unmade in 2021. He's worked in the UK, Middle East, Asia & Australia and has specialised in writing about the communications world for the last 25 years. He wrote the book Media Unmade, published in 2021, and became the presenter of MediaLand on ABC Radio National in 2025.

Topics

ABC Mark Scott

3 COMMENTS

Numbers 4 Jan 16

Scott emphasises technology where I remember a terrific period of content and some strong actions in building a truly national base. These are the missing factors today.

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Paridell 4 Jan 16

It was Brian Johns who put the Friday night trots on SBS. Maybe that was before he was ahead of his time.

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myriad 5 Jan 16

I can remember both the ABC and SBS generally producing better quality programs under Brian Johns. Scott’s legacy, apart from his digital rush, will remain a question mark for some time.

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