‘Hold on to your hats’: Kim Williams’ appointment won’t stop changes at ABC
On a new episode of the Mumbrellacast, editor Neil Griffiths and publisher Adam Lang dissected Wednesday’s news that former News Corp CEO Kim Williams will take over as ABC chair.
Williams, who has also previously worked as CEO of Foxtel, and chair of the Sydney Opera House Trust and the Australian Film Commission, will take over from Ita Buttrose who wraps up her five-year term on March 6.
Given his extensive experience in news media, and the current volatility at the public broadcaster – which includes an ongoing Fair Work Commission hearing with Antoinette Lattouf, claims of staff unrest, and music industry stalwart Richard Kingsmill being let go from triple j – it’s fair to suggest the ABC needs some stability. However, according to Lang, he believes more big changes will come under Williams’ watch.
“Change has been happening and no doubt that will continue,” Lang said.
“I do see Kim Williams as a change agent. So, I do expect that to continue.”
Whether media and marketing pundits should be excited or cautious about Williams’ appointment, Lang replied: “Hold on to your hats.”
“Ultimately, I think what Kim has shown through his career is he’s very audience focused. He knows he needs to run the business to focus on the audience need.”
Lang continued: “It’s an enormous organisation. It is publicly funded. And so, we all feel like stakeholders in it and we are, so he’s beholden to the Australian taxpayer … sometimes it can feel like the staff own the ABC, but the truth is they don’t.
“Whether you’re streaming Bluey to your kids or you’re watching Vera on ABC2 or listening to triple j or reading it online, in whatever way you engage with the ABC, it is our ABC. And I’m sure Kim is very aware of that.
“There’s no chance in my mind that this is going to be nothing to see here, situation normal, no noise. There’s going to be change. I do foresee that that is the most likely scenario.”
Listen to the full Mumbrellacast here.
You don’t say. Expect to see more ex, or soon to be ex Sky people in the ABC.
User ID not verified.