Former News Limited CEO Kim Williams named new ABC Chair, replacing Ita Buttrose

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that he has endorsed former Foxtel and News Limited boss Kim Williams to replace Ita Buttrose as the new ABC chair.

Buttrose will step down from the role in March, and Williams will be appointed for five years.

Speaking to the media, Albanese 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," describing Williams as "such a perfect fit for the role, it’s almost as if he were made for it."

"There aren’t too many Australians I can think of who have both studied composition in Italy and been an AFL commissioner. Kim is a true renaissance man, the breadth of his experience is matched by his depth and his intellect, his energy, and his insatiable curiosity," Albanese added.

Communications Minister Michelle Rowland – who joined Albanese at the press conference – thanked Buttrose for her time in the role and said, "Ms Buttrose is a giant of the media and business worlds."

"She has shown steady leadership for five years. She's maintained a strong defence of the ABC's independence.

"She was the right chair for the right time."

As well as News Limited CEO, Williams' career includes chief executive at News Limited and Foxtel, as well as chairman of the Sydney Opera House Trust and AFL commissioner. He is currently chair of Thomson Reuters Founders Share Company, co-chair of the State Library of NSW Foundation Board, and director of Stradivarius Pty Ltd.

Williams told the media he sees the job as a “solemn responsibility,” and that "I certainly think giving life to those responsibilities is one of the great enduring challenges in Australia, and it’s a privilege to do so."

The nomination comes at a critical time for the ABC, less than 48 hours after upwards of 100 ABC union staff passed a vote of no confidence in the broadcaster’s managing director, David Anderson. The vote was called in response to the ongoing Fair Work case brought by former ABC radio host Antoinette Lattouf.

See Also: ABC board to hold emergency meeting after staff pass vote of no confidence in David Anderson

Anderson and the ABC reject claims that the broadcaster has been influenced by any external pressure.