ABC Managing Director David Anderson resigns

David Anderson has given his notice to the ABC Board and will leave his job as Managing Director when a new MD is recruited, expected to be early next year..

Anderson was appointed Managing Director in May 2019 after Michelle Guthrie’s short but turbulent tenure as MD. He was one of the last senior executives left standing, when others resigned during Guthrie’s reign.

Anderson has enjoyed a thirty-year career at the ABC across a wide range of television, digital strategy and executive roles and stepped into the MD role to keep the ship sailing after Guthrie departed. He was on the record at that time saying he had also considered leaving.

Last year, before the appointment of Kim Williams as the new Chair, Anderson renewed his contract for another five year term.

Williams has asked Anderson to stay on in the role until a new Managing Director has been appointed to ensure a smooth transition.

In a note to ABC staff today David Anderson said his decision has not been an easy one:

“I am still very much committed to the importance of the ABC to the nation. I believe it is the right moment for leadership renewal for the next stage of the ABC’s continued evolution.

“To have the opportunity to serve the Australian public and lead such talented and dedicated people across the country and overseas for what is approaching six years is humbling.

“I am grateful to Kim Williams and the Board for their support and their efforts to persuade me to stay on for my full second term. Their unabashed enthusiasm for the importance and future of the Corporation makes this decision easier. I am confident the timing is right for both me and the ABC.”

ABC Chair Kim Williams acknowledged David Anderson as a “loyal, devoted and talented ABC executive.”

“He has served the Corporation in the best tradition of committed public service over a long period… My admiration for him and his commitment to the ABC is undiminished and my respect grows ever greater. He is an exemplary executive in many ways.”

As Managing Director, Anderson brought stability to the organisation, with staff recognising and respecting his knowledge of how the corporation worked and his understanding of the importance of public service media to Australian society. His tenure as MD included the ABC’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, defending press freedom following Federal Police raids on ABC offices, and navigating changing audience consumption habits.

He successfully advocated for reinvestment in the ABC after several years of budget cuts, an increase in journalist numbers in regional Australia, and an expansion of services to audiences across the Indo-Pacific. Recently, with the possibility Meta not renewing its funcing agreement in Australia,  journalistic numbers are now likely to shrink again.

The ABC Board will begin the process to select a new Managing Director.