Ita Buttrose will not seek a second term as ABC chair when it expires in March 2024 but her “formidable” leadership of the public broadcaster has been marked by “speaking truth to power”, the communications minister, Michelle Rowland, has said.
“Ms Buttrose is a formidable corporate leader who has served with distinction, speaking truth to power and upholding governance standards to protect independent public broadcasting,” Rowland said.
“She has much to do in the remainder of her term and will leave the ABC stronger than when she was entrusted with the role in 2019.”
Buttrose said in a statement she had enjoyed her time as chair and there was still work to be done before March.
“There have been many memories, some challenges, and I have relished the opportunity to play a role in the ABC’s history,” Buttrose said. “Our 90th celebrations last year remain a high point for me but there are many moments I will always remember. Among those are the many interactions with both ABC staff and our audiences across the country.”
The media veteran, 81, was appointed for a five-year term by the Coalition government in 2019 at a time of great turmoil at the ABC when her predecessor Justin Milne was forced to resign in the face of damaging allegations he compromised the independence of the public broadcaster.
She came on board after Michelle Guthrie was sacked just two and a half years into her five-year term as the ABC’s managing director, and worked with David Anderson in the role of acting managing director until appointing him to the role in May 2019.
The selection of the former magazine and newspaper editor was not uncontroversial at the time because she was a captain’s pick by then prime minister Scott Morrison.
Then in opposition, Rowland criticised the appointment as being tainted by political interference.
But Buttrose proved to be unafraid to stand up for the ABC’s independence and was praised by Rowland on Tuesday for her “outstanding leadership of the national broadcaster”.
“Ms Buttrose brought renewed stability following a period of great organisational upheaval at the ABC,” Rowland said. “She has been a strong defender of the independence of the ABC, as well as a fierce advocate for the important role it plays in Australian society.”
In 2020, in what was to be her strongest statement as chair, Buttrose said the attempt by the Coalition to set up an inquiry into the ABC’s complaints system “appears to be a blatant attempt to usurp the role of the ABC board and undermine the operational independence of the ABC”.
Earlier, she accused the Coalition government of a pattern of behaviour which “smacks of political interference” after ministers complained about an upcoming Four Corners program Inside the Canberra Bubble.
She also threw her support behind a media freedom act and declared 2019’s Australian federal police raids “clearly designed to intimidate”.
Under Buttrose the ABC has developed a new five-year plan to move towards digital delivery of content, overseen a major restructure and introduced audio-description for blind and vision-impaired Australians.
Buttrose has suffered from some health challenges this year after requiring back surgery which meant she could not travel to Western Australia for a board meeting and had to chair the meeting via video call.
Asked on Friday by Virginia Trioli on ABC Radio Melbourne if she would seek a second term, Buttrose said she was “mulling it over” but she had to be “practical” about the limitations of age.
“I found the ABC very challenging, but very enjoyable,” Buttrose said. “The five years have gone by really quickly.”
The government will begin a selection process to appoint the next chair and is committed to abiding by the independent nomination panel run by the communications department, utilising an external executive search agency.
“Ms Buttrose is a giant of Australia’s media industry, and the government thanks her for her exemplary service as chair of the ABC,” Rowland said.
“She navigated the public broadcaster through a challenging period that included strident political criticism, the Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing transformation of the ABC so it can remain an essential part of Australian life in the digital age.
