Former Nine Entertainment chief executive Hugh Marks has been appointed as the new managing director of the ABC and has signalled the national broadcaster will need to "make choices" about its priorities to maintain the quality of its news and programs.
The appointment of Mr Marks, an experienced commercial media executive, comes as the ABC navigates the digital transformation of the sector and grapples with declining radio and television audiences.
The ABC's current managing director, David Anderson, announced in August he would be stepping down from the role, just one year after being reappointed for a second five-year term.
The ABC's chair, Kim Williams, who started in the role in March, has been outspoken about his desire to revitalise the national broadcaster and fortify its standing as a leading cultural institution.
"Hugh is an unusually good fit for the ABC, having experience with the only organisation [Nine Entertainment] comparable in range and depth to the ABC," he said.
Mr Marks oversaw the merger of Nine Entertainment's television network with Fairfax Media's newspaper and radio platforms in 2018.
Mr Williams said the new managing director would bring "a strong history of innovation in online delivery" to the organisation as it considered the best ways to bring news, current affairs, light entertainment and drama to Australians.
The ABC chair told Radio Sydney Mr Marks was not only qualified for the role, but had a "very keen appetite to perform and to excel".
"What we really need in terms of a program of renewal and invigoration at the ABC is an unqualified commitment to excellence and to really exceeding at making the ABC as good as it could possibly be," he said.
"Hugh brings a real hunger for that kind of achievement".
Mr Williams said he hoped Mr Marks got to understand the broadcaster from the inside.
"I would hope that Hugh is a very keen listener and that he gets to know the organisation from the inside rather than purely having an external viewpoint," he said.
A focus on audience trust and quality content
Mr Marks said he was "energised" about leading the ABC when he officially starts in March, given its "unique position" in Australia's media landscape.
"All Australians, when they want to know the truth, or the facts, or at least the different perspectives on an issue so that they're informed, know that they can come to the ABC and trust that it's that place that they're going to get [that]," he said.
Asked about his top priorities, Mr Marks noted the need for the ABC to focus its efforts on areas of excellence and not spread itself too thinly.
"Just because it's possible, doesn't mean you should do it," he said.
"We should just focus [on]: What is it that we can do well? How can we do it well?"
"Focusing on those things and making choices to prioritise on the things that you can do well, I think, is a discussion we're all going to have to have."
While not detailing what those choices might entail, Mr Marks said the competitive media landscape meant the ABC could not compromise on quality.
"Where there are so many choices for audiences to engage with content … you have to be excellent, you have to stand out," he said.
A new era for the ABC
Former managing director David Anderson and former chair Ita Buttrose were regarded as steady hands at the helm of the ABC, following a tumultuous period of conflict between the board and the executive.
Mr Anderson oversaw a shift in the organisation's focus from broadcast to digital services and the relocation of much of the Sydney-based workforce to Parramatta.
The dual leadership of Mr Williams and Mr Marks, with their backgrounds in managing major changes in commercial media organisations, suggests the beginning of a more assertive era for the ABC in tackling the digital media revolution.
The pair is also mindful of the considerable scrutiny of the ABC's coverage of divisive issues, such as the Voice referendum and Israel's invasion of Gaza following Hamas's October 7 attack.
Mr Williams has emphasised the need for the organisation to scrupulously adhere to its impartiality requirements. Mr Marks declined to comment directly, but argued all news organisations could improve the way they covered contentious issues.
"Overall, in the media we've tended to fall into a pattern of choosing extreme voices from two sides of a debate … I think we need to do a better job of getting informed voices," he said.
"A bit more policy, a lot less politics, and really illuminating issues rather than debating the extremes."
'We need to be a lot more proactive'
Nine Entertainment has been reeling from a series of allegations about inappropriate conduct by senior executives over many years.
Mr Marks said he had been unaware of the alleged behaviour during his tenure and the details had "been a shock" to him.
"I guess my reflection on that particular issue is an understanding of how hard it is for complainants to make a complaint," he said.
He said he now understood that "perhaps we've been too reliant in the past on a complaint being made and now we need to be a lot more proactive".
"I think having been through that experience, I can see how I can do a much better job at getting down into the organisation and hearing what's going on and understanding how important that is and making sure that's a priority."
The ABC has had its own reckoning with its internal culture after an independent review finding widespread racism within the organisation.
It prompted an apology from ABC management to current and former staff who had experienced racism in the organisation.