Top earning ABC staff and their fat cat six-figure salaries

The national broadcaster has been tight-lipped about salaries but does reveal some of its top earners. See the list.

The ABC is refusing to say how much it will pay its incoming managing director Hugh Marks, but his predecessor David Anderson pocketed $1.1 million in a year.

The national broadcaster has been tight-lipped about salaries but does reveal some of its top earners as mandated by the Federal Government.

Mr Anderson earned $1.1 million in 2024, while chief financial officer Melanie Kleyn made $633,571.

Former chief content officer Chris Oliver Taylor was paid $672,744 until he left the broadcaster last month.

His departure came amid an ongoing court battle over the sacking of presenter Antoinette Lattouf.

The ABC’s news director Justin Stevens, who was appointed to the role in 2022, was paid $556,626 in 2024, the ABC’s annual report says.

But the broadcaster has not revealed the pay packets of its on air staff as the BBC has done since 2016 with the UK government demanding more transparency.

The ABC lists 151 staff who are paid more than $250,000 in its annual report, breaking it down into bands of pay.

There were 11 staff paid between $345,001 to $370,000, seven were paid $370,001 to $395,000, while 17 were paid over that mark.
The ABC said in a statement: “The salary range for the ABC Managing Director, ABC Chair and Directors of the Board are set by the Government Remuneration Tribunal.

“This information is published in the ABC Annual Report, as required by the Australian Government.”

The BBC had hit out about being forced to list the salaries of its highly paid presenters when former Prime Minister Theresa May ordered them to be disclosed.

Football star Gary Linker was the BBC’s top paid presenter, earning $2.7 million in 2024.

He announced in November he would leave the Match of the Day program at the end of this Premier League season.

Originally published as Top earning ABC staff and their fat cat six-figure salaries