Ita Buttrose ‘must be champion of ABC’

The federal government’s move to tap Ita Buttrose as the new ABC chairwoman has been endorsed by top media executives.

David Hill backs the appointment of Ita Buttrose.

The federal government’s move to tap Ita Buttrose as the new chairwoman of the ABC has been endorsed by top media executives, as the high-profile former newspaper and magazine editor faces the daunting task of rebuilding the public broadcaster.

Former ABC chairman and managing director David Hill, who has known Ms Buttrose since the 1980s, said she would be a “very good” chairwoman, citing her vast media experience. “She’s got to stand up and defend the ABC against attacks by politicians, which is something her predecessor failed to do,” he told The Australian yesterday. “She’s got to do more than protect and defend the ABC, she’s got to be their champion, and I’m sure she will.”

Mr Hill rejected talk that Ms Buttrose had no connection to the ABC, noting her father was the assistant general manager of the public broadcaster in the 1970s.

“It would have been her bread and butter, so she would have been brought up on the ABC,” he said. “He would have been very proud of her. He was an old warrior, he was an old ABC warrior. I think she’s got the same instincts.”

Five months after the ABC board imploded following the sacking of managing director Michelle Guthrie and subsequent resignation of chairman Justin Milne, Prime Minister Scott Morrison yesterday tasked the 77-year-old to rebuild and lead the broadcaster, despite not being on the all-male short-list.

Ms Buttrose has more than 50 years of media experience, having worked everywhere from Rupert Murdoch’s News Ltd newspapers to Kerry Packer’s Australian Consolidated Press. Most recently she worked at free-to-air commerc­ial broad­casters Network 10 and Nine Network.

Ms Buttrose is only the second woman in the ABC’s 87-year history to have the role.

Ms Buttrose said she was “very honoured” to have been asked to chair the ABC and vowed to fight for its independence.

“My father worked at the ABC for a number of years and when he retired he was assistant general manager so I do know the culture of the ABC particularly well.

“I’m a passionate believer in the independence of the ABC and I will do everything in my utmost power to make sure it remains that way,” Ms Buttrose said at a media briefing in Sydney.

Ms Buttrose said the ABC must continue to push ahead in the digital media space. But declined to comment on the future of “Project Jetstream”, her predecessor’s plan to build a giant digital database to house all ABC content, adding that she had to speak to Mr Anderson and the board.

Ms Buttrose said she “won’t be frightened to ask” for more funding if she thinks the ABC needs it, but said she hadn’t gone through its accounts or discussed it with acting managing director David Anderson or acting chairwoman Kirstin Ferguson. The ABC has an annual budget of $1 billion.

Bridget Fair, who represents Australia’s commercial free-to-air TV broadcasters through industry group Free TV Australia, welcomed the news. “Ita Buttrose will bring experience, integrity and substance to the role of chair, all of which will be a great asset to the national broadcaster,” she said.

ThinkTV chief executive Kim Portrate described Ms Buttrose as “incredibly accomplished, both as a businesswoman and a member of the media community”.