No spine for reform among management at ABC: Jonathan Shier

Former ABC MD Jonathan Shier lashes out at the broadcaster’s senior leadership in the wake of Michelle Guthrie’s sacking.

Former ABC managing director Jonathan Shier.

Former ABC managing director Jonathan Shier has lashed out at the broadcaster’s senior leadership for not “having the spine” for reform in the aftermath of Michelle Guthrie’s sacking.

Appearing on Sky News’ The Bolt Report, Mr Shier also criticised the lack of public broadcasting experience of ABC board members, and specifically its chairman Justin Milne.

“You’ve got a situation now (at the ABC) … you’ve got a chairman who’s on the board of NBN, he’s come from Telstra. A few people would say that needs to be looked at ...in the sense that there’s no public broadcasting experience there whatsoever.

“It is a great concern to me that the current chairman when arriving at the ABC said there is no bias at the ABC.”

Mr Shier said that he was not sure that Ms Guthrie went into the ABC “with the intention of bringing major change in the editorial area.”

“My concern is basically that there hasn’t been the spine to actually carry out the changes necessary (at the ABC),” he said.

Mr Shier served less than two years of his five year term as managing director when he was forced out of the role.

“I was very conscious I had five years. Like many people in big jobs your view is if you don’t achieve something in the first two years you won’t achieve much.

“I went at it pretty hard in the first two years. I upset a lot of people.”

Mr Shier also criticised the “fiefdoms that “run well and truly”, giving the example of married couple Sarah Ferguson and Tony Jones.

“Monday night you watch a lady present Four Corners and then you see her husband chair Q&A.”

“It doesn’t naturally flow that on one night a husband and wife team should be basically both performing.”