Kim Williams is a “wonderful advocate-in-chief” for the ABC and is “very clear” his responsibility as chair is to run the board, managing director Hugh Marks has said in response to allegations that Williams helped a comedian to secure radio interviews.
Williams conceded on Monday an email he sent to radio management that was critical of regional radio staff for declining to interview Austen Tayshus was “inappropriate”.
Marks told Ali Moore on ABC Melbourne Drive Williams was “very distressed” that his actions may have put the ABC’s reputation “in jeopardy” and “there is nothing that Kim would rather not do”.
Asked by Moore if it would ever happen again, Marks said: “No, I don’t think it will. I think we’re very both very clear on what the right governance structure is.”
ABC Media Watch host Linton Besser revealed on Monday night that Williams had intervened on behalf of the 71-year-old comedian, whose real name is Sandy Gutman, on no fewer than five occasions to secure interviews ahead of appearances at regional New South Wales pubs. Marks did not shy away from the gravity of the revelations, telling Media Watch the matters raised by the program were important.
A former CEO of Nine Entertainment, Marks began his tenure at the public broadcaster in March after David Anderson resigned a year into a second five-year contract. Williams took over as chair from Ita Buttrose in March 2024.
On Wednesday Marks said “management needs to have the ability to run the organisation” and the governance issues were now clear.
“I’ve arrived at the ABC, and Kim and I are very clear, Kim’s responsibility is to run the board and to be the advocate-in-chief for the ABC, and he will be a wonderful advocate for this organisation,” Marks told Moore.
“The board exists and proper governance [is] to review what management does. Kim does not have any question with that. That’s very clear. And he said as much in the Media Watch article as well.”
Marks said Williams has learned a lesson and realised “he casts a long shadow” when he had a vision for something.
“And he [Williams] thinks, ‘I’m just being direct,’ [but] sometimes that’s received differently by other people, and he casts a long shadow,” he said.
“So I think from him on reflection, understanding his shadow, understanding the impact he has, and me being here and operating that relationship right between board and management [now] we’re very clear about that.
“We’ll get that right going forward.”
Marks also responded to Peter Dutton’s labelling of the ABC as part of the “hate media”, saying it was “disappointing” that the ABC’s work was not recognised by the opposition leader.
On Sunday, Dutton told supporters: “Forget about what you have been told by the ABC, in the Guardian and the other hate media.”
Dutton has refused to rule out cuts to the ABC, and attempts by Williams to secure a face-to-face meeting with the opposition leader have been repeatedly rejected.
Asked about Dutton’s quip on FM radio on Wednesday that people should not watch the ABC’s election coverage on Saturday night, Marks said: “It’s no laughing matter. There is a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes. There are a lot of good people that work at this organisation. There is a great sense of purpose.”
Marks highlighted ABC election projects Your Say and Vote Compass as valuable services the ABC was providing during the campaign.
“I’m really proud of this election coverage,” Marks said. “We started off with a very clear focus on policy. You know, we wanted to talk about policy not politics. We wanted to talk about policy not personality. And I think the team have done an incredible job.”
He said he was shocked by how much content the broadcaster created and that it was impossible for him to be across it all.
As part of his plans for the corporation, he said he was reviewing whether the ABC needs to “do everything” or could “spend our resources more wisely on doing fewer things better”.
Marks said if he could increase the ABC’s audience and grow the trust in the broadcaster, he would have done a good job.
