Ita Buttrose shares the real reason why she left the presidency of ABC after five years: “You have to know when to step aside”

Ita Buttrose will step down as ABC president this week, and the media veteran on Sunday revealed the real reason she quit the top job.

The radio and television personality, 82, has a six-decade career in the industry and spent the last five years serving as president of the government broadcasting network.

With his replacement, Kim Williams, preparing to take over this week, Buttrose said. Stellar is something to talk about podcast was simply its time.

‘Five years is a long time to serve at ABC. “I know some presidents have moved on and served a second term, but I am aware that I am a woman of a certain age,” she told editor-in-chief Sarrah Le Marquand.

‘Sometimes you need to look at yourself and say, “Well, I’m a person of a certain age and everything’s fine, and cognitively I’m fine,” but still weigh it.’

‘Another five years. How would it be? You have to know in yourself when you should step aside. I felt that. It had nothing to do with any current events,” he added.

Communications Minister Michelle Rowland made the unexpected announcement last August that Ita would step down as ABC chair.

“Ms Buttrose is a giant of Australia’s media industry, and the government thanks her for her exemplary service as chair of the ABC,” Rowland said at the time, paying tribute to the media icon’s time as director of the national public broadcaster.

Rowland continued: “He has a lot to do in the remainder of his tenure and will leave ABC stronger than when he was entrusted with the role in 2019.

“She led the public broadcaster through a challenging period that included strident political criticism, the Covid-19 pandemic and the ABC’s ongoing transformation so it can remain an essential part of Australian life in the digital age. “.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese appointed Kim Williams as Buttrose’s replacement as ABC chairman.

Williams, a former AFL commissioner and former boss of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp Australia and Foxtel empires, was named the public broadcaster’s new boss in January.

“Kim fits the role perfectly, it’s almost like he was made for it,” Albanese said.

“He is as comfortable running media companies as he is arts organisations, and in fact he is a former commissioner of the AFL, so he is also involved in sport.”

“I can’t think of many Australians who have studied composition in Italy and been AFL commissioners. “Kim is a true renaissance man.”