Justin Stevens resigns as director of news at Australia’s national broadcaster ABC after four years in the position, with his departure effective immediately. Multiple outlets report that Stevens has spent 19 years at the ABC in total, including leading the news division as its most senior news executive. Stevens states that the resignation is for personal and professional reasons, and the broadcaster does not provide further detail on the circumstances behind his sudden exit.
ABC managing director Hugh Marks confirms Stevens’ resignation and says Stevens made an “incredible commitment” to the ABC over his 19 years, including efforts related to ABC News’ performance as a digital news provider. Several reports say the process to appoint a replacement is already underway, with some outlets describing it as nearing completion. One outlet reports that the ABC is expected to appoint or announce Stevens’ replacement shortly, while another says Marks has been scouting for a successor for some time.
Overall, sources agree on the timing of the resignation, the length of Stevens’ tenure, the stated reasons, and that the ABC moves to secure leadership for the news division.
