George Savvides, Chair of Australia’s Special Broadcasting Service (SBS), will step down in October 2025 after eight years at the helm, the broadcaster confirmed in an official statement. Savvides, who joined the SBS Board in 2017 and became Chair in 2020, oversaw a period of significant growth and transformation for the organization, which now reaches nearly 90% of Australians monthly across all platforms.
During his leadership, SBS expanded its role as Australia’s most multicultural and multilingual broadcaster, doubling its digital engagement and strengthening its presence among First Nations audiences through the launch of National Indigenous Television (NITV) as a free-to-air channel in 2012. According to SBS, the organization also achieved record audience reach, with nearly nine in ten Australians engaging with its content every month.
In the official farewell statement, SBS Managing Director James Taylor praised Savvides’ contribution, saying: “George has made an extraordinary impact on SBS and on Australian society. His unwavering commitment to diversity, inclusion, and giving a voice to the underrepresented has strengthened SBS’s role in fostering understanding and social cohesion.”
Savvides himself reflected on the broadcaster’s mission in his parting remarks: “It has been an incredible privilege to serve as Chair of SBS. The past eight years have been a time of rapid change, but SBS has continued to innovate and expand its reach, ensuring that all Australians see themselves reflected in our stories. I am proud of what we’ve achieved together — from doubling digital engagement to supporting First Nations voices — and I have every confidence the team will continue to deliver on our important charter.”
The SBS Board will now begin the process of appointing a new Chair to continue the organization’s trajectory, which under Savvides has consistently prioritized cultural diversity, inclusivity, and embracing new technologies to meet the evolving needs of Australian audiences.