Hugh Marks was appointed Managing Director of ABC Australia

ABC Chair Kim Williams AM revealed that media and production industry executive Hugh Marks has been selected as the new Managing Director of the ABC. Mr. Marks was unanimously chosen by the ABC Board after a comprehensive search conducted both domestically and internationally.

Mr Marks has been appointed for a five-year term, in accordance with the ABC Act, and will serve as Editor-in-Chief with the ultimate responsibility for all editorial content with responsibility to the ABC Board. His role will commence on Monday, 10 March 2025.

Mr Williams praised the exec: “Hugh is a highly successful media executive, with more than 30 years’ experience in Australia and internationally in content production, programming, and distribution, working across all platforms from television, radio, and online publishing and with extensive news experience. This breadth of experience is rare and will be critical to the ABC as we look to further strengthen our reach and engagement with the Australian community", stated.

Mr Marks comes to the ABC after nearly three years at Dreamchaser - a contemporary Australian content studio he co-founded and co-led, which partners with Australia’s leading creators to develop, finance, produce, and distribute premium content across all genres for the global film and television market. He was previously CEO of Nine Entertainment which grew from an $800 million television network into a more than $5 billion predominantly digital, modern media business in a declining advertising market under his nearly six-year leadership.

During that time, he oversaw the merger of Nine and Fairfax Media – the largest media transaction in Australia over the past 30 years, which reshaped the media landscape – and a major renegotiation of sporting rights and many other realignments in the settings for news, information and entertainment media to Australians.

Mr Marks said he was honoured to lead the ABC and excited for the opportunities ahead.:“I appreciate the confidence Kim Williams and the Board have placed in me with this appointment. It is an amazing time to be working in media. There are so many opportunities to deliver quality news and entertainment to Australians, but choices to make in what we prioritise in doing so. Making the right choices is what will determine our success into the future.  I look forward to working with everyone at the ABC as it continues to host and guide discussion on the issues of importance to Australia and lead in the delivery of quality, truthful and engaging news, and premium content," noted.