'It's a content business': Hugh Marks plans to shake up ABC after Nine flameout
The former CEO of legacy media operator Nine has signalled plans to boost the ABC's commercial focus as he takes over as managing director of the public broadcaster.
The ABC’s incoming managing director and former Nine Entertainment CEO Hugh Marks insists he has learned from the findings of a damning third-party review of his former employer’s workplace culture, and signalled plans to ramp up the public broadcaster's commercial activities.
On Tuesday, the ABC announced that Marks would replace outgoing ABC boss David Anderson as managing director on a five-year term from March next year, after Anderson announced his resignation from the broadcaster in August.
Marks, a former lawyer, was notably chief executive of Nine for nearly six years up until 2021. The tail end of his tenure was captured by a five-year review of Nine’s workplace culture conducted by the boutique consulting firm, Intersection. The review, which was triggered by staff allegations in its broadcast news division, discovered systemic abuse of power inside the company.
Marks said the review’s findings, released publicly by Nine in October, do not reflect the organisation that he “knew” but added that “we have to take accountability for those things” and learn from them. He said the findings of the review will make him “a better leader”.
