A writer friend of mine, in explaining his tolerance of having a very low income, told me that he could live without anything, almost anything – except praise. Unfortunately praise is in short supply these days. Too many people are too quick to criticise and too slow to thank and praise.

We would like to thank and praise David Anderson, the retiring Managing Director of the ABC.

David Anderson took on the Managing Director role at a time of great turmoil at the ABC. His predecessor was sacked and the Chair of the ABC resigned shortly afterwards. The then government was implementing budget cuts and was intent on political interference, and the MD had to deal with the internal consequences. Numbers have had to be cut, and big egos have had to be managed. There have been constant attacks by a hostile News Corp, and from Liberal senators on the hunt. It has been a tough job, one of the most difficult in the country.

In his six years at the helm David has been consistently courteous, committed, and professional. His long history at the ABC has meant he has almost always known more about the organisation than everyone else in the room. In our experience he has been open to criticism and advice, and his performances at Senate Estimates have been a master class in reporting to politicians. He has strictly adhered to the ABC Charter, and been a strong advocate of the “accuracy and impartiality” direction that is built into it. He will now work to ensure that his successor is as ready for the job as possible.

David gave the Keynote Address at the 2023 ABC Friends Victoria annual dinner and then he frankly and generously answered a wide range of questions— except the one about his favourite Senator!

You can find out more about David and his views on broadcasting in his book from Monash University Publishing.

We would like to thank and praise him for his enormous contribution to the ABC, and wish him well for whatever comes next.