With nearly a year and a half remaining in his contract, ABC deputy chairman Peter Tonagh has announced his retirement from the broadcaster.
Chair of the ABC, Kim Williams AM, advised on Christmas Eve that Tonagh had provided his resignation from the ABC Board to the Governor General, Her Excellency Ms Sam Mostyn AC.
Williams thanked Tonagh for his service, saying that he saw a “period of dedicated commitment to the ABC and its good governance”. He saluted his “spirit of exemplary public commitment”.
Tonagh said he was very grateful for the opportunity to have served on the ABC board and thanked the directors and the executive for the “camaraderie and enjoyment” that being part of the ABC Board had brought him during his tenure and wished the ABC every success for the future.
Tonagh was appointed to the ABC board in 2021 for a five-year term. A former News Corp and Foxtel executive, Tonagh was a driving force behind bids to save the Australian Associated Press in 2020, playing a role in lobbying that resulted in $15 million in funding over two years.
The news follows the announcement of the appointment of Hugh Marks as the broadcaster’s managing director at the end of last year, replacing David Anderson. Tonagh expressed personal satisfaction and support for the appointment, which is effective from 10 March 2025, indicating his confidence that Marks would “build strongly on Anderson’s impressive legacy”.
