ABC Australia Bolsters Content Division

Toni Skaife has been appointed chief partnerships and negotiation officer for the ABC’s content division.

For the past seven years, Skaife has led commercial negotiations, partnerships and internal productions at Paramount ANZ across its Australian scripted and non-scripted content slate. Prior to that, she led a team of Ten’s content production and business affairs executives.

In her post at the ABC, key priorities will include driving international partnerships to support new content initiatives, developing rights strategies and leading commercial content deal negotiation locally and abroad. She takes up the role in May.

Skaife said: “It’s an honor to be joining the ABC and to be offered this brilliant opportunity to work with Chris Oliver-Taylor and the Content team in this newly-created role.
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“I have an immense respect for our national broadcaster and the sheer quality and volume of content that is delivered on a daily basis. As an advocate of homegrown talent, stories and content I couldn’t be more excited to commence the next chapter of my career in this way – with a clear strategic objective to expand content partnerships that aim to serve all Australians and to be a part of the very talented Content team at the ABC.”

ABC Chief Content Officer Oliver-Taylor said: “Being able to bring Toni to the ABC and utilize her deep Australian and international experience for the benefit of Australian audiences is a real coup. The ABC will always evolve to suit our audience needs and the complexity of the ABC’s vast content output across screen, audio and digital needs significant leadership. Joining the ABC’s content leadership team, Toni is the perfect person to help our continued transformation to a digital first organization for the benefit of all Australians.”