Michael Carrington to Depart the ABC in Australia

Michael Carrington is planning to exit his role as director of entertainment and specialist at the ABC in Australia in July to return to the production sector.

Carrington joined the ABC in 2016. His commissions have included Bluey, Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds, Fisk and The Newsreader.

His leadership in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic saw the launch of the $5 million Fresh Start Fund, which supported more than 200 Australian productions and new content ideas. He was also the key driving force behind the 2021 release of the ABC Diversity and Inclusion Commissioning Guidelines.

ABC Managing Director David Anderson commented: “Michael is a thoughtful, inclusive and creative leader, and the impact of his decisions can be seen in the vibrant range of programs the ABC has delivered to audiences under his guidance.

“Many of those decisions were made in response to the Covid pandemic, and Michael showed great leadership during this time.

“Michael is highly regarded, and I know everyone at the ABC wishes him well with the next step in his already dynamic career.”

Carrington said: “We have built a strong foundation to connect with and build new audiences, including strengthening our creative teams, aligning our linear and digital platforms, evolving ABC iview, improving our operations and most importantly, launching a long list of new and compelling Australian content.”

He added: “In 2020, the ABC announced a five-year plan to transform from a traditional broadcaster to the nation’s most trusted and valued digital content provider across all platforms. That plan is on track—I am proud of the contribution the whole team in E&S has made, and I thank them for their dedication.

“I also owe a huge thank you to the world-class independent producers, writers and performers I’ve had the privilege to work with over the years. The ABC will always be an inspiration to me, and I am grateful to have had this experience.”