Anthony Albanese makes shock call about the ABC and who he is replacing Ita Buttrose with

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has appointed Kim Williams to replace Ita Buttrose as chairman of the ABC.

Mr Williams – a former AFL commissioner and former head of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp Australia and Foxtel Empires – was appointed the new head of the public broadcaster on Wednesday morning.

Mr Albanese said: “Kim fits the role so perfectly, it’s almost like he was made for it.

“He is as at home running media companies as he is running arts organizations and is a former AFL commissioner, so he also dabbles in sport.

“I can’t think of many Australians who have both studied composition in Italy and been an AFL commissioner.

‘Kim is a real renaissance man.’

Mr Albanese said he had consulted Opposition Leader Peter Dutton on the decision.

Mr Williams has been married twice: first to Kathy Lette, the famous Australian author, and later to Gough Whitlam’s daughter, Catherine Dovey, a friend of Mrs Lette, and his current wife.