Australian broadcaster’s chief to leave later this year after 13 years with the organisation
James Taylor is stepping down as managing director at Australia’s SBS later this year, after more than a decade with the public broadcaster.
Taylor has been in his current role for the past seven years but is set to join local media firm oOh!media next year as chief exec, succeeding Cathy O’Connor.
He was named managing director in 2018 and has overseen a strong period for the broadcaster, with a shift into streaming and an expandsion of its original content.
SBS said Taylor would depart later this year and its board has immediately begun a recruitment process to recruit a replacement.
Acting SBS chairperson, Christine Zeitz, described Taylor as “an outstanding leader” who had delivered “a world-class digital transformation at a challenging time for the industry, implementing an end-to-end multilingual strategy for all our content, and embedding First Nations storytelling including through a transformative Elevate Reconciliation Action Plan.”
She added: “SBS On Demand is the highest rated Australian app on the Apple and Android app stores, last year SBS was named as Australia’s most trusted news, and SBS currently enjoys the highest total revenues in its history.”
Taylor added: “It’s been a privilege to lead SBS and work alongside such a talented and committed team. I’m incredibly proud that today we’re reaching the biggest audiences in our history, producing more original local content than ever, and doing it with a credibility we’ve earned, not claimed.
“SBS has a clear purpose: to serve, reflect and connect all Australians – no matter where their story began or what language they speak. We strengthen society by sharing diverse perspectives and experiences – reflecting the rich, complex reality of contemporary Australia.”
No comments yet