Saturday, April 16, 2011

SBS-Australia hires ABC executive as MD

SBS today appointed the ABC's head of corporate strategy and marketing Michael Ebeid as its new Managing Director, The Australian reports.

Mr Ebeid will replace Shaun Brown, who is retiring. Mr Ebeid beat a number of internal SBS candidates in the protracted process to find a new MD for the ethnic broadcaster.

He will commence on 13 June. Mr Ebeid spent 10 years with Optus Communications where his last role was Director of Commercial Operations for the Consumer Division and nine years with IBM before moving to the ABC.

SBS Chairman, Joe Skrzynski, Mr Ebeid's experience in media, communications and technology would help the multi-cultural broadcaster in an era when all three were converging.

"As SBS moves into its fourth decade, its charter is more vitally relevant than ever. Not only is our population manifestly more complex and diverse, but today there are three million Australians whose first language is not English and that is twice as many as when we were first formed," Mr Skrzynski said.

Mr Ebeid moved to Australia from Egypt when he was three years old. Mr Skrzynski added: "He is extremely well suited to lead SBS in its mission to promote social harmony by helping migrants to settle and participate fully in Australian society, and assisting all Australians to understand and appreciate the benefits of cultural diversity.

Mr Ebeid said he wanted to ensure "SBS grows its relevance and reach", a difficult task given the number of free-to-air television channels has more than tripled recently, and some of the commercial multichannels now outrate SBS' main one.

(Source : Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union)

No comments:

Post a Comment