Australian taxpayers will be forced to fork out $300,000 as part of a payout deal for former ABC news boss Justin Stevens following his sudden resignation last month.
Earlier in June, ABC managing director Hugh Marks confirmed Mr Stevens was not told the broadcaster had already moved to appoint a successor before his resignation.
Mr Marks said Mr Stevens had stepped down following internal disagreement over the future direction of the ABC’s news division.
According to The Australian, Mr Stevens will receive a $300,000 payout and will get to enjoy six months of gardening leave despite standing down from the role “effective immediately”.
On Monday, an ABC spokesperson told SkyNews.com.au that “Justin Stevens was paid out his contractual entitlements”.
On May 27, Mr Stevens said his decision to resign was due to “reasons both professional and personal”.
The next day, Mr Stevens’ successor, Reuters executive Simon Robinson, was announced.
Mr Marks said differences in editorial direction had been central to the split, particularly around how the newsroom should operate under increasing pressure to deliver more with limited resources.
He said the ABC was considering structural changes, including shifts in output and format.
Speaking on ABC Radio National Breakfast earlier this month, Mr Marks said Mr Stevens’ departure followed a period of unresolved differences.
“Justin and I were having discussions about what we both felt the future of news for the ABC was, and maybe we felt there were different directions to pursue,” he said.
Mr Marks was asked whether Mr Stevens had been informed that the ABC was actively seeking his replacement before he resigned.
“No, that wasn’t a discussion we had,” he said.
The comments confirmed reporting that the ABC had engaged recruitment firm Hourigan and moved to appoint Mr Robinson before Mr Stevens’ departure became public.
Mr Marks said he had been meeting potential candidates both formally and informally as part of his broader responsibilities.
Mr Stevens has presided over the ABC News division during a period in which the broadcaster faced calls to be defunded and for legislation to be changed to strengthen accountability.
He oversaw a series of scandals and failures, including more than 65 admissions of fault in a single year.
The string of editorial failures, including paying more than $400,000 in damages to retired commando Heston Russell, prompted Liberal Senator Sarah Henderson to demand legal changes to hold the ABC to account.
“There are much higher standards of accountability at the BBC,” Ms Henderson told Sky News in November.