ABC appoints Melinda Wearne head of children’s and family

Beyond Entertainment’s head of scripted, Melinda Wearne, will join the ABC as head of children’s and family, taking over the position left vacant by Libbie Doherty last year.

Wearne has been with Beyond since 2016, spending two years as a kids and family producer before becoming a development and production executive, a position she held for nearly seven years. In September, she was promoted to head of scripted, succeeding David Ogilvy.

Her credits include developing, producing, and executive producing the hit drama series The Family Next Door, serving as a development executive on Troppo (ABC), a producer on Motown Magic (Netflix) and Monster Beach (Cartoon Network), and associate producer on the Emmy Award–winning animated series Beat Bugs (Netflix). She was also the creator and producer of Hoopla Doopla, a landmark co-production between ABC and CCTV China.

Wearne, who will commence with the ABC early next year, said she was “honoured to work with Australian creators and the talented ABC team to continue building on that trust and create the next generation of stories for Australian families”.

“The ABC has always been a trusted destination for Australian kids and their parents, championing ambitious, original storytelling that connects with young audiences here and internationally,” she said.

Wearne’s appointment completes the ABC Screen leadership team, led by screen director Jennifer Collins. Other recent appointments include senior executive Alex Baldwin as head of development and commissioning, a position in which he will oversee all genres and report to Jennifer Collins.

Collins described Wearne as “an exceptional, creative leader with a proven track record in delivering outstanding content for Australian and international audience”.

“We’re delighted to welcome Melinda to the screen team as the head of children’s and family,” she said.

“I would also like to thank and acknowledge Mary-Ellen Mullane, who has been acting in the role and has guided the team through a period of change while continuing to deliver high-quality programs.”