Special Broadcasting Service chair George Savvides has advised the government he will not seek reappointment when his term expires in July 2015.

SBS chair since July 2020, Savvides joined the multicultural broadcaster at the time of the Covid pandemic and oversaw a number of initiatives to ensure that non-English speaking Australians and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people had access to culturally appropriate resources to stay safe and informed.

“Mr Savvides navigated our multicultural public broadcaster through a challenging time that included the Covid-19 pandemic and demonstrated that the role of the SBS in our nation is as vital as ever, and I want to thank and recognise him for his outstanding service to SBS and the community in this role,” minister for communications Michelle Rowland said.

She added: “Under his stable leadership the SBS continues to deliver multilingual and multicultural broadcasting and digital media services reflecting our society, fostering social cohesion and celebrating and respecting Australia’s diverse way of life.”

Savvides leaves SBS in a strong position, with the public broadcaster recently named as a trusted news brand and its services – which delivers content in more than 60 languages – reaching more Australians than ever before.

“It has been a pleasure to work with my talented and committed SBS board members, who will continue to serve and support the great role that SBS plays in Australia,” Savvides said.  

A merit-based selection process will now proceed to appoint Savvides’ replacement.

New ABC board member

Meanwhile, Katrina Sedgwick has been appointed a non-executive director to the board of the ABC.

Sedgwick brings to the role extensive experience in the arts sector and in 2020 received an Order of Australia Medal for services to film, theatre, and visual arts.

Currently director  and CEO of the Melbourne Arts Precinct Corporation, Sedgwick has previously held similar positions at the Adelaide Fil Festival and the Australian Centre for the Moving Image.

“Ms Sedgwick brings a strong creative boost to the board alongside relevant executive and board-level experience, and increases the geographic diversity of the board with resident Victorian representation,” Rowland said. “I look forward to working with the board and Ms Sedgwick into the future.”

Sedgwick commences her new role on 2 October and replaces Peter Lewis, whose term expires on the 1 October.