ABC chair Kim Williams says email criticising staff for declining to interview Austen Tayshus was ‘inappropriate’

<p>Williams says he did ‘not attempt to impose actions or outcomes on any editorial managers’ with emails about comedian</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/article/2024/aug/28/weekly-beast-email-austrailan-media-diary-free-newsletter-subscribe-sign-up?CMP=cvau_sfl">Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free weekly media newsletter here</a></li></ul><p>The ABC chair, Kim Williams, has said an email he sent to radio management which was critical of regional radio staff for declining to interview the comedian Austen Tayshus was “inappropriate” but he denies directing coverage.</p><p>ABC’s Media Watch revealed on Monday night that <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/episodes/kim/105225646">Williams had intervened</a> on behalf of the comedian, whose real name is Sandy Gutman, on no fewer than five occasions.</p><p><strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/article/2024/aug/28/weekly-beast-email-austrailan-media-diary-free-newsletter-subscribe-sign-up?CMP=copyembed">Sign up to get Guardian Australia’s weekly media diary as a free newsletter</a></strong></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2025/apr/29/austen-tayshus-comedian-sandy-gutman-abc-chair-kim-williams-ntwnfb">Continue reading...</a>