ABC managing director David Anderson has told the public broadcaster he will not see out the rest of his second five-year term, just 18-months after his reappointment.

At the request of Kim Williams, who replaced Ita Buttrose as ABC chair in March, Anderson will remain in his role until early 2025, giving the ABC board ample time to appoint his successor.

Anderson was first appointed as managing director in May 2019, after acting in the role from September 2018. He has had a thirty-year career at the ABC, holding various roles in television, digital strategy, and executive positions.

During his tenure as MD, Anderson navigated the ABC through the COVID-19 pandemic, defended journalists and press freedom, advocated for reinvestment in the ABC, increased journalist numbers in regional Australia, and expanded services to audiences across the Indo-Pacific.

"I am still very much committed to the importance of the ABC to the nation," he said. "I believe it is the right moment for leadership renewal for the next stage of the ABC's continued evolution."

Anderson expressed his gratitude to Williams and the Board for their support and their efforts to persuade him to stay on for his full second term. "Their unabashed enthusiasm for the importance and future of the Corporation makes this decision easier. I am confident the timing is right for both me and the ABC."

Prior to his role as Acting Managing Director, Anderson was the Director, Entertainment & Specialist, responsible for all ABC radio music networks, podcasts, specialist radio content, broadcast television networks, on-demand products and services, and network websites and apps. Anderson's other roles at the ABC have included Director of Television, Director of the ABC's Digital Network, and Director of Strategy & Planning.

"David Anderson is a loyal, devoted and talented ABC executive. He has served the Corporation in the best tradition of committed public service over a long period," said Williams. "I have requested that he stay on in the role until a new Managing Director has been recruited and appointed. David's agreement to offer support through the coming months to ensure a smooth the transition to a new Managing Director is welcome, generous and has been accepted."

""I have to say my admiration for him and his commitment to the ABC is undiminished and my respect grows ever greater. He is an exemplary executive in many ways," added Williams.