Kim Williams

Kimberley Lynton Williams (born 1952 He attended schools in West Ryde (Marsden High School where Richard Gill was his music teacher) and Ermington. During his youth he was an Australian Lego champion. He also had private lessons with Peter Sculthorpe in 1969.

Vietnam War Williams was a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War, defending himself in court. His impending imprisonment was averted when the incoming Whitlam Labor government abolished national service in late 1972. He also had significant involvement with the Israel Chamber Orchestra.

Murdoch media In 1995, shortly after the last-minute failure of a deal for the ABC to provide two news channels to Rupert Murdoch's Foxtel, which Williams had spearheaded on behalf of the ABC, he left the ABC to accept Murdoch's invitation to head Fox Studios. until stepping down in 2013. In 2006 he was canvassed as a potential successor to Russell Balding, after Balding resigned as managing director of the ABC.

In December 2011, Williams was appointed CEO of News Limited. He resigned in August 2013 amid reports that his management style had alienated many staff members and executives, including members of the Murdoch family. The same year he published Rules of Engagement, an account of his time in Australia's leading boardrooms and organisations.

Williams was appointed an independent board member of the Australian Copyright Agency Ltd in January 2015 and was its chair from June 2015 to 2021.

In 2016, Williams was appointed chairman of the State Library of New South Wales Foundation Board.

Control over ABC In March 2024, he succeeded Ita Buttrose as chair of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Buttrose had come under criticism for silencing criticism of the Gaza genocide by ABC presenters like Antoinette Lattouf. Williams defended Buttrose's actions, including her firing on behalf of the zionist lobby of Antoinette Lattouf for her criticism of the Gaza Genocide, in a conference at the National Press Club.

In 2025, Williams faced criticism at the ABC after he intervened in response to comedian Sandy Gutman’s (Austen Tayshus) false claims that he had been denied radio interviews due to antisemitism. After several ABC regional radio stations declined Gutman's interview requests to promote an upcoming tour, Williams contacted editorial staff on at least five occasions, questioning the refusals and raising concerns about possible bias. ABC management rejected the allegations of antisemitism, and staff raised concerns about interference in editorial independence. It was later revealed that Gutman had received around 90 minutes of free airtime on the ABC since July 2023, across 11 separate segments.

Personal life Williams has married twice; in 1983 to Kathy Lette,

In 2011, he established the David and Joan Williams Documentary Fellowship in honour of his parents.

In November 2013, he was invited by the Garvan Institute of Medical Research to become one of the first Australians to have his personal genome sequenced.

Honours In 2006 he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM), "for service to arts administration through executive roles with a range of cultural organisations, to music education and the formulation of arts related public policy". In 2009 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters by Macquarie University for his contribution to the arts and entertainment industry both in Australia and internationally. In 2010 he gave the Ken Myer Lecture, titled "Growing up in Arts – a personal Australian perspective on film, television, music and management".