Sydney- Robyn Watts is leaving the Australian Broadcasting Corp. after running its commercial arm ABC Enterprises, and its pan-Asian channel Australia Network has a new boss in a restructuring of the public broadcaster.

The re-organisation will see the creation of a new commercial division, ABC Commercial, which will incorporate the current activities of ABC Enterprises and pursue new sources of revenue through developments in digital technology. Lynley Marshall, formerly Director, ABC New Media, will become the Director of ABC Commercial.

Among other measures announced by ABC Managing Director Mark Scott, the main ABC TV channel and digital sister ABC 2 are being integrated; and the ABC News Online unit joins the news and current affairs team into a rebadged ABC News Division. 

Scott said the changes will make ABC better placed to maintain its leadership in the digital media world. ABC's International division has been expanded to include Radio Australia, Australia Network and International Projects, with long-serving executive Murray Green named as Director, ABC International, Corporate Strategy and Governance.

Chief Executive of the Australia Network, Network, Ian Carroll, moves to a newly- created position as Director, ABC Innovation, an incubator for digital development across the ABC.

"Our aim is to both grow our own audiences; and to ensure the ABC makes a positive contribution in working with other broadcasters to develop effective media in the region,” said Scott.

Praising Watts, he said: “Robyn's work in leading the ABC's activities in rights management and for the past three and a half years, the Enterprises Division has been an important factor in maintaining and enhancing the ABC's brand and profile in a changing media environment. Robyn has led a dedicated team to strengthen the Enterprises business, taking the ABC brand and content into shopping centres and communities around the country; sales of ABC content internationally and building the ABC Resource Hire business.”