Nobody comes to the job of ABC managing director declaring their enthusiasm for wholesale change too publicly or loudly. The public broadcaster's modus operandi is too closely supervised by its legion of dedicated followers – and its politically attuned staff – for an incoming managing director intent on significant change to risk telegraphing his or her punches.
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So it was unsurprising that Michelle Guthrie, in her first interview since official confirmation she would be succeeding Mark Scott as managing director in May, should have pledged to maintain the public broadcaster's tradition of editorial independence. Or that she understood the distinction between a "state broadcaster" and an "independent public broadcaster". Nevertheless, within the ABC News 24 interview, there were asides (and possibilities not ruled out) indicating the ABC's rapid progress down the digital highway will continue, even if this conflicts with the broadcaster's existing place in the nation's cultural landscape.
Ms Guthrie's own background – lawyer and in-house counsel for Foxtel followed by stints with broadcasters BSB and Star TV before appointment as manager of Google's relationship with marketing and advertising agencies across Asia – suggests the ABC board was primarily interested in an MD with a business background and extensive familiarity with digital platforms. Someone, in other words, to continue Mr Scott's strategy of enhancing the broadcaster's online presence.
If Ms Guthrie brings to the job "business acumen, record in content-making across an array of platforms, [and] a deep understanding of audience needs and corporate responsibility for promoting issues like diversity", her broadcasting and editorial credentials are less impressive.
Some would argue this matters little since with audiences drifting away from radio and television, it's clear the ABC needs to enhance its on-line presence more than it needs to pursue quality broadcasting. While the board might endorse that philosophy, the ABC's charter says very little about the imperative to stay abreast of the digital revolution.
In the absence of any moves to review or reform the charter, one of Ms Guthrie's more challenging future tasks will be balancing the demands of broadcasting and digital media – the more so as broadcast audiences are generally more vocal (and influential) than digital audiences.
The other contentious issue facing Ms Guthrie is funding. The ABC's triennial funding package is due for renegotiation next year, and while the broadcaster has its supporters in cabinet, there are many others who, for ideological or fiscal reasons, would not hesitate to demand it be put on the same financial diet as the other cultural institutions. Ms Guthrie's refusal to rule out revenue-raising options, such as advertising on ABC websites, during her interview may have been prompted by just this fear.
Were she to embark on her own efficiency drive (and many in the media believe that the well-padded ABC organisation would yield significant savings), Ms Guthrie might well head off a government razor gang. As it is she will be under considerable pressure from some in the Coalition to curtail the ABC's so-called left-wing bias and by others to restructure, reform and modernise the business.
