Hugh Marks has resigned as CEO of leading Australian media conglomerate Nine Entertainment. His departure was announced on Monday and will become effective in the second half of the company’s current financial year, which runs to June 2021.“When I was appointed CEO five years ago, my brief was to lead the transformation of what was then a television business to a digitally-based media company. We have achieved so much in that time frame.Bringing together three legacy media businesses, each with...
Nine Network
Hugh
Marks
CEO
The CEO of Australia’s Nine Network since 2015, Marks is unafraid to make tough calls protecting the bottom line. That was demonstrated this year when Channel 9 bowed to its cost-savings drive and failed to renew “The Voice,” as Marks called out the show’s enormous expense. He renegotiated rights to the National Rugby League, saving on average $A27.5 million ($20 million) a year. He was key to the broadcaster’s 2018 acquisition of enduring publisher Fairfax, the largest media merger in Australia’s history, with 2019’s purchase of Macquarie Media Limited (now Nine Radio) following. Employees telecommuted during the pandemic, and its Sydney Morning Herald was produced with zero on-site staffers for the first time in its 189-year history. Despite COVID-19 and Australia’s first recession in decades, Nine revenues fell only 7% in the 2020 financial year. Marks will leave Nine in 2021.