Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed the cabinet has signed off on the former AFL commissioners’ appointment to replace Ms Buttrose when she finishes up her five year term on March 6.

“Kim is such a perfect fit for the role, it’s almost as if he were made for it,” Mr Albanese said.

“(He) is a true renaissance man, the breadth of his experience is matched by its depth and his intellect, his energy, and his insatiable curiosity of all men that he’s been able to devote himself to a great diversity of passions.

“Kim is someone who gets the ABC and he’s someone who understands instinctively what a national broadcaster can and should be.”

Mr Williams was previously chief executive officer of News Limited (before it became News Corporation in 2013) and he held the roles for two years.

Speaking on Wednesday, Mr Williams described the role of ABC chair as a “solemn responsibility”.

“I certainly think giving life to those responsibilities is one of the great enduring challenges in Australia and it’s a privilege to do so,” he said.

The media executive’s appointment comes after Ms Buttrose told the government last year she would not be seeking a second term as chair when her five year term ended in March.

Ms Buttrose, 82, was appointed chair in 2019 by former prime minister Scott Morrison following a period of “great organisational upheaval” at the broadcaster.

The Prime Minister called Ms Buttrose a “champion” and said her replacement was cut from the same cloth.

“Those of us who grew up singing the great Chisel song about Ita, it said a lot about her standing in the Australian community,” he said.

“Kim Williams is, I think, of all the people who were forwarded potentially as candidates for this position, shares a life experience and a breadth of capacity that he will bring to this role.

“That is similar to why Ita Buttrose was chosen for that job by the former government.”

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton was consulted ahead of the appointment. Mr Albanese thanked the Liberal leader for his “engagement in the process”.

The announcement comes less than a day after the outgoing chair doubled down on her support for David Anderson, rejecting a union vote of no confidence in the managing director.

On Monday, more than 100 of the ABC’s union staff rebuked Mr Anderson over his handling of the sacking of presenter Antoinette Lattouf, who was let go just days into a fill-in radio gig after sharing a social media post about the war in Gaza.

The broadcaster has denied that lobbying efforts from a group of pro-Israel lawyers had influenced Ms Lattouf’s sacking, arguing she was let go after disobeying orders from management not to post about controversial issues while in the presenter position.

The ABC Board held a crisis meeting on Tuesday over the issue, where it passed a unanimous vote of confidence in Mr Anderson.

“It is abhorrent and incorrect that people would suggest that he has shown a lack of support for independent journalism and journalists,” Ms Buttrose said in a statement.

“David Anderson has always been a strong supporter of the independence of the ABC and its journalists.”

Ms Lattouf has launched legal proceedings against the ABC over the sacking, claiming she was discriminated against because of her Lebanese heritage and her political expression, allegations the broadcaster has denied.

Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said she maintained “full confidence” in the broadcaster but declined to comment on Ms Lattouf’s Fair Work action.

“The government has full confidence in the ABC chair and its managing director, secondly the matter to which you refer is the subject of a fair work hearing, we will not be interfering in that process, we will let that run its course,” Ms Rowland said.

“We understand that the current situation particularly in the Middle East is deeply concerning to many Australians.

“We are also well aware that the ABC has been forthright in ensuring that its journalists have support, that it continuously improves itself with regards to support for its workforce and that all media organisations should seek to foster diversity in all its forms.”