Ita Buttrose appointed as ABC chair; PM defends bypassing selection process

After days of speculation, the veteran editor and media icon Ita Buttrose has been confirmed as Scott Morrison's captain's pick as chair of the ABC. 

Ms Buttose's appointment brings some long-awaited stability to the national broadcaster after it lost its managing director and chairman in the space of days last September. But 

ABC's Peter Ryan says Ita Buttrose's elevation to the top of the ABC has been overshadowed by the Prime Minister's decision to sidestep the nominations of the government's independent selection panel.