Patricia Karvelas Departs Radio National for New Political Role at ABC

Patricia Karvelas, the host of Radio National‘s flagship program, RN Breakfast, will depart the show after three years. As announced, Karvelas will transition to a new political anchoring role within the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) starting in 2025. This shift marks a decade since she began her journey with the ABC.

Karvelas, who took over the RN Breakfast show from Fran Kelly in early 2022, expressed her readiness to embrace a new cross-platform role. “After a decade, it’s time to change it up, and I’m ready to lean into a new cross-platform role,” she remarked, highlighting her intention to enhance the ABC’s engagement with voters nationwide. “I’ll miss the Radio National audience enormously. There’s something magical about waking up when the country is asleep to bring the big news and conversations,” she added.

Justin Stevens, Director of News at ABC, praised Karvelas as a “formidable political journalist” and emphasized the corporation’s objective for her to expand her role across its political coverage. “We’re excited to see her have a broader audience across audio, TV and digital for ABC News,” Stevens stated. This development accompanies an ongoing review of Radio National under ABC chair Kim Williams‘s aspirations to enhance its services.

Throughout her tenure at ABC, Karvelas has been a prominent figure, hosting programs such as Q+A, RN Drive, and Afternoon Briefing. Looking ahead, she will continue her roles on “The Party Room” alongside Fran Kelly and will spearhead a new podcast focused on Australian politics. Additionally, Karvelas will assume a critical anchoring role on the ABC News Channel.

ABC has yet to announce Karvelas’ successor for RN Breakfast, but journalist Steve Cannane is currently viewed as a likely candidate, having frequently filled in for her recently. Meanwhile, Radio National is striving to counter declining audience numbers, with a recent survey revealing a drop in listenership in major cities like Sydney and Melbourne.

Kim Williams has expressed a vision to emulate the influence of the BBC‘s Radio 4 network, aiming for Radio National to reach a larger portion of the Australian public weekly. Station manager Dina Rosendorff is leading a review of the network’s programming and strategic direction.

Patricia Karvelas joined the ABC in 2014 after her tenure with The Australian, and over the years, she has become a staple in Australian media and political journalism. Her upcoming journey reflects her continued commitment to broadening public discourse and political engagement in the country.