New exec producer for ABC’s 7:30

Four Corners producer Justin Stevens has been appointed Executive Producer of 7:30.

Stevens started his career at Nine before moving to the ABC in 2006, working as producer for Kerry O’Brien and then Leigh Sales on 7:30.

His other roles have included being Producer on Keating: The Interviews with Kerry O’Brien, Supervising Producer on 7:30 and Producer on The Killing Season.

At Four Corners he produced the Walkley-nominated two-part special on the Lindt Café Siege, Hillary Clinton: The Interview, a profile on Clive Palmer, an investigation into match-fixing in tennis and the 2016 election special.

ABC Director, News Gaven Morris said: “Leading 7:30 is one of the most challenging and best jobs in Australian journalism and Justin is a terrific appointment to this role.

“With the recent announcement of Sam Clark’s appointment as EP of Insiders, I’m proud and excited that outstanding younger leaders are stepping forward from within ABC News ranks.”

ABC News Head of Investigative and In-depth Journalism John Lyons said: “Under Jo Puccini and Sharon O’Neill, 7:30 has been a powerhouse of investigative journalism, regularly producing important, high-impact public interest journalism. Its efforts have been rewarded not just in the many awards that the program has won but in the impact it has had on important matters of public policy.

“Leigh Sales and the whole 7:30 team are producing some of the best journalism in the country. Only last Monday more than 1.3 million people nationally watched the Don Burke investigation. The great journalism will continue when Justin joins the team in the new year.”

ABC has also teased an “expanded” 7:30 in 2018.

Stevens takes over from Sharon O’Neill, who has been Acting EP since Jo Puccini vacated the role to lead ABC Investigations. O’Neill becomes Supervising Producer of Stan Grant’s upcoming nightly show on the ABC News channel.