The ABC is pleased to announce the appointment of Melinda Wearne as Head of Children's and Family, where she will oversee the largest slate of children's programming in Australia.
Melinda joins the ABC from Beyond Entertainment, where she most recently served as Head of Scripted and led development across premium drama, children's and family content.
Her credits include developing, producing and executive producing the hit drama series The Family Next Door. Across her career, she has also held senior creative and production roles including development executive on Troppo (ABC), producer on Motown Magic (Netflix), Monster Beach (Cartoon Network), and associate producer on the Emmy Award-winning animated series Beat Bugs (Netflix). Melinda was also the creator and producer of Hoopla Doopla, a landmark co-production between ABC and CCTV China.
Melinda will commence with the ABC early next year.
Melinda Wearne: "The ABC has always been a trusted destination for Australian kids and their parents, championing ambitious, original storytelling that connects with young audiences here and internationally. I'm honoured to work with Australian creators and the talented ABC team to continue building on that trust and create the next generation of stories for Australian families."
ABC Director Screen Jennifer Collins: "We're delighted to welcome Melinda to the Screen team as the Head of Children's and Family. Melinda is an exceptional, creative leader with a proven track record in delivering outstanding content for Australian and international audiences. I would also like to thank and acknowledge Mary-Ellen Mullane who has been acting in the role and has guided the team through a period of change while continuing to deliver high-quality programs."
Melinda's appointment completes the ABC Screen leadership team.
The ABC Screen division was established in June and is the home of ABC iview and homegrown hit shows including Bluey, Fisk, Muster Dogs, The Family Next Door, The Assembly, I Was Actually There, Mystery Road and Do Not Watch This Show. ABC Screen is led by Jennifer Collins, one of Australia's most respected television executives, recognised for delivering original, distinctive, and impactful screen content. Her previous senior leadership roles include Director of Content at Fremantle, Head of Unscripted at Screentime, ABC's Director of Entertainment & Specialist, Head of Factual and Culture, and Head of Entertainment.
Senior executive Alex Baldwin has been appointed ABC Screen's Head of Development and Commissioning, overseeing all genres and reporting to Jennifer Collins. Alex previously served as Head of Screen, working closely with the ABC Director Screen to provide editorial leadership and strategic oversight. Before that, he held the roles of Deputy Head of Screen and Head of Scripted playing a key role in the development, financing, and commissioning of content.
The ABC Screen division is the largest commissioner of Australian content, working in close partnership with independent producers. The Screen executive also comprises Rachel Okine (Head of Scripted); Rachel Millar (Head of Entertainment); Kath Earle (Head of Arts, Music and Events), Kelrick Martin (Head of Indigenous), Susie Jones (Head of Documentary and Specialist), Vanessa Arden-Wood (Head Social & Digital), Toni Skaife (Chief Partnerships and Negotiation Officer), Roberta Allan (Head of Programming, Acquisitions and Streaming), and Sashka Koloff (Managing Editor, Standards & Compliance).
Jennifer Collins continued: "The Screen executive brings together some of the most creative and experienced leaders in the industry, ensuring the ABC continues to deliver premium programming that champions Australian storytelling. With the team in place, we're ready to unveil an outstanding 2026 slate at the ABC Media Showcase on Thursday."
