Kimberley Lynton "Kim" Williams (born 1952) is an Australian media executive and composer. He has headed a wide range of prominent organisations such as

Musica Viva Australia Musica Viva was founded in 1945 by Romanian-born violinist Richard Goldner, with the aim of bringing chamber music to Australia. The co-founder was a German-born musicologist, Walter Dullo. At its inception, Musica Viva was a string ensemble perf ...

Foxtel Foxtel is an Australian pay television company—operating in cable television, direct broadcast satellite television, and IPTV streaming services. It was formed in April 2018, superseding an earlier company from 1995. The service was establi ...

, the

Australian Film Commission The Australian Film Commission (AFC) was an Australian government agency was founded in 1975 with a mandate to promote the creation and distribution of films in Australia as well as to preserve the country's film history. It also had a producti ...

, the

Sydney Opera House Trust The Sydney Opera House Trust operates and maintains the Sydney Opera House in Sydney for the Government of New South Wales in Australia. Description The Trust operates as one of the State's premier cultural institutions within the Create NSW po ...

and News Limited (now

News Corp Australia News Corp Australia is an Australian media conglomerate and wholly owned subsidiary of the American News Corp. One of Australia's largest media conglomerates, News Corp Australia employs more than 8,000 staff nationwide and approximately 3,00 ...

Family and early life

Williams was born in Sydney to Joan and David Williams AM (1925–2009). His father was managing director of the

Greater Union Greater Union Organisation Pty Ltd, trading as Event Cinemas, Greater Union, GU Film House, Moonlight Cinema and Birch Carroll & Coyle (BCC Cinemas), is the largest movie exhibitor in Australia and New Zealand, with over 140 Multiplex (movie the ...

Organisation and recipient of the

Australian Film Institute The Australian Film Institute (AFI) was founded in 1958 as a non-profit organisation devoted to developing an active film culture in Australia and fostering engagement between the general public and the Australian film industry. It is responsib ...

Raymond Longford Award The Longford Lyell Award is a lifetime achievement award presented by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA), a non-profit organisation whose aim is "to identify, award, promote and celebrate Australia's greatest achievements ...

. Candice, his sister, is married to the cellist Nathan Waks."A passionate supporter of the film industry", ''The Sydney Morning Herald'', 15 May 2009
Retrieved 18 August 2013 He attended schools in

West Ryde West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some R ...

(

Marsden High School Marsden High School (MHS) is a school located in Meadowbank, New South Wales, Australia. It is a co-educational high school operated by the New South Wales Department of Education with students from years 7 to 12. The school was established in ...

where Richard Gill was his music teacher) and Ermington. During his youth he was an Australian

Lego Lego ( , ; stylized as LEGO) is a line of plastic construction toys that are manufactured by The Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company's flagship product, Lego, consists of variously colored interlocking ...

champion.

Musical education and achievements

He studied the clarinet, and had tuition from

Donald Westlake Donald Edwin Westlake (July 12, 1933 – December 31, 2008) was an American writer, with more than a hundred novels and non-fiction books to his credit. He specialized in crime fiction, especially comic capers, with an occasional foray into ...

at the

Sydney Conservatorium of Music The Sydney Conservatorium of Music (formerly the New South Wales State Conservatorium of Music and known by the moniker "The Con") is a heritage-listed music school in Macquarie Street, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is one of the old ...

. He won a Commonwealth scholarship to the

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's si ...

, choosing to study music.The Power Index: Media Maestros, no. 4
; Retrieved 18 August 2013 He also had private lessons with

Peter Sculthorpe Peter Joshua Sculthorpe (29 April 1929 – 8 August 2014) was an Australian composer. Much of his music resulted from an interest in the music of countries neighboring Australia as well as from the impulse to bring together aspects of Aborigin ...

in 1969. He was invited by Donald Peart, inaugural Professor of Music at the University of Sydney, to be the concert organiser of the

International Society for Contemporary Music The International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM) is a music organization that promotes contemporary classical music. The organization was established in Salzburg in 1922 as Internationale Gesellschaft für Neue Musik (IGNM) following the ...

. He composed music from an early age and into his 30s and his compositions include: * Chamber Concerto for clarinet and small orchestra (1969) * Sonata II for clarinet and 2 pianos (1969) * ''The Three Candles'' for small orchestra (1969) * ''Music for Flautist'' (1970) * ''Fun Music I'' for beginner's orchestra (1971) * ''Music of Space'' (1971), for clarinet, 2 percussionists and 6 loudspeakers * ''Song of Kathy'' (1972) * ''World Music'' (1972) * ''Portrait'' for clarinet and piano trio (1975; commissioned by

, premiered Canberra 27 May 1975, performed Sydney Opera House 8 September by Gabor Reeves, Ladislav Jasek, Nathan Waks and

Romola Costantino Romola Helen Louise Costantino, Mrs Enyi (14 September 1930November 1988) was a noted Australian pianist, accompanist and teacher, who also worked as a music, film and theatre critic. Biography Costantino was the daughter of Napoleone Costantin ...

) * ''Forever and a Day'', for harp and chamber string orchestra (1976).Stephen Pleskun ed., ''A Chronological History of Australian Composers and Their Compositions'', Vol. 2
retrieved 22 August 2013

Vietnam War

Williams was a

conscientious objector A conscientious objector (often shortened to conchie) is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, or religion. The term has also been extended to object ...

during the Vietnam War, defending himself in court.Tim Elliott, "Making the wrong enemies: How Williams was cut down at News", ''The Sydney Morning Herald'', 10 August 2013
Retrieved 18 August 2013 His impending imprisonment was averted when the incoming

Whitlam Edward Gough Whitlam (11 July 191621 October 2014) was the 21st prime minister of Australia, serving from 1972 to 1975. The longest-serving federal leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) from 1967 to 1977, he was notable for being the he ...

Labor government abolished national service in late 1972.

Working life

After graduation, Williams had a series of management roles in music: in opera; at the Sydney Conservatorium under

Rex Hobcroft Rex Hobcroft AM (12 May 192523 September 2013) was an Australian pianist, conductor, composer, teacher, competition juror and music administrator. He was the first Australian pianist to play the complete cycle of Beethoven's piano sonatas in pu ...

; as a member of the inaugural

Australia Council The Australia Council for the Arts, commonly known as the Australia Council, is the country's official arts council, serving as an arts funding and advisory body for the Government of Australia. The council was announced in 1967 as the Austra ...

Music Board (1973); and general manager of Music Rostrum Australia, whose artistic director was

Roger Woodward Roger Woodward (born 20 December 1942) is an Australian classical pianist, composer, conductor and teacher. Life and career Early life The youngest of four children, Roger Woodward was born in Sydney where he received first piano lessons ...

. Between 1975 and 1977, he studied composition in Italy with

Luciano Berio Luciano Berio (24 October 1925 – 27 May 2003) was an Italian composer noted for his experimental work (in particular his 1968 composition ''Sinfonia'' and his series of virtuosic solo pieces titled ''Sequenza''), and for his pioneering work ...

and was assistant to Berio's ex-wife, the American soprano

Cathy Berberian Catherine Anahid Berberian (July 4, 1925 – March 6, 1983) was an American mezzo-soprano and composer based in Italy. She worked closely with many contemporary avant-garde music composers, including Luciano Berio, Bruno Maderna, John Cage, Henr ...

. He also had significant involvement with the

Israel Chamber Orchestra Israel Chamber Orchestra (abbreviation ICO, Hebrewהתזמורת הקאמרית הישראלית (''Hatizmoret hakamerit'') is an Israeli orchestra based in Tel Aviv. Primary funding comes from the Israel Ministry of Education and the Tel Aviv-Yafo ...

. On return to Australia he became general manager (1977–84) and later board member and chairman (1984–2004) of

. Williams was then CEO of the

, he ran the TV production house

Southern Star Group Endemol Australia, formerly known as Southern Star Group, Southern Star Productions, Southern Star/Hanna-Barbera Australia and Taft-Hardie Group Pty Ltd, was Australia's largest independent television production and distribution group. On 26 Jul ...

, and became a senior executive at the

Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-own ...

(ABC). In 1988, he was appointed Foundation Chairman of

Film Finance Corporation Australia The Film Finance Corporation Australia (FFC) was the government agency responsible for funding commercial productions of Australian film, documentary, and television from 1988 to 2008. Unlike other publicly funded organisations responsible for f ...

.''The Punch''
Retrieved 18 August 2013 In 1995, shortly after the last-minute failure of a deal for the ABC to provide two news channels to

Rupert Murdoch Keith Rupert Murdoch ( ; born 11 March 1931) is an Australian-born American business magnate. Through his company News Corp, he is the owner of hundreds of local, national, and international publishing outlets around the world, including ...

, which Williams had spearheaded on behalf of the ABC, he left the ABC to accept Murdoch's invitation to head

Fox Studios 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...

. In December 2001 he became Chief Executive of Foxtel. He remained until 2011 and was praised for reversing Foxtel's fortunes from a chronic loss-maker to high-profitability. He was a participant in the

Australia 2020 Summit The Australia 2020 Summit was a convention, referred to in Australian media as a summit, which was held over 18-19 April 2008 at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, aiming to "help shape a long-term strategy for the nation's future". Announ ...

, as a member of the Towards a Creative Australia working group. Williams was Chairman of the

from 2005, on the invitation of the then

Premier of New South Wales The premier of New South Wales is the head of government in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The Government of New South Wales follows the Westminster Parliamentary System, with a Parliament of New South Wales acting as the legislature. ...

Bob Carr Robert John Carr (born 28 September 1947) is an Australian retired politician and journalist who served as the 39th Premier of New South Wales from 1995 to 2005, as the leader of the NSW Branch of the Australian Labor Party (ALP). He later en ...

, until stepping down in 2013. In 2006 he was canvassed as a potential successor to

Russell Balding Russell Stephen Balding (born 7 January 1952) is an Australian company director, who was managing director of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) from 2002 to 2006. From 1982 to 1987, Balding was financial controller for the New Sout ...

, after Balding resigned as managing director of the ABC. In December 2011, Williams was appointed CEO of

News Limited News Corp Australia is an Australian media conglomerate and wholly owned subsidiary of the American News Corp. One of Australia's largest media conglomerates, News Corp Australia employs more than 8,000 staff nationwide and approximately 3,0 ...

(which became

in July 2013). He resigned in August 2013 amid reports that his management style had alienated many staff members and executives, including members of the Murdoch family. In February 2014 he was appointed a Commissioner of the

Australian Football League The Australian Football League (AFL) is the only fully professional competition of Australian rules football. Through the AFL Commission, the AFL also serves as the sport's governing body and is responsible for controlling the laws of the gam ...

(AFL). The same year he published ''Rules of Engagement'', an account of his time in Australia's leading boardrooms and organisations. Williams was appointed an independent board member of the Copyright Agency Limited in January 2015 and has been its Chair since June 2015. In 2016 Williams was appointed Chairman of the State Library of New South Wales Foundation Board.

Personal

Williams married twice: from 1983–1989 to

Kathy Lette Kathryn Marie Lette (born 11 November 1958) is an Australian-British author whose works have been best-sellers. Early life Lette was born on 11 November 1958 in Sydney's southern suburbs. She appeared in ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' of 20 Au ...

, and since 1998 to Catherine Dovey, daughter of Gough and

Margaret Whitlam Margaret Elaine Whitlam, AO (née Dovey; 19 November 1919 – 17 March 2012) was an Australian social campaigner, author, and athlete. She was the wife of Gough Whitlam, the 21st Prime Minister of Australia from 1972 to 1975, and a representat ...

(née Dovey), and Kathy Lette's best friend. He and Dovey have endowed the Williams/Dovey Scholarship at the Centre for Social Impact. In 2011, he established the

David and Joan Williams Documentary Fellowship The Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC) is an Australian conference for the promotion of documentary, factual and unscripted screen content, regarded as one of two major national conferences for filmmakers. History First esta ...

in honour of his late parents. In November 2013, he was invited by the

Garvan Institute of Medical Research The Garvan Institute of Medical Research is an Australian biomedical research institute located in , Sydney, New South Wales. Founded in 1963 by the Sisters of Charity as a research department of St Vincent's Hospital, it is now one of Australi ...

to become one of the first Australians to have his personal genome sequenced.

Honours

* In 2006 he was appointed a Member of the

Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...

(AM), "for service to arts administration through executive roles with a range of cultural organisations, to music education and the formulation of arts related public policy".It's an Honour
Retrieved 18 August 2013 * In 2009 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters by

Macquarie University Macquarie University ( ) is a public research university based in Sydney, Australia, in the suburb of Macquarie Park. Founded in 1964 by the New South Wales Government, it was the third university to be established in the metropolitan area of S ...

for his contribution to the arts and entertainment industry both in Australia and internationally. * In 2010 he was

Deakin University Deakin University is a public university in Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1974, the university was named after Alfred Deakin, the second Prime Minister of Australia. Its main campuses are in Melbourne's Burwood suburb, Geelong Waurn Ponds, ...

's George Fairfax Fellow in Arts and Entertainment Management.Ken Myer Lecture
; Retrieved 18 August 2013 * In 2010 he gave the

Ken Myer Kenneth Baillieu Myer, (1 March 1921 – 30 July 1992) was an American-born Australian patron of the arts, humanities and sciences; diplomat, administrator, businessman and philanthropist. He was a member of the notable Melbourne retailing Myer ...

Lecture, titled "Growing up in Arts – a personal Australian perspective on film, television, music and management". * In 2017 he gave the

Peggy Glanville-Hicks Address The Peggy Glanville-Hicks Address is an annual forum for ideas relating to the creation and performance of Australian music. It was named for the Australian composer Peggy Glanville-Hicks. From 1999 until 2018 the Peggy Glanville-Hicks Address was ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Kim 1952 births Living people Members of the Order of Australia Australian newspaper publishers (people) University of Sydney alumni Australian male composers Australian composers Australian memoirists Australian film studio executives Australian conscientious objectors