Australia's richest person Gina Rinehart will not relinquish her 10 per cent stake in struggling free-to-air broadcaster, Ten, despite planning to step down from the company's board.

It is understood that Mrs Rinehart, who is Ten's second biggest shareholder, is pulling back her non-mining investments as she focuses her energies on completing the construction of her $US10 billion ($11.43 billion) Roy Hill iron ore project.

Gina Rinehart is stepping down from the board of Ten to concentrate on her Roy Hill iron ore project.

The mine in Western Australia's iron-rich Pilbara region is scheduled to start exporting in September 2015.

Mrs Rinehart's partners and colleagues insist that the project is profitable despite the iron ore price tumbling 40 per cent to $US80.82 a tonne since the start of this year.