Ita Buttrose has quit Studio 10 after four and a half years with the show, Channel 10 has confirmed.

Media personality and former magazine editor Ita Buttrose is poised to be named the chair of the ABC, according to reports.

The appointment of the 77-year-old would bring to close a troubled period for the corporation following the rancorous exit of the previous chair Justin Milne and managing director Michelle Guthrie six months ago.

Communications Minister Mitch Fifield is expected to bring the matter up with cabinet this week.

“The government is undertaking a process to appoint a new ABC chair,” a government spokesman said.

“No decision has been made and an announcement will be made in due course.”

If Ms Buttrose is selected, it would make the 2013 Australian of the Year only the second woman to head the ABC since Dame Leonie Kramer in the early 1980s.

The reaction to her potential appointment has been mixed with many raising concerns she was reportedly not on the shortlist recommended by an independent panel.

Others have welcomed the news saying she would “smash it at the ABC”.

Seriously? Is the government really going to ignore the selection panel's advice AGAIN and appoint Ita Buttrose to ABC Chair, when she's not even on the short list? https://t.co/V8MtK5EUig — Paul Barry (@TheRealPBarry) February 24, 2019

Nothing against Buttrose but this is now ritual humiliation for the independent panel and everyone who went through the process https://t.co/7IuQEUZwy9 via @smh — Paddy Manning (@gpaddymanning) February 24, 2019

I have no problem with Ita Buttrose being appointed as Chair of @ABC but I do have a problem with this government once again ignoring the recommendations of the appointed committee. — Irma Gherd (Retired Nurse Thug) (@maureenchuck1) February 24, 2019

Ita Buttrose for ABC chair,? This must be a joke. Someone serious please for this job! — Doffhondow@cadmiumred (@allanhondow) February 24, 2019

I'm old enough to remember that Ita Buttrose did great work telling refugees' stories, time way back.



Opposing her appointment as ABC chair isn't about her character or capability; it's that once again, the government is subverting proper process. — Richard Chirgwin (@R_Chirgwin) February 24, 2019

Ita Buttrose for ABC Chair! Seems so obvious, why didn’t we think of it before — Gary Nunn🏳️‍🌈🚴🏼 (@GaryNunn1) February 24, 2019

Throwback to when I saw Ita Buttrose at Woman in Media event.

She said "Am I pissed off with how far women have come? No ... In the 70s, women were put in their place and told to stay. We've come so far... but we've got a long way to go."

She would smash it at the ABC. pic.twitter.com/WfAeevHrYm — Amber Schultz (@AmberMaySchultz) February 24, 2019

The usual imbeciles are up in arms over the possibility of Ita Buttrose becoming the next ABC chair...so this must be a good thing 🤔👏 — Amber.K. (@AmberX994874) February 24, 2019

Ms Buttrose was the founding editor of women’s magazine Cleo and the youngest person to be appointed editor of the Australian Women’s Weekly.

Last year she resigned from her position as a panellist on the Network Ten morning show Studio 10 amid rumours of feud with co-host Denise Drysdale.

Tempers between the two were understood to have flared late last year when Drysdale allegedly threw a Brussels sprout at her colleague during a cooking segment.

But Ms Buttrose said it was time for her to move on and focus on other parts of her life.

“I’ve got five grandchildren … I want to spend a bit more time with them. I’ve come to an agreement with a publisher to write a couple of books,” she continued.

— with AAP