Sabra Lane, one of Australia’s most experienced and respected political journalists, has been named as the new presenter of flagship ABC Radio Current Affairs program AM.

She takes over the high-profile role from Michael Brissenden, who is moving to Four Corners after two years in the AM hot seat.

Director of News Gaven Morris said: “AM sets the national agenda for the day and Australians turn to the program to get the latest news and analysis in a fair, accurate and balanced way. “Being presenter of AM is one of the key political reporting jobs in the Australian media and Sabra is a worthy inheritor of the position.”

Sabra said: “I am excited and deeply honoured to take this role. It’s a wonderful challenge, one I’m going to relish and grab with both hands. “AM has been the program that politicians and business leaders have tuned into for more than 40 years and I look forward to carrying on the tradition. “I will be our listeners’ voice and ask politicians of all persuasions the questions Australians want asked – and I will prod, provoke and challenge them into giving answers.”

AM can be heard Monday to Saturday at 8.00am-8.30am on ABC Local Radio.

Sabra Lane

Sabra Lane is regarded as one of the best political interviewers and most astute journalists in the country.

She has been covering federal politics in Canberra since 2008 and has been Chief Political Correspondent on nightly TV current affairs flagship 7.30 since September 2013, when she replaced Chris Uhlmann in the role. Prior to that she was Chief Political Correspondent for Radio Current Affairs from July 2011, leading federal politics coverage for AM, The World Today and PM.

Before going to Canberra Sabra was a reporter for ABC Radio Current Affairs in Sydney, as well as regular fill-in Executive Producer on AM, The World Today and PM. Prior to joining the ABC she was EP of the Seven Network’s weekly national news and public affairs program Sunday Sunrise for more than four years. She also helped produce Seven News’s coverage of the Sydney Olympics.

Sabra began her journalism career in 1989 in Adelaide as a reporter/producer for the Ten Network.