ABC chairman Justin Milne has resigned amid a "firestorm" that included accusations he interfered in the broadcaster's editorial independence.

Key points: Mr Milne had been accused in several reports this week of failing to safeguard the ABC's editorial independence

Mr Milne had been accused in several reports this week of failing to safeguard the ABC's editorial independence He refutes this, and said the Government never "told me what to do in relation to the ABC"

He refutes this, and said the Government never "told me what to do in relation to the ABC" However, he also said: "You can't go around irritating the person who's going to give you funding …"

After meeting on Thursday the ABC Board released a statement saying it was "grateful for [Mr Milne's] willingness to put the ABC first in coming to his decision to resign".

In an exclusive interview with 7.30's Leigh Sales, Mr Milne described the week's events as a "firestorm" and said he "wanted to provide a release valve".

"Clearly there is a lot of pressure on the organisation, and as always, my interests have been to look after the interests of the corporation," he said.

"It's clearly not a good thing for everybody to be trying to do their job with this kind of firestorm going on."

Mr Milne had been under enormous pressure to stand down.

In the days after Michelle Guthrie's acrimonious departure as managing director, explosive reports claimed Mr Milne had earlier urged the then managing director to sack two prominent reporters because the Government "hated" them.

Fairfax Media claimed Mr Milne emailed Ms Guthrie in May to insist senior journalist Emma Alberici be fired.

Another report in News Limited publications claimed Mr Milne had ordered Ms Guthrie sack ABC's political editor, Andrew Probyn, telling her to "shoot him".

Mr Milne firmly denied ever emailing demands for senior journalists to be fired from the organisation.

"I have never sent an email to Michelle Guthrie or anybody else that says you must sack Emma Alberici or Andrew Probyn or anybody else," Mr Milne told 7.30.

He said he could not remember using the words "shoot him", and it would be inappropriate for the chairman to become involved over issues of editorial independence and accuracy.

"No I don't remember saying that at all. But what I certainly would've done is had a conversation with not only Michelle but with other members of the leadership team about what I'll call the Probyn issue," he said.

"So, Andrew Probyn also found himself in hot water with the Government."

He attempted to quash a suggestion in Fairfax media that he referred to Ms Guthrie as "the missus" in front of staff.

"I don't think I did. I don't call people that and I have zero recollection of ever doing that. I don't know why I would. I don't think of her as the missus at all," he said.

Fairfax also reported that he regularly referred to women as "chicks" and "babes" but Mr Milne said he only used the word "chicks" in relation to friends.

"I don't do it all the time. I do it to try to relax people, but I certainly don't use that word in a derisive or denigrating way. And if it's caused offence to people, then I do apologise for that."

Mr Milne told Sales his resignation was not an admission that he had failed to protect the ABC's independence.

"Absolutely 100 per cent not. In fact I feel that the interests of the ABC have always been uppermost in my mind," he said.

"There was absolutely no interference in the independence of the ABC by the Government.

"Nobody from the Government has ever rung me and told me what to do in relation to the ABC."

Communications Minister Mitch Fifield said Mr Milne's resignation was the "right decision" and that the Government would appoint an acting chairman and begin the search for a long-term replacement for Mr Milne.

"The ABC Act lays down an independent nomination panel process to be followed for appointing the chair of the ABC," he said in a statement.

Sorry, this video has expired Justin Milne denies accusations of political interference.

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Prime Minister Scott Morrison has welcomed Mr Milne's resignation.

"ABC Board and Chairman have made the right call," he tweeted.

"Time for the ABC to resume normal transmission, both independently and without bias. That is what Australia's taxpayers pay for and deserve."

Calls for Senate inquiry

Shadow Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said a Senate inquiry should look into what the Government knew about Ms Guthrie's sacking.

"When did they find out and what did they know? These are some of the questions that need to be answered, and again, it is for this reason that Labor is calling for an independent, transparent Senate inquiry into political interference at the ABC.

"The public's trust and confidence in the ABC has taken a battering."

Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young agreed that urgent action was needed to protect the integrity of the national broadcaster.

She has backed calls for an independent probe and called for the entire ABC board to stand down.

"We need to clean out the board, put a broom through it and ensure that the staff and journalists are not just able to get on with their jobs, but they are protected and supported in doing that," she said.

Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) chief executive Paul Murphy said Mr Fifield, Mr Morrison and former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull should all be questioned in a Senate inquiry.

"A departmental inquiry is simply not good enough and the public cannot have faith it will be anything but a whitewash," he said.

Michelle Guthrie was sacked by the board on Monday. ( ABC News: Nick Haggarty )

On Thursday, the ABC board met without Mr Milne.

When asked whether he sent an email to Ms Guthrie instructing her to "get rid" of Alberici — the ABC's chief economics correspondent — Mr Milne said it needed to be explained "in context".

"When there is an issue of editorial independence and accuracy it's appropriate for the chair to be involved — it's the chair's job," he said.

"[But] I have never sent an email to Michelle Guthrie or anybody else, which says you must sack Emma Alberici or Andrew Probyn or anybody else."

He described what was reported as "a piece of an email" but later also said: "You can't go around irritating the person who's going to give you funding again and again if it's over matters about accuracy and impartiality."

Since the interview on 7.30, Fairfax has published the full email reportedly sent from Mr Milne to Ms Guthrie concerning Alberici's "bias", as part of and exchange between the two.

According to Fairfax, the email read: "After two glasses of red of course there's an agenda. They fricken hate her. She keeps sticking it to them with a clear bias against them. We clear her as ok. We r tarred with her brush. I just think it's simple. Get rid of her. My view is we need to save the corporation not Emma. There is no g'tee they will lose the next election [sic]."