ABC Four Corners producer Sue Spencer to step down ABC's Four Corners executive producer Sue Spencer to end her tenure. Sue Spencer, the respected executive producer of ABC's flagship current affairs program Four Corners, has told staff she will step down in March. Spencer - who started her television career as a researcher with the show in 1985 - leaves behind one of the most coveted jobs in TV current affairs. Fairfax Media understands Spencer had been planning her resignation for some time, and it is not related to confirmation on Monday that Four Corners will lose resources as a result of the Abbott government stripping $254 million from the ABC. The Age investigative journalist Nick McKenzie - who also reports for Four Corners on joint Fairfax-ABC investigations - said Spencer has been "a delight to work for." "She is a wonderfully professional executive producer with a commitment to telling real people's stories - and an excellent filmmaker," McKenzie said. Bruce Belsham, head of ABC's current affairs, described Spencer as "one of the most profound contributors to one of Australia's most important journalistic institutions." "She has not been at Four Corners for the entire time, and she has achieved to her own high standards elsewhere inside and outside the ABC, but her relationship with Four Corners is special and her value to the program has been immense," Belsham said. The program under her leadership has set agendas and won countless awards, including the Gold Walkley and a number of Logies. I've seen Sue's tenacity, journalistic courage, work ethic and leadership up close for a long time. It's truly impressive. From a personal and professional point of view I'm sad to see her go, but I congratulate her on leaving a tremendous legacy at a time that suits her. Spencer's other projects include the award-winning documentary series Labor in Power, The Howard Years, and 100 Years: The Australian Story. She has also worked on Lateline, Foreign Correspondent and Australian Story. Early last decade, Spencer resigned from the ABC, working in Cambodia and Vietnam as a communications officer for the United Nations Development Program and UN Children's Fund, before joining the World Bank in Australia. In October 2007, she returned to the ABC as executive producer of Four Corners. With the program having aired its final episode for the year on Monday night, Spencer announced her decision to staff on Wednesday. It is understood she wants to work until March to allow a smooth transition. While her replacement has yet to be finalised, some staff have speculated that 7.30 executive producer Sally Neighbour would be a "logical" successor. Fairfax Media was unable to contact Neighbour before deadline. Spencer said: "It's time for me to do something different. It's been the best gig in the world and I'm going to miss it terribly. I just want to have a bit of a break and use that time to decide what I'm going to do next. She expects her position will be advertised soon and hopes to work with her successor before she finishes. In 2008, Spencer told The Age it takes six to eight weeks to make a typical episode of Four Corners. "The really tough thing is being able to predict what's going to be a good story two months down the track," she said. Spencer was hired almost 30 years ago by Four Corners' then-executive producer Jonathan Holmes - a former host of Media Watch and current Age columnist - and his associate producer, Peter Manning. "That was quite an extraordinary time," Spencer said. Andrew Olle was presenting the program. Chris Masters was coming to his height. That first year, Kerry O'Brien was working on the program. I worked with Paul Barry on his [award-winning] reports about the Wittenoom blue asbestos mine and Alan Bond. Four Corners has won more than 70 awards since it debuted on the ABC in 1961.