Karvelas, who hosts RN Drive, will move into the breakfast slot in 2022, in a move the ABC says will bring her passion and expertise to early-morning audiences across the country.

Her appointment was announced on RN Breakfast on Monday morning by presenter Fran Kelly, who finishes with the program on Thursday after 17 years in the role.

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Karvelas said, "It is an honour and privilege to step into what I have long considered the best job on radio, setting the national agenda every weekday morning and providing the conversations and interviews that will keep ABC audiences well informed of the issues that affect them.

"I have huge shoes to fill coming after the remarkable Fran Kelly and I am humbled to be the nation's morning broadcaster at this important time. Fran made the show an important part of the day for news, information and the conversations that help us understand each other.

"I am passionate about getting to the truth and asking questions that I know listeners want asked, regardless of where they live in Australia. Whether it is holding those in power to account or talking about arts and culture or sport, I cannot wait to get behind the RN Breakfast mic and deliver for ABC listeners."

ABC director of entertainment and specialist Michael Carrington said he was delighted Karvelas would bring her insights and energy to RN Breakfast from next year.

Kelly, who will continue to play a role at the ABC next year, said Karvelas was a natural fit for the job.

"Her boundless energy and strong journalistic instincts, coupled with her personal warmth and extraordinary work ethic means she has what it takes to keep the program doing what it does best - driving the daily news agenda and bringing the audience along on a wild ride of politics, popular culture, social issues, science, sport and music," she said.

Karvelas is a journalist and presenter, radio and television host, podcaster and political analyst, who has worked across every medium in the Australian media landscape.

Karvelas has presented RN Drive since 2015, and has hosted Afternoon Briefing on the ABC News TV channel for the past three years.

She previously hosted and produced a program on Sky News and worked in the Canberra press gallery as political correspondent for the Australian. She has also worked for the Sydney Morning Herald and SBS.

Ms Karvelas lives in Melbourne with her partner and two young daughters.

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