ABC Managing Director Mark Scott has confirmed the station’s Q&A program will be managed by the news and current affairs division, potentially paving the way for the government to end its boycott of the program.

The announcement comes after a controversial episode aired in June where the broadcaster allowed convicted criminal Zaky Mallah into the studio audience, questioning Liberal MP Steve Ciobo on citizenship laws.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott then furiously placed a blanket ban on Coalition MP’s from appearing on the show, and said that “heads should roll” at the ABC.

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Mr Abbott had asked for the program to move to the news department, before he would lift the ministerial ban.

At a meeting of the broadcaster’s board on Thursday, it was agreed to move the program from the television division to news and current affairs, which will take place no later than the end of 2016.

A statement released by the board said: “Q&A is a significant feature of the country’s news and current affairs cycle, and the move would provide the program with greater operational and cultural alignment.”

The ABC board said both the program and the ABC more generally would benefit from an “orderly shift” into the news division.

“Timing of the move will be determined by management in light of accommodation, scheduling, staffing and other factors. The change will take effect no later than the 2016 broadcast year,” the statement said.

A review of Q&A by Shaun Brown, a former managing director of SBS, and broadcaster Ray Martin is due later this year.

The statement said the two men will review the first 23 episodes broadcasted in 2015, and may make more substantial recommendations before the show was moved.

Meanwhile, just three panellists are confirmed to appear on next week’s show – former commander of the International Space Station Chris Hadfield, Shadow Minister for Vocational Education Sharon Bird and counter-terrorism expert Jonathan Fine.

The fourth is rumoured to be a Coalition MP.