Peter Hitchener

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Peter Hitchener
Peter Hitchener 01.JPG
Hitchener at the 2012 U3A Carnival of Learning at Federation Square, Melbourne
Born
Peter Donald Beauchamp Hitchener

(1946-02-21) 21 February 1946 (age 75)
Texas, Queensland, Australia
OccupationNews presenter
Years active1965–present
EmployerNine Network
TelevisionNine News
Websitepeterhitchener.com.au

Peter Donald Beauchamp Hitchener[1] OAM (born 21 February 1946) is an Australian television presenter from Texas, Queensland. He has been the chief news presenter for GTV-9 of their flagship bulletin Nine News Melbourne since 1998, and prior to that was the weekend news presenter.

Career[]

Originally from rural Queensland, Hitchener began his media career in 1965 at the Brisbane radio station 4BH where he wrote, edited and presented news bulletins. Hitchener then moved on to ABC Brisbane where he undertook roles as a television news and radio presenter. Still at the ABC, he moved to Sydney in 1973 where he was a relief presenter on the evening news for James Dibble.[2]

Hitchener moved to the Nine Network after one year at ABC Sydney, presenting National Nine News first in Sydney and then in Melbourne as the co-anchor of News Centre Nine, with Brian Henderson co-anchoring in Sydney. In 1977, Hitchener began hosting the breakfast show on 3AW before moving to 3AK in 1979. At about this time, Hitchener also became chief weekend news presenter and understudy to chief weeknight news presenter Brian Naylor. In 1985, Hitchener resigned from 3AK.[2]

When Brian Naylor retired in 1998, Hitchener took over as presenter of Nine News Melbourne on weeknights. In 2008 Hitchener celebrated 10 years as the weeknight news presenter.[3] In October 2010, Hitchener signed another three years as presenter of Nine News Melbourne.

In January 2013, the Nine Network celebrated Hitchener's 40-year career with the network at a gala dinner where many speakers paid tribute to his work in news and the community.[4] In July 2014, it was announced Hitchener had signed a new contract to remain presenter of Nine News, believed to be for five years [5]

On March 29 2021, Hitchener experienced a serious migraine whilst live on air. He missed presenting the 30th of March bulletin due to the insistence of his Nine Network colleagues.

Charity and community work[]

In 1998, Hitchener became the patron and active supporter of Able Australia (formerly the Deaf Blind Society of Victoria), an organisation supporting people with multiple disabilities.[6] Since 2011, he has been the patron of Dogs Victoria, an organisation representing breeders and owners of pure bred dogs in Victoria.[7] He is also an Ambassador for the Lort Smith Animal Hospital.[8] In addition he is a regular supporter and guest speaker for many other charity and community events in Melbourne.[2] He is also Patron of the Barwon Health Foundation and Eastern Health Foundation.

Honours[]

Hitchener was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the 2017 Australia Day Honours list "for services to the broadcast media and to the community".[9]

Personal life[]

For a short time Hitchener lived in Eltham during the 1970s.[10]

In April 2008, in a Herald Sun article regarding his 10 years as chief news presenter of Nine News Melbourne, Hitchener acknowledged he is gay.[3] Online commentators criticised the circumstances of Hitchener's personal revelations, saying that he was "pushed" into discussing his private life. Hitchener's spokesperson denied this.[11]

On 29 March 2021, Hitchener was reading the news bulletin when he suddenly fell ill and was unable to read the teleprompter, causing him to go home mid-broadcast.[12] Hitchener was subsequently revealed to have been suffering a migraine, and was replaced by Alicia Loxley for the following night's bulletin.[13]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Carbone, Suzanne (30 January 2013). "Hitchener's Nine life for 40 years". The Age. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Meet the Team". 9News. ninemsn Pty Ltd. 2013. Archived from the original on 4 January 2014. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b Byrne, Fiona (6 April 2008). "Nine's prime fighter". Herald Sun. Retrieved 6 April 2008.
  4. ^ Knox, David (31 January 2013). "40 years for "Hitch"". TV Tonight. TV Tonight. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  5. ^ "Channel 9 newsreader Peter Hitchener inks deal to become Australia's longest running newsreader". Herald Sun. Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  6. ^ "Our Patron". Able Australia. Able Australia. 2011. Archived from the original on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  7. ^ Carbone, Suzanne (23 November 2012). "Hitchener stars in dog rescue". Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  8. ^ "Ambassadors". Lort Smith Animal Hospital. Lort Smith Animal Hospital. 2013. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  9. ^ "Subscribe to the Herald Sun". www.heraldsun.com.au. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
  10. ^ A legendary newsreader talking about Eltham, retrieved 3 July 2021
  11. ^ Simons, Margaret; Green, Jonathan (11 April 2008). "The outing of Peter Hitchener: nothing straight about it". Crikey. Archived from the original on 19 June 2009. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
  12. ^ Ward, Roy (29 March 2021). "Nine newsreader Peter Hitchener unable to finish bulletin due to migraine". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 29 March 2021. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
  13. ^ Carmody, Broede (30 March 2021). "Nine's Peter Hitchener told to 'rest up', take Tuesday night off". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 30 March 2021. Retrieved 2 April 2021.

External links[]

Media offices
Preceded by
Brian Naylor 		Nine News Melbourne
Weeknight presenter
1998 – present 		Succeeded by
incumbent
Preceded by
? 		Nine News Melbourne
Weekend presenter
1978 – 1998 		Succeeded by
Jo Hall


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