Peter Hitchener

{{Short description|Australian television presenter (born 1946)}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Peter Hitchener

| honorific-suffix = OAM

| image = Peter Hitchener 01.JPG

| image_size =

| caption = Hitchener at the 2012 U3A Carnival of Learning at Federation Square, Melbourne

| birth_name = Peter Donald Beauchamp Hitchener

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1946|02|21|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Texas, Queensland, Australia

| occupation = News presenter

| employer = Nine Network

| years_active = 1965–present

| website = {{URL|peterhitchener.com.au}}

| television = Nine News

}}

Peter Donald Beauchamp Hitchener {{small|OAM}} (born 21 February 1946) is an Australian television presenter with a 50-year career with the Nine Network and 58 years of news broadcasting experience. Hitchener is currently weekend presenter of Nine News Melbourne. He was chief news presenter of Nine News Melbourne from 1998 until 2023.{{cite web |url=http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/hitcheners-nine-life-for-40-years-20130129-2dirx.html |title=Hitchener's Nine life for 40 years |work=The Age |date=30 January 2013 |access-date=5 January 2014 |author=Carbone, Suzanne |archive-date=8 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140408235306/http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/hitcheners-nine-life-for-40-years-20130129-2dirx.html |url-status=live }}

Career

Originally from Texas in 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.

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.

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.{{cite news |first=Fiona |last=Byrne |title=Nine's prime fighter |url=http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23491781-661,00.html |publisher=Herald Sun |date=2008-04-06 |access-date=2008-04-06 |archive-date=6 April 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080406092945/http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23491781-661,00.html |url-status=live }}

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.{{cite web |url=http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2013/01/40-years-for-hitch.html |title=40 years for "Hitch" |last1=Knox |first1=David |date=31 January 2013 |website=TV Tonight |access-date=5 January 2014}}

In July 2014, it was announced Hitchener had signed a new contract to remain presenter of Nine News, believed to be for five years.{{cite web|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/confidential/channel-9-newsreader-peter-hitchener-inks-deal-to-become-australias-longest-running-newsreader/story-fnn7ma1h-1226997369076|title=Channel 9 newsreader Peter Hitchener inks deal to become Australia's longest running newsreader|publisher=Herald Sun|access-date=22 July 2014}}

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.{{cite web

|url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/victoria/channel-nine-newsreader-peter-hitchener-unable-to-finish-bulletin-20210329-p57f29.html |title=Nine newsreader Peter Hitchener unable to finish bulletin due to migraine |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=29 March 2021 |access-date=2 April 2021 |author=Ward, Roy |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210329081825/https://www.smh.com.au/national/victoria/channel-nine-newsreader-peter-hitchener-unable-to-finish-bulletin-20210329-p57f29.html |archive-date=29 March 2021 |url-status=live}} Hitchener was subsequently revealed to have been suffering a migraine, and was replaced by Alicia Loxley for the following night's bulletin.{{cite web

|url=https://www.smh.com.au/culture/tv-and-radio/nine-s-peter-hitchener-told-to-rest-up-take-tuesday-night-off-20210330-p57fcz.html |title=Nine's Peter Hitchener told to 'rest up', take Tuesday night off |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=30 March 2021 |access-date=2 April 2021 |author=Carmody, Broede |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210330072211/https://www.smh.com.au/culture/tv-and-radio/nine-s-peter-hitchener-told-to-rest-up-take-tuesday-night-off-20210330-p57fcz.html |archive-date=30 March 2021 |url-status=live}}

In December 2021, it was announced that Hitchener would scale back to four days a week from January 2022, presenting from Monday to Thursday, with Alicia Loxley presenting on Friday.{{Cite web|title=Hitch to switch to 4 nights a week {{!}} TV Tonight|url=https://tvtonight.com.au/2021/12/hitch-to-switch-to-4-nights-a-week.html/|access-date=2021-12-06|website=tvtonight.com.au/|date=6 December 2021|language=en-AU|archive-date=6 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211206111811/https://tvtonight.com.au/2021/12/hitch-to-switch-to-4-nights-a-week.html|url-status=live}}

In February 2022, Hitchener was announced as a Moomba Monarch alongside Fifi Box.{{Cite web |last=Webb |first=Carolyn |date=2022-02-16 |title=This just in ... Peter Hitchener and Fifi Box named Moomba monarchs |url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/this-just-in-peter-hitchener-and-fifi-box-named-moomba-monarchs-20220215-p59ws9.html |access-date=2022-03-14 |website=The Age |language=en |archive-date=12 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220312194139/https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/this-just-in-peter-hitchener-and-fifi-box-named-moomba-monarchs-20220215-p59ws9.html |url-status=live }}

In November 2023, it was announced that Alicia Loxley and Tom Steinfort would replace Hitchener to present on weeknights and Hitchener will move to weekends from January 2024.{{Cite web |date=2023-11-18 |title=Nine News announces new Melbourne anchors, Alicia Loxley & Tom Steinfort. {{!}} TV Tonight |url=https://tvtonight.com.au/2023/11/nine-news-announces-new-melbourne-anchors-alicia-loxley-tom-steinfort.html |access-date=2023-11-18 |website=tvtonight.com.au |language=en-AU |archive-date=18 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231118013308/https://tvtonight.com.au/2023/11/nine-news-announces-new-melbourne-anchors-alicia-loxley-tom-steinfort.html |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |date=2023-11-18 |title=9News Melbourne announces new presenting line-up |url=https://www.9news.com.au/national/9news-melbourne-announces-new-presenting-lineup/a109cb19-8dc9-439b-9442-75f331cac2b3 |access-date=2023-11-18 |website=www.9news.com.au |archive-date=18 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231118012001/https://www.9news.com.au/national/9news-melbourne-announces-new-presenting-lineup/a109cb19-8dc9-439b-9442-75f331cac2b3 |url-status=live }}

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.{{cite web |url=http://www.ableaustralia.org.au/aboutus/patron |title=Our Patron |author= |year=2011 |website=Able Australia |access-date=5 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320102803/http://www.ableaustralia.org.au/aboutus/patron |archive-date=20 March 2012 |url-status=dead }} Since 2011, he has been the patron of Dogs Victoria, an organisation representing breeders and owners of pure-bred dogs in Victoria.{{cite web |url=http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/hitchener-stars-in-dog-rescue-20121122-29sot.html |title=Hitchener stars in dog rescue |last1=Carbone |first1=Suzanne |date=23 November 2012 |website=Sydney Morning Herald |publisher=Fairfax Media |access-date=5 January 2014 |archive-date=6 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140506180337/http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/hitchener-stars-in-dog-rescue-20121122-29sot.html |url-status=live }} He is also an Ambassador for the Lort Smith Animal Hospital.{{Cite web |date=2023-04-03 |title=Peter Hitchener |url=https://lortsmith.com/our-stories/hitch-at-dog-lovers-show/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230403111953/https://lortsmith.com/our-stories/hitch-at-dog-lovers-show/ |archive-date=2023-04-03 |access-date=2023-04-03 |website=Lort Smith Animal Hospital |language=en-AU}} In addition, he is{{When|date=May 2022}} a regular supporter and guest speaker for many other charity and community events in Melbourne.{{cite web |url=http://news.ninemsn.com.au/meet-the-team/melbourne/peter-hitchener |title=Meet the Team |author= |year=2013 |website=9News |publisher=ninemsn Pty Ltd |access-date=5 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140104211130/http://news.ninemsn.com.au/meet-the-team/melbourne/peter-hitchener |archive-date=4 January 2014 |url-status=dead }}

Honours

Hitchener was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the 2017 Australia Day Honours list "For service to the broadcast media as a journalist and television presenter, and to the community".{{Cite It's an Honour |ausawardid=1155024 |date=26 January 2017 |recipient=Mr Peter Donald HITCHENER |award=Medal of the Order of Australia |access-date=30 November 2023}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/australia-day-awards-2017-victorians-to-be-given-honours/news-story/ff70eac6506a262db7e3c7b3ff927ba9|title=Subscribe to the Herald Sun|website=www.heraldsun.com.au|language=en|access-date=2017-12-11}}

Personal life

For a short time, Hitchener lived in Eltham during the 1970s.{{Citation|title=A legendary newsreader talking about Eltham|url=https://player.whooshkaa.com/episode?id=661918|language=en|access-date=2021-07-03}}

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. 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.{{cite web

|url=http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/04/11/the-outing-of-peter-hitchener-nothing-straight-about-it/ |title=The outing of Peter Hitchener: nothing straight about it |work=Crikey |date=11 April 2008 |access-date=2 April 2021 |author1=Simons, Margaret |author-link1=Margaret Simons |author2=Green, Jonathan |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090619043607/http://www.crikey.com.au/2008/04/11/the-outing-of-peter-hitchener-nothing-straight-about-it/ |archive-date=19 June 2009 |url-status=live}}

References

External links

[https://www.peterhitchener.com.au/index.html Official website]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20080428075504/http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=449376 Ninemsn profile of Hitchener]

{{succession box

| title = Nine News Melbourne
Weeknight presenter

| before = Brian Naylor

| after = Alicia Loxley & Tom Steinfort

| years = 1998 – 2023

}}

{{succession box

| title = Nine News Melbourne
Weekend presenter

| before = Unknown

Alicia Loxley

| after = Jo Hall
Incumbent

| years = 1978 – 1998
2023 – present