Veteran Channel 9 newsreader Peter Hitchener has announced he’s stepping down from his job after 25 years.
Hitchener, 77, one of Australian TV’s longest-serving broadcasters, has anchored Nine Melbourne’s weeknight bulletin since 1998. He’ll move to hosting the weekend news for the network from 2024.
Nine Network unveiled journalists Tom Steinfort and Alicia Loxley as his replacement co-hosts, which marks the 6pm bulletin’s fourth hosting shake-up in its history.
“We’re delighted that Hitch will continue to be a valuable and much loved part of the 9News Melbourne family,” Nine’s Melbourne news director Hugh Nailon said.
“He has an unwavering passion for delivering news to Melbourne and we look forward to the wealth of experience he will continue to bring to our weekend broadcasts.”
Hitchener, who started his career in 1965 at Brisbane radio station 4BH, recently celebrated 50 years employment with Channel 9, having previously been their weekend newsreader from 1979 to 1998.
Prior to that, he was with the ABC for six years.
The chief reporter, who was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2017, made global headlines in 2009 in a clip that has had viral moments on social media over the years. It shows him maintaining steely composure as a seagull bombarded the projection while he was presenting.
More recently, Hitchener worried viewers in March 2021 when he fell ill in the middle of presenting the news and was forced to leave mid-show.
It was later revealed he had been suffering from a migraine.
A few months later, in December, he scaled back his duties by dropping the Friday bulletin.
Meanwhile, Loxley, 42, was an obvious choice to step in for the job, having taken over from Hitchener on Fridays at the time.
The Melbourne journalist has been weekend presenter for 9News Melbourne for the past 12 years.
Current 60 Minutes presenter Steinfort will move from Sydney back to his home city of Melbourne to take up the role, having been with the Nine Network since 2007.
Steinfort, 39, has enjoyed a successful career with Nine, where he’s worked as a European Correspondent and a fill-in co-host on Today.
“We are thrilled to welcome Alicia and Tom to the forefront of our news team,” Nailon added.
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“In what will be just the fourth hosting line-up for the bulletin, this really does signify the onset of a new age.
“Alicia and Tom will bring a fresh dynamism to Melbourne viewers as they follow in the footsteps of Sir Eric Pearce, Brian Naylor and Peter Hitchener.”
The new line-up will air in January.
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