A special boardroom lunch was held on Wednesday at the studios of Nine Melbourne to commemorate Peter Hitchener’s 50 years at Nine.
Earlier this month Nine revealed that after presenting the weekday 6pm Melbourne news bulletin for Nine since 1998, Peter Hitchener is moving to weekend anchor.
See also: Nine has some news – Melbourne bulletin shakeup as Hitch moves to weekends
Taking over as joint hosts of the Monday to Friday editions of 9News Melbourne are Alicia Loxley and Tom Steinfort.
Hugh Nailon, director of 9News Melbourne, said: “We’re absolutely delighted that Hitch will continue to be a key member of the 9News Melbourne family. He has an unwavering passion for delivering news to Melbourne and we look forward to the wealth of experience he will bring to our weekend broadcasts.”
Hitch surrounded by colleagues who presented the Nipponophile with a bonsai tree. Left to right: Alicia Muling (9News Weekend Sports Presenter), Matt James (Nine Melbourne Managing Director), Alicia Loxley (Co-Host of 9News in 2024), Livinia Nixon (Weather Presenter of 9News), Clint Stanaway (9News Weekend Sports Presenter and Co-Host of Weekend Today), Brendan Stafford (Deputy News Director – 9News Melbourne), Gemma Carter (Executive Producer – Nine’s Afternoon News), Hugh Nailon (Director, 9 News Melbourne), John Gwinner (Melbourne Bureau Chief – A Current Affair), Peter Hitchener (Host of 9 News), Darren Wick (Nine’s Director of News & Current Affairs), Jo Hall (long-serving 9News reporter), Maddie Spark (9News Weekend Weather Presenter), Tony Jones (9News Sports Presenter), Kate Hastilow (Head of Wardrobe, Hair & Make-Up for 9Melbourne), Terry Stuart (Senior Communications Manager – 9Melbourne).
The boardroom lunch collected together Nine News executives and Hitch’s colleagues from the Melbourne newsroom. It doesn’t seem that long ago that Nine was celebrating Hitch’s 40 years with the network with a special dinner at Vue de Monde in Melbourne.
Peter Hitchener with Darren Wick
Speaking to TV Tonight, Hitch said: “I started thinking about it during the year, when there was talk that I’m going to retire, around the traps. And I thought, ‘What am I going to do?’ and I thought, ‘I’m going to see if I can pivot to a less busy schedule.’ Lo and behold, this is the outcome, working weekends.”
“It was really only once I made the decision, I thought ‘I’m happy about this. I’ve done the right thing.’”
Speaking about Nine news chiefs in Melbourne he has worked with over the journey, Hitch told TV Tonight: “John Sorell was probably one of the greatest writers of all time. He could, in five words, tell a story, set the scene… he was of the ‘old school,’ which meant that he was a tough teacher, at times exacting and demanding but he got the results. I’m so lucky to have had his input along the way.
“Hugh Nailon [current Melbourne News Director] did a cadetship of sorts in his early days here at Nine. He did a little bit of time in the newsroom and A Current Affair, then onto very glamorous things with 60 Minutes, travelling the world so he’s a newsman through and through and lovely to work for.”
