Peter Hitchener: Nine News star on life, golf, charity work and social media success
HE HAS more social media accounts than the average teenager and boasts hundreds of thousands of followers – here’s how Peter Hitchener became a digital kingpin.
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ONCE the domain of millennials glued to their smart phones, social media has a new face.
At 71, Peter Hitchener is thriving in the digital world.
“Snapchat is marvellous, I love it,” Hitchener said.
“When I first started I told my boss ‘I’ve got a Snapchat account now’ ... and he said ‘isn’t that for sexting?’.
“It might have been once, but it’s not like that at all now. It’s just a great way of keeping in touch.”
And keep in touch he does, with more than 72,000 dedicated Twitter followers and 47,000 Facebook followers.
“I’m not sure how that happened, it just sort of grows organically,” he said with a laugh.
‘Hitch’, as he is affectionately known, is dominating the world of social media, with more accounts than the average teen, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Periscope and Pinterest.
“You can’t knock it, it’s just a great way of keeping in touch.
“Most of my pics on snappety snap get about 70,000 to 90,000 looks and then in 24 hours they’re gone.”
The news veteran does daily Periscope live and Facebook live posts and posts behind-the-scenes photos of the studio, newsroom and even the make-up artist in action.
“It’s just a way of interacting, it’s our future,” he said.
It’s far removed from the world of broadcast news that Hitchener started with in 1965.
“It used to be broadcast from on high, take it or leave it,” he said.
“But now when people have something to say, and I’m delighted, they can actually say it.
“News is far more immediate now, it’s so much more personal and not nearly as formal as it used to be.”
Born and raised in rural Queensland, Hitchener said his family’s main links to the outside world were ABC radio and a day-late newspaper.
“Everyone in our family eagerly devoured the paper and listened to the radio news,” Hitchener said.
“I’m sure that is where my interest for news first developed.”
In 1965, fresh out of school, Hitchener scored a role writing, editing and presenting news at Brisbane’s 4BH radio station.
After stints in radio, and then radio and television at the ABC in Sydney, he joined the ranks as a news anchor for Nine News Melbourne in 1974 and has been hosting the main weeknight bulletin since 1998.
Next year marks 45 years with Channel 9. In an industry renowned for being cutthroat, Hitchener has carved out a reputation as being one of the nicest people on television.
There’s even a plaque hanging in the newsroom attesting to the fact.
Long-time weather presenter Livinia Nixon said “Hitchy” was a warm and caring gentleman.
“His laugh is infectious, he is highly intelligent and genuinely cares about everyone,” Mrs Nixon said.
“He’s an amazing person and everyone in the newsroom feels honoured to work with him every day.”
Among the many stories Hitchener has covered, he said the tragic Black Saturday bushfires that ravaged Victoria in 2009 moved him the most.
In total, 173 people died, including former Nine News presenter, and Hitchener’s close friend, Brian Naylor.
Despite the personal sorrow he was experiencing, Hitchener was on the frontline, bringing Melburnians the tales and images of devastation.
“Personally, it was the most terrible event I’ve ever reported on,” Hitchener said.
“I can only imagine how it must have been for the people of the fire-affected towns when the flames came through.”
Hitchener said one of the things that didn’t go to air but he would never forget was people approaching him and the camera crews in the days after.
“People just had to tell their story, not to go on air but just to talk to somebody, so I got to hear a lot of stories about what had happened.
“I felt very privileged that people actually wanted to talk and share their stories with me, especially at that terrible time.”
But he said there were also positive moments, such as reporting on new arrivals at Melbourne Zoo. And there’s one thing he can’t wait to report on.
“I haven’t ever had the joy of reporting on the St Kilda Football Club premiership but maybe I’ll live long enough, we’ll see,” he said.
In 2009, the news stalwart was famously upstaged by a massively magnified seagull.
Hitchener made international headlines when the cheeky seagull walked across a real-time projection of the Melbourne skyline behind his head while he was reading the news.
“I knew it was there but chose not to allude to it because I was reporting on a cold case murder inquiry,” Hitchener said.
“It wasn’t an appropriate time to share a laugh with the audience, but that seagull has now gone on to become a star of the internet.”
The veteran news reader is also a keen golfer.
“I love it but I’m no good at it and probably never will be,” the Kew resident said.
“I took it up quite late in life but I love it and I play whenever I have the opportunity.
“No matter how horrible your golf is, you are surrounded by the beauty of the landscape, so that can sometimes take your mind off your own game.”
When he’s not in the studio or on the golf course, Hitchener is busy supporting a long list of community services. Hitchener has great compassion for animals and is a patron of Dogs Victoria and Lort Smith Animal Hospital.
Hitchener has also been an official ambassador of Zoos Victoria for more than a decade.
He also feels strongly about supporting troubled teenagers – hence his long association with Operation New Start, which helps them get back on their feet. He is also the patron of Eastern Health and is involved with Barwon Health in Geelong.
Hitchener has been active for many years with the RCH1000 – a group of people who commit to contributing at least $1000 each year to the Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation.
It’s an impressive list and, if his social media accounts are anything to go by, Hitchener has no plans of slowing down any time soon.
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