David Koch and Sandra Sully: TV broadcasters lead in media and community

Television broadcasters Sandra Sully and David Koch have been honoured for their extensive work throughout the careers and also their contributions to the community.

David Koch.

Veteran television broadcasters David Koch and Sandra Sully have both received an Order of Australia for their work in the media and community.

Koch, 67, departed Seven’s Sunrise program last year after 21 years, having dominated breakfast TV ratings, and said he was now thrilled to be working business hours.

“I love every single minute of it, but compared to working in an emergency department it really is a horseshit job,” he said.

“But if you can use that job to make a difference elsewhere it is the best job in the world.”

Koch runs his business Pinstripe Media, and he also helped establish the Organ and Tissue Authority, chairing its committee from 2012-2015.

“It transformed organ donation and transplants. It’s a real passion of mine,” Koch said.

He also helped establish the Youth off the Streets – Koch Centre for Youth facility at Sydney’s Macquarie Fields in 2011.

“It’s a little high school for street kids that the traditional education system has spat out, and we’re really proud of (the school),” Koch said.

Koch has also been president and chairman of AFL club Port Adelaide since 2012, which he said he took on when the football club was insolvent. “Other clubs wanted to boot us out of the competition and said the AFL couldn’t support two clubs (in South Australia) but we built an organisation that is financially sound and growing,” he said.

Sandra Sully.

He is continuing his passion in the finance sector and his award includes his significant service to economic journalism – he recently joined financial comparison website Compare The Market as economic director.

Sully, who has been a journalist and presenter at Network Ten since 1990, has been recognised for her achievements in media, community and charity.

The TV veteran said working in media had helped her put the spotlight on important issues in the community, including extensive work at Spinal Cure Australia, where she has been a patron for more than 20 years.

Sully also reflected on the big news events she has covered during her illustrious career, including the September 11 attacks – she was the first Australian journalist to break the news about the terrorist attacks in the US.

“It was total shock, it was really quite surreal because of the scale and magnitude of it. There’s no trainee course for something like that,” she said.

“To happen to be in the chair for that catastrophic event was just gobsmacking and I really just focused on getting the right messages across.”

Queensland-born Sully, who is passionate about sport, was also on the board of Hockey Australia from 2014 to 2023.

Sully thanked those who supported her throughout her career: “I would like to thank all the many people who have supported and guided me along the way.

“Especially my dedicated and hardworking colleagues, my loving family, supportive friends and mentors.”