Spot on!
I can’t see Hitch retiring this year, but i can see him slowly winding back like Mal did, 3 days per week etc.
Even then, Hitch is so active within the Melbourne community that I reckon he just loves what he does and might just keep going 
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Hitch himself has said in recent years as long as he is healthy he will continue working, his job and community/ charity work are his life. I am sure when the time is right to go he will know. But l could see him cutting back to 3 or 4 days a week and being happy.
The newsroom team are his family and l think he will remain even in a part time role for more years yet.
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lol, based on what? Total rubbish post.
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Why? I’m sure if he wanted to stay in for another 2 or 3 years, Nine would be more than happy to offer him another contract.
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He could probably sign another 5 year contract if he wanted realistically
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Monday -
Zara James is presenting Early News.
Sophie Walsh is presenting Morning News & Sydney Afternoon News.
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Good to see that Rob will still contribute special reports even though he’s stepping down from full-time reporting
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It is going to be really difficult to fill that position- you will need someone with experience. Certainly a new era at Nine- post Peter Harvey, Laurie Oakes and Robert Penfold.
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I reckon this could be a good position for Karl to fill in. Away from local media and paps.
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Possibly remaining with Nine to keep his work visa going?
One really good thing though is that most (if not all) of these veteran presenter/reporter departures from Nine News in recent years have been people leaving on their own terms, rather than having no choice but to leave because of budget cutbacks as the case seems to have been at most other networks.
…not to mention Ken Sutcliffe!
Although I still think the new era at Nine will really hit home (at least from a Sydney perspective) when Mark Burrows and/or Damian Ryan retire. Both of them are probably the last big name TCN reporters from the 1980s/1990s still on-air today…although you can make a credible case for Peter Overton (who started at TCN as a sports reporter before gradually moving up to bigger roles and ultimately being promoted to the holy grail of positions in Australian TV news/current affairs - lead presenter of Nine News Sydney) and perhaps Mike Dalton. Of course while Cameron Williams has been around a long time, he’s probably a bit less ingrained within TCN compared to some of the others I’ve mentioned due to the notable stints at Seven & Fox Sports before joining Nine around the mid-2000s.
He is irreplaceable. Penfold is the last of the great era at Nine News to retire in the last few years.
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Agree that would be a good position for Karl if he wanted it
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Monday -
Tony Jones is back presenting sport in Melbourne tonight.
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Mia Glover made an appearance on the Sydney bulletin tonight reporting on a drowning that happened a while ago in Byron Bay.
On that topic I’ve also noticed that a few of the Queensland-based reporters have been reporting on news events in northern NSW recently, not just at Nine but also at other networks.
Probably the Brisbane (or even Gold Coast) reporters would be chosen to cover stories in Byron Bay because it’s a shorter drive from there than it would be for Sydney’s reporters? Mind you, TCN has sent Damian Ryan to Grafton before so it’s hard to tell exactly at which point the newsroom would go “ah it’s too far, let QTQ cover it”!
I personally still think NBN’s reporters (especially Tyson Cottrill who has been a Nine News reporter in the past) deserve the occasional exposure on metropolitan screens but lets not get into that debate again…
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Mia Glover was in Byron for Nine Gold Coast News to report from their courthouse where an inquest was looking into a flood related drowning. The Gold Coast interest was because the accident happened in the Tweed River in 2017.
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I wonder if he was offered a promotion somewhere back in Australia, but refused? Which would be fair enough with the long time he’s been overseas and his family there.
I think it would be a disappointment it we were to see Karl end up taking his position however.
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Lots of legendary Nine journalists has retired in the past few years. I’d be disappointed if Karl replaces Penfold. Karl was in NYC in 2016 presenting the US Election coverage.
Only legend remaining is Peter Hitchener who’s contract is up for renewal later this year.
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