Australian Politics Forum - Goodbye Kerry O'Brien

JC Denton

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Goodbye Kerry O'Brien
Dec 9^th, 2010 at 8:37pm

I'll remember him as the guy on the boring news show after the ABC news.

Quote:

* Kerry O'Brien signs off after 15 years
* Leigh Sales, Chris Uhlmann to take over
* Highlights package to screen on Friday

CURRENT affairs veteran Kerry O'Brien has farewelled viewers for the final time as the presenter of ABC TV's The 7.30 Report.

O'Brien was the editor and presenter of the program for 15 years.

He announced in September that he would leave the program and anchor the ABC's investigative program Four Corners in 2011.

O'Brien worked on Four Corners in the 1970s and 1980s, before heading up Lateline, until he became the face of The 7.30 Report in December 1995.

Within weeks of joining the national program he was covering the 1996 election race that Paul Keating lost to John Howard.

"A lot has happened since, the tragedies and the triumphs, the big landmark moments and the little things that nonetheless brightened our lives," O'Brien said tonight.

Start of sidebar. Skip to end of sidebar.
Related Coverage

* The Punch: Something about Kerry

* Interview skills land anchor role for Sales The Australian, 3 days ago
* Uhlmann seen as biased by both sides Perth Now, 3 days ago
* Sceptical observers, not players The Australian, 3 days ago
* 7.30 line-up fails to impress all The Australian, 3 days ago
* 7.30's new anchors away from the desk The Australian, 5 days ago

End of sidebar. Return to start of sidebar.

"I've enjoyed your company and I hope you've enjoyed mine.

"The time has come to say good night."

O'Brien, 65, said in a year in which he had interviewed US President Barack Obama and led the program's coverage of the leadership spill and the election campaign, it had been an honour and a privilege to share the space with viewers.

But viewers haven't quite seen the last of O'Brien yet. Tomorrow night, a special edition will be screened, bringing together flashbacks of Kerry's major interviews from his last 15 years.

Lateline presenter Leigh Sales and ABC 24 political journalist Chris Uhlmann will head up the new look program, retagged 7.30, in the new year.

In his final week in the presenter's seat O'Brien interviewed Prime Minister Julia Gillard and former Liberal leader Malcolm Turnbull.

In May, ahead of his fall from the top job, an agitated Kevin Rudd shot back that it was easy for O'Brien to sit back in "7.30 Report Land" and question him about his failures to strike a better deal on climate change in Copenhagen.

O'Brien's last interview was with Australian actor Geoffrey Rush, who he said he could ask if age was wearying him in his line of work because he was ahead of him in years.

It's understood O'Brien attended the presentation for Walkley Awards for excellence in Australian journalism after signing off.

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/television/abc-veteran-kerry-obrien-says-last-730-report-goodnight/story-e6frfmyi-1225968536555#ixzz17brTKOAU

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Verge Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 6329 Gender:	Re: Goodbye Kerry O'Brien Reply #1 - Dec 9^th, 2010 at 8:43pm I liked Kerry. He wasnt afraid to take it to the pollies, without resorting to "shock jock tactics". Sadly, he is a dying breed of respectable journalists.
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Aussie Gold Member Offline OzPolitic Posts: 39874 Gender:	Re: Goodbye Kerry O'Brien Reply #2 - Dec 9^th, 2010 at 8:45pm Did you know he was expelled from his private High School?
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Miss Anne Dryst Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 2296 Sydney Gender:	Re: Goodbye Kerry O'Brien Reply #3 - Dec 9^th, 2010 at 8:54pm Wow, 15 years. He was good, even for a leftie. But who hosted longest: Kerry O'brien (7.30 Report) or Ray Martin (A Current Affair)
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buzzanddidj Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 14248 Eganstown, via Daylesford, VIC Gender:	Re: Goodbye Kerry O'Brien Reply #4 - Dec 9^th, 2010 at 9:07pm Miss Anne Dryst wrote on Dec 9^th, 2010 at 8:54pm: Wow, 15 years. He was good, even for a leftie. But who hosted longest: Kerry O'brien (7.30 Report) or Ray Martin (A Current Affair) O'Brien Martin hosted ACA fo 4 years But your point is ?
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Miss Anne Dryst Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 2296 Sydney Gender:	Re: Goodbye Kerry O'Brien Reply #5 - Dec 9^th, 2010 at 9:21pm Ray Martin only hosted for 4 years? It seemed a lot longer.
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chicken_lipsforme Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 7090 Townsville NQ Gender:	Re: Goodbye Kerry O'Brien Reply #6 - Dec 10^th, 2010 at 7:43am It's only going to be a short goodbye though. He will be back early next year fronting a new ABC show.
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buzzanddidj Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 14248 Eganstown, via Daylesford, VIC Gender:	Re: Goodbye Kerry O'Brien Reply #7 - Dec 10^th, 2010 at 8:00am chicken_lipsforme wrote on Dec 10^th, 2010 at 7:43am: It's only going to be a short goodbye though. He will be back early next year fronting a new ABC show. He will be presenting "Four Corners"
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buzzanddidj

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Re: Goodbye Kerry O'Brien
Reply #8 - Dec 10^th, 2010 at 8:04am

The ABC's Kerry O'Brien has won one of Australian journalism's highest accolades, taking out the Walkley for journalistic leadership.

The honour, which comes on the same night O'Brien hosted his final 7:30 Report, is one of seven awards for the ABC at this year's Walkleys.

The veteran current affairs presenter also claimed the Walkley for best interview for his interviews on The 7:30 Report with Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/12/09/3089605.htm

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'I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians.
Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.'

- Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

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Miss Anne Dryst

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Re: Goodbye Kerry O'Brien
Reply #9 - Dec 11^th, 2010 at 7:42am

buzzanddidj wrote on Dec 10^th, 2010 at 8:04am:

The ABC's Kerry O'Brien has won one of Australian journalism's highest accolades, taking out the Walkley for journalistic leadership.

The honour, which comes on the same night O'Brien hosted his final 7:30 Report, is one of seven awards for the ABC at this year's Walkleys.

The veteran current affairs presenter also claimed the Walkley for best interview for his interviews on The 7:30 Report with Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/12/09/3089605.htm

Kerry wasn't pretentious nor after the headlines. Rather he was/is a journalist.
Shame the commercial channels couldn't take a leaf out of his book.
Instead they (Today Tonight, A Current Affair) prefer to go for the staged managed contrived stories just to grab the spotlight - as did 4 Corners.
Hopefully Kerry can avoid that path.

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aussiefree2ride Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 3538	Re: Goodbye Kerry O'Brien Reply #10 - Dec 11^th, 2010 at 8:41am Miss Anne Dryst wrote on Dec 9^th, 2010 at 9:21pm: Ray Martin only hosted for 4 years? It seemed a lot longer. It would.
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