One of the nation’s most recognisable TV personalities has called time on a stellar career after spending more than 30 years providing expert <a href="https://bitcomme.com/evrima-plc-half-year-<a href="https://bitcomme.com/choosing-financial-stability-over-dreams-is-heart-breaking/” title=”Choosing financial stability over dreams is 'heart-breaking'”>financial-report/” title=”Evrima Plc – Half-year Financial Report”>financial commentary to viewers, readers and listeners across Australia.
Most well known for his 24-year stint as the ABC’s lead 7pm news finance presenter, Alan Kohler is one of the country’s most celebrated and recognised financial commentators.
For decades, viewers have been treated to Kohler’s analysis of “interesting graphs”, and many Australians will be intimately familiar with his classic closing line “and that’s finance”.
In a statement to ABC staff, Kohler said he had “always” loved the ABC, and transitioning into retirement would feel strange.
“I find it very hard to imagine this wonderful place not being part of my life, but I’m 74 and it’s time to spend more time with my family, including the six grandchildren,” he said.
Kohler earnt himself a lengthy tribute from Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers, who said he wanted to “really wish Alan well”.
“I’ve got a heap of time for Alan. Not because he’s always especially kind to the government – he’s not. But Alan is, in lots of ways, the very best of journalism,” he said.
“He takes these big, serious issues in our economy very seriously. He deals with them in a considered and sensible way, and so I think he’ll be really missed from the ABC and from the TV screens in suburbs right around Australia.
“He’s always done a wonderful job, boiling down some of the difficult and complex interactions in our economy … I wanted to take the opportunity publicly to say how much he will be missed.”
Mr Chalmers said Kohler’s contributions had been “immense,” and he hoped it would continue “in one way or another”.
Before he joined the ABC in 1995, Kohler spent time as editor for both the AFR and The Age.
