George Donikian
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George Donikian (born 15 December 19??) is an Australian television personality.
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[edit] Radio career
George commenced his media career as an announcer with Radio station 4AM in far North Queensland in the mid 70’s, and was soon lured in a southerly direction and arrived at 2WL in Wollongong.
George then moved to Sydney’s newest commercial station 2WS in 1979, where he performed as an announcer, newsreader and sports reporter.
He has been at the helm for a number of talk back radio stints on Radio FIVEaa in Adelaide.
George covered the opening ceremony and the Athens Olympics for Melbourne commercial radio in 2004.
[edit] Television career
George’s television career began in 1980, when during a chance meeting he impressed the late Bruce Gyngell, who saw him as the ideal presenter for his multi cultural I.M.B.C television Network which launched in Melbourne and Sydney in 1980.
[edit] SBS
The network quickly evolved into the Special Broadcasting Service, where as the first news anchor he read the critically acclaimed SBS World News, for the first eight and a half years. During his time at SBS, he hosted a number of special events for the Multicultural network and also called four seasons of NSL football plus a host of other sports.
[edit] Nine Network
Leaving SBS midway through 1988 to join the Nine Network, George featured on the Wide World of Sports, Sports Sunday, Graham Kennedy's Coast to Coast, the National Nine “morning news” bulletin and the Today Show. While at Nine in Sydney, George also freelanced as morning news presenter on the top rating radio 2DAY FM and did a number of Talkback Radio stints with Radio 2GB as a stand in for John Tingle.
George also played a part in Nine's commentary team for the 1988 State of Origin rugby league series, then again during the Test Series England versus Australia in the same year, and was on hand in Rome to cover the 1990 World Cup Soccer Finals in Italy, both for the Nine Network and Sydney radio.
[edit] Ten Network
Donikian joined Adelaide's Ten News in January 1991. In 2000, George moved to Melbourne, to pioneer ADS 10’s digital news service from the Ten’s Studio’s at the Como Centre in South Yarra.
As well as hosting the First at Five weekday news for Network Ten Adelaide, George has also been a “national” weekend news anchor for over 5 years, hosting weekend bulletins from the Sydney studios in Pyrmont, for Perth, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Canberra[citation needed]. In 2005 and 2006, he was also a fill-in replacement from Mal Walden in Melbourne's bulletin and presents the shortened news bulletin on Saturdays during Ten's AFL coverage. Donikian currently co-hosts First at Five with Rebecca Morse.
[edit] Other roles
Donikian had a role as a guest presenter on Tonight Live With Steve Vizard on Seven, as a stand in for host Steve Vizard. Co presenter and reporter on the special 3 network coverage of the bi-centennial celebrations (SBS joined the ABC and the Nine Network to create the program Celebration of a Nation 1988).
[edit] Other career highlights
Other career highlights include:
- Hosted the “inaugural” Ethnic Business Awards on SBS in 1989.
- Spent 7 years on the Immigration Review Panel, set up originally by Federal Minister Ian McPnee.
- George has also joined two groups of journalists from around the world to visit Greece, as a guest of the Greek Government, in order to ascertain how Athens was preparing for the Olympic Games of 2004.
- George was the voice of the Olympic Football Tournament held at the MCG during the Sydney Olympics in 2000, and the voice of Telstra Dome, during the Rugby World Cup in 2003.
- George hosted the official street party organised by the Melbourne City Council and the State Government in the heart of Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, when Greece beat Portugal to win the European Football Championship 2004 in Lisbon, in 2004.
- On his return from Greece in October 2004, was elected President of South Melbourne FC (South Melbourne Hellas) based at Bob Jane Stadium at Albert Park. He remained in the position until the end of that season when he stepped down.
| Preceded by Peter Sellen |
Ten News Adelaide Co-Anchor 1991 - Present |
Succeeded by incumbent |
| Preceded by originator |
SBS World News Anchor 1980 - 1988 |
Succeeded by Mary Kostakidis |
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