Media Watch presenter Paul Barry announced he would host his final episode in December.
The 15-minute weekly program is shown on Australia's public broadcaster ABC, which first reported the announcement on Thursday (June 13).
In a statement, Barry said that it was a "great privilege" to host the show and that he "enormously" enjoyed it.
He stepped down from the role later this year to "give someone else a go."
Barry also thanked the show's viewers, saying that he was sure it would continue to excel in analyzing and critiquing issues pertaining to Australian media, including the ABC itself.
Barry also presents the shorter social media extension "Media Bites."
Yup. I'm hanging up the mic at the end of this year. But lots of fun to be had before then. https://t.co/dTzST7Wgwh
— Paul Barry (@TheRealPBarry) June 13, 2024
Who is Paul Barry?
Originally born and raised in the UK, Paul Barry began his career with the ABC in 1986. He eventually became an investigative journalist for its flagship documentary program, "Four Corners," from 1987 to 1994.
He started at "Media Watch" in 2000 and then worked for the Sydney Morning Herald and Australia's version of "60 Minutes." He also published several books, including a controversial unauthorized biography about Mariah Carey's ex-partner, James Packer.
He returned to "Media Watch" in 2013 to replace its previous host, Jonathan Holmes, who made him the show's longest-serving presenter.
It remains to be seen who ABC will replace Barry with. The network said that it would announce the new "Media Watch" host later this year.
The ABC has also not confirmed whether or not Barry would remain with the network after 2024.
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