West Australian personality Jeff Newman has decided to retire from Perth’s TVW7 – over forty years after joining the channel and just a few months shy of TVW’s fiftieth birthday celebration.

A former radio announcer, Newman started in television at STW9 in the mid-‘60s before joining TVW7 in 1967.  A presenter of various programs including quiz shows It’s Academic and Letterbox and local variety shows including Perth’s New Faces and Reach For The Stars, Newman joined TVW7’s news department in 1982 and for the last eight years has been Seven News’ weather presenter.  In 2001, It’s Academic was revived with Newman again as host.

Newman has also been actively involved in TVW7’s annual Telethon since it started in 1968 and in 1994 was awarded an Order of Australia Medal for his services to Telethon and the Variety Club of Western Australia, which he founded.

Newman has also won five TV Week Logie awards for Most Popular Personality in Western Australia.

It is reported that Newman will appear at one more Telethon, to be held in October just as TVW7 celebrates its 50th birthday.

Source: WA Today, Perth Now, TVW7, WA TV History