{"id":826514,"date":"2026-07-27T08:00:14","date_gmt":"2026-07-27T08:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/826514\/"},"modified":"2026-07-27T08:00:14","modified_gmt":"2026-07-27T08:00:14","slug":"news24-launch-peter-stefanovic-on-sky-news-australia-rebrand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/826514\/","title":{"rendered":"News24 launch: Peter Stefanovic on Sky News Australia rebrand"},"content":{"rendered":"

Peter Stefanovic is sitting at Sydney Airport, readying for a family trip to Queensland with his wife, Today Extra co-host Sylvia Jeffreys, and their sons, Oscar, 6, and Henry, 5. <\/p>\n

But he\u2019s also trying to wrap his head around some quirky cosmic timing: just as he marks 24 years in a newsroom, Sky News Australia is rebranding as News24<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Stefanovic will be the first voice that viewers hear in the network\u2019s new era when he anchors a debut broadcast of First Edition under the fresh banner at 6am tomorrow. <\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe it\u2019s written in the stars,\u201d he tells The Watchlist with a laugh. <\/p>\n

\u201cI hadn\u2019t thought too much about the personal significance of the number, but it\u2019s exciting being part of a brand that\u2019s expanding when others are pulling back.\u201d<\/p>\n

More than just a name change, News24<\/a> is part of the organisation\u2019s massive digital evolution, which will feature a new app, an upgraded website, and international reporting capabilities through a specialised London bureau.<\/p>\n

As a former foreign correspondent, Stefanovic is excited to see global horizons expand. <\/p>\n

While he carries the weight of past assignments to war zones such as Gaza and Ukraine, as well as disasters like the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, he says that reporting on last year\u2019s Bondi Beach massacre was one of his most challenging assignments. <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve done those sorts of events overseas before, but there\u2019s always been a personal buffer because it wasn\u2019t home,\u201d he explains. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt was an attack that happened literally at home, in the next suburb from where I live.<\/p>\n

I was covering this absolutely tragic story, and people were coming up to me in real-time to talk about our coverage while it was going to air, mostly in comforting terms.\u201d<\/p>\n

While this immediacy of reporting highlights the profound changes ushered in by the digital age, Stefanovic doesn\u2019t believe traditional media is under threat from bystanders armed with smartphones and social media. \u201cI still back what we do in terms of accuracy and offering our audience a more balanced view,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n

Reflecting on starting his career at WIN TV in the central Queensland city of Rockhampton in 2002, when stories were still shot on tape, he says, \u201cThat makes me feel old. In the old edit booths, it took a while to put a story together and cut it. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere was something pure and romantic about that. These days, so much of it is done online and it\u2019s so much faster. That\u2019s thrilling in and of itself \u2013 we\u2019re pretty much live on my show.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still, Stefanovic is quick to reassure audiences that the network\u2019s glossy rebrand won\u2019t alter its three-decade legacy. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll still be doing the journalism we\u2019re famous for,\u201d he promises. \u201cWe\u2019re going to be doing interviews with all the business leaders, political leaders, and the big names in the news. Weather, sport, business, politics \u2013 even entertainment from time to time. We\u2019ll be continuing to cover all of that with great gusto.\u201d<\/p>\n

Delivering headlines may be the crux of his role, but Stefanovic admits he was grateful to be overseas covering the World Cup when his older brother Karl\u2019s high-profile departure from the Today show dominated news cycles in June, since reporting on friends and family when they\u2019re the story is a delicate tightrope.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll leave analysis to other people,\u201d he says, \u201cbut I\u2019d have had to cover it in the same way that we\u2019ve covered Lisa Wilkinson or Kyle Sandilands and Jackie \u2018O\u2019 [Henderson].\u201d<\/p>\n

An upside of being a news family is robust dinner table conversations, and always having an expert there to workshop ideas.<\/p>\n

\u201cSylvia has got her show, Karl has got his, I\u2019ve got mine. We\u2019re all catering to different audiences, so there\u2019s not really that rivalry,\u201d he points out. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re all pretty supportive of each other as we navigate the trials and tribulations.\u201d<\/p>\n

As for rumours the Stefanovic brothers could form a powerhouse double act on News24, the First Edition host laughs it off. <\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know whether that would happen because he\u2019s pretty busy,\u201d he says of Karl. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s pumping out his podcast now, doing up to five episodes a week and travelling the world. <\/p>\n

\u201cHonestly, I don\u2019t think he\u2019d have time, but wherever he goes, I \u2013 like you \u2013 will be watching keenly.\u201d<\/p>\n

First Edition airs weekdays at 6am on News24. Watch on Foxtel and News24.com.au<\/a><\/p>\n

\"News24:ROLLING COVERAGE ON NEWS24<\/p>\n

* AM Agenda Anchor Laura Jayes sets the day\u2019s news agenda with a critical eye to the stories making headlines across the globe. Weekdays at 9am.<\/p>\n

* Credlin This prime-time political opinion program sees commentator Peta Credlin share her sharp political analysis. Monday to Thursday at 6pm.<\/p>\n

* The Bolt Report Known for driving the news cycle, commentator Andrew Bolt offers his perspective on political and social issues. Monday to Thursday at 7pm.<\/p>\n

* Sharri Journalist Sharri Markson offers her take on the big news stories of the day in this opinion program. Monday to Thursday at 8pm.<\/p>\n

* Sunday Agenda News24 political editor Andrew Clennell puts Australia\u2019s leaders under question with interviews and analysis of the political landscape on this in-depth weekly program. Sunday at 8am.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Peter Stefanovic is sitting at Sydney Airport, readying for a family trip to Queensland with his wife, 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