Nine Radio‘s Sydney News Director Natalie Peters is leaving 2GB after 12 years, she announced on air with Ben Fordham this morning.

Nat said the role has been a dream come true and that she owes her success to the people she’s worked with:

“I’m just so incredibly grateful to 2GB and Nine for the opportunity to report on some of the biggest stories of the past decade or so, here and overseas. I remember, as a rookie, telling the great Glenn Daniel my dream was to report on the Olympics; I would never have imagined I’d be on the ground in London, Sochi, Rio and PyeongChang doing just that. It has truly been a privilege.

Radio is a team effort and at 2GB I’ve been lucky to work with the best team in the business; presenters, producers, panel operators, technicians, engineers and lawyers, as well as syndication, promotions, marketing, sales, IT, digital, creative, traffic, the other traffic, research, finance, payroll, people and culture, reception and of course management. It’s also been exciting to work with the broader Nine family – what a force.

But I’m especially grateful for my team in the newsroom. Over the years we’ve always had an incredibly dedicated, talented and caring group of journalists and I’m so proud of all we’ve done. One of our journalists once commented that when you sit down for a shift in our newsroom you know the person who came before you did absolutely everything they could to set you up for success. We’ve really created a culture of teamwork, kindness and support, and I’ll miss this news team when I head on the next adventure.”

Ray Hadley joined Fordham and Peters on air when the announcement was made and issued this note to 2GB staff:

“When Nat told me she was moving on I was genuinely shocked. I guess when you’ve been here for 22 years you think colleagues like Nat will be here forever. As I’m probably the last of the old guard I guess it would appropriate for me to share with you that Natalie Peters has always been a “lifter and never a “leaner”. Whether it be extra shifts or pitching in at special events like elections or as Luke points out the Olympics Nat has always been front and centre.

As a news editor of breakfast and then news director she hasn’t been scared to confront some presenters who thought her editorial decisions were incorrect.  I guess they forgot while advice is always welcome in the newsroom , orders were not welcome.

Nat is a formidable woman and a great mentor to young journalists.

Nat Peters will be greatly missed but I join with all of you in wishing her well for her next adventure.”

Peters started out at 2RRR before studying Media and Communications at Sydney University, doing snow reports for radio and TV stations in Jindabyne and then went to AFTRS to learn more about the industry.

She won the 2013, 14, 15, 17 and 2018 Kennedy Awards for Outstanding Radio Reporting and Best On-Air Team for metropolitan AM radio with Erin Molan at the 2019 ACRAs.

Peters next role is in communications.