For nearly thirty years, Alan Kohler stood at the intersection of complexity and comprehension, translating the abstract language of markets and economic policy into something Australian families could carry with them into their evenings. At 74, he has chosen to step away from the ABC's 7pm bulletin in December, closing a chapter that began in 1995 and became ritual with a simple, steady phrase: 'And that's finance.' His departure invites a quiet reckoning with what it means to be a trusted public voice — and how rarely such trust is earned.
ABC's Alan Kohler to retire after 30 years as finance guru
It's time to spend more time with my family, including the six grandchildren
Mark
So Kohler is actually leaving the ABC entirely, or is there a chance he stays on in some other capacity?
Mimi
The reporting suggests he's stepping back from the nightly bulletin in December, but there's real openness about him continuing in some form. Chalmers explicitly said he hopes Kohler keeps contributing to economic commentary, and the ABC's news director mentioned future ideas and projects.
Luke
But that's vague. We don't know what those projects are, or whether Kohler himself has committed to anything. It's the kind of thing people say at retirements. We should be careful not to read too much into it.
Mark
Fair point. What made him such a fixture, though? Was it just that he was good at explaining things?
Mimi
It was more than that. He had a particular style—the graphs, the catchphrase, the warmth. During the pandemic, his home studio with the books and the plant became this oddly comforting thing for people. He made economics feel human.
Luke
And he had real credibility. He'd edited major newspapers, founded successful online platforms. He wasn't just a TV personality reading an autocue. That matters.
Mark
So the ABC is going to struggle to replace him?
Mimi
Almost certainly. The broadcaster is already saying they'll announce a successor in coming weeks, but finding someone with his combination of technical knowledge, media experience, and on-camera warmth is genuinely difficult.
Luke
And we don't know yet whether that person exists within the ABC or whether they'll have to recruit from outside. That's a real operational question the broadcaster hasn't answered.
Mark
What about his actual legacy? Is this just a retirement, or is there something bigger here?
Mimi
He's been the public face of financial journalism in Australia for nearly thirty years. That's a generation of Australians who learned about economics through him. That's substantial.
Luke
True, though we should note that his influence was primarily on the 7pm bulletin audience, which skews older. Younger Australians probably don't know who he is. His reach was real but not universal.
El Pulso
- A nightly anchor for millions of Australians is lifting away, leaving a gap that feels less like a vacancy and more like a silence where a familiar voice used to be.
- Tributes from the Treasurer, the ABC's leadership, and peers across media reflect just how unusual it is for a financial journalist to become genuinely beloved rather than merely respected.
- The ABC must now find someone capable of replicating not just Kohler's expertise, but the particular warmth and wit that made economic reporting feel human rather than clinical.
- Kohler himself has signalled the door is not entirely closed — colleagues and admirers are already hoping his voice finds new outlets beyond the bulletin desk.
For nearly thirty years, Alan Kohler stood at the intersection of complexity and comprehension, translating the abstract language of markets and economic policy into something Australian families could carry with them into their evenings. At 74, he has chosen to step away from the ABC's 7pm bulletin in December, closing a chapter that began in 1995 and became ritual with a simple, steady phrase: 'And that's finance.' His departure invites a quiet reckoning with what it means to be a trusted public voice — and how rarely such trust is earned.
Alan Kohler, 74, will retire from the ABC's 7pm news bulletin in December, ending a run of nearly three decades that transformed him into one of Australia's most trusted public voices on economics. He joined the broadcaster in 1995 as a business and economics correspondent, and from 2002 onward closed each nightly finance segment with his signature sign-off — 'And that's finance' — a phrase that became as familiar to Australian households as the news itself.
Kohler described the decision as simply feeling right at this stage of life, citing a desire to spend more time with his family, including six grandchildren. Treasurer Jim Chalmers was swift to pay tribute, praising Kohler's rare gift for making complex economic interactions legible to ordinary Australians, and expressing hope that his commentary would continue in some form after his departure from the bulletin.
During the pandemic, Kohler became an unlikely comfort — broadcasting from a home studio filled with books and a single house plant, his presence offering both information and reassurance during lockdown. ABC managing director Hugh Marks credited him with extraordinary contribution, singling out his warmth, humour, and trademark grin as qualities that set him apart.
Kohler's career spans five decades and reaches well beyond the ABC. He edited both the Age and the Australian Financial Review, and founded the digital platforms Eureka Report and Business Spectator, navigating the shift from print to online with the same adaptability he brought to television. Former ABC broadcaster Phillip Adams mourned the news, calling him 'King Kohler,' while economist Stephen Koukoulas described him as a thoroughly fabulous contributor to public understanding of markets and policy.
The ABC has indicated it will announce Kohler's successor in coming weeks — a search that carries with it an unspoken question: whether the particular alchemy of expertise and humanity he brought to financial reporting can truly be passed on.
Alan Kohler, the 74-year-old financial journalist who has become synonymous with making sense of Australia's economy for ordinary viewers, will step down from the ABC's 7pm news bulletin in December after nearly three decades in the role. His departure marks the end of an era for the public broadcaster—a run that began in 1995 when Kohler joined as a business and economics correspondent for the 7.30 Report, and solidified into nightly ritual when he began closing each evening's finance segment with his signature phrase, "And that's finance," a line he has delivered since 2002.
Kohler's decision to retire comes as he enters his mid-seventies, a moment he says feels right for stepping back. "I love the ABC, always have, even more so after I joined it," he said on Wednesday, acknowledging the difficulty of imagining life without the broadcaster. "But I'm 74 and it's time to spend more time with my family, including the six grandchildren." The announcement has already drawn tributes from across the political and media landscape, a testament to the regard in which he is held.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers was among the first to respond, describing Kohler's contribution as immense and his finance reports as something that will be "really missed from ABC and from the TV screens in suburbs right around Australia." Chalmers praised Kohler's gift for distilling complex economic interactions into language ordinary Australians could grasp. "He's always done a wonderful job, boiling down some of the difficult and complex interactions in our economy," the treasurer said. Chalmers added that he hopes Kohler will continue offering economic commentary in some form after his retirement, suggesting the broadcaster's influence need not end entirely with his departure from the nightly bulletin.
During the pandemic, Kohler became something of a cultural fixture in Australian living rooms, broadcasting from a home studio he decorated with an ever-changing collection of books and a single house plant—a setup that audiences found both quirky and reassuring during lockdown. The ABC's managing director, Hugh Marks, credited Kohler with "extraordinary contribution" to the broadcaster, noting his ability to deliver insight and clarity "always with warmth, humour and that trademark cheeky grin." Simon Robinson, the ABC's new news director, said Kohler would remain connected to the broadcaster through future ideas and projects, though the specifics of any ongoing involvement remain unclear.
Kohler's career in media spans five decades and extends well beyond his ABC role. Before joining the public broadcaster, he edited both the Age and the Australian Financial Review, two of Australia's most influential publications. He also ventured into entrepreneurship, founding the online platforms Eureka Report and Business Spectator, demonstrating an ability to move between traditional and digital media as the landscape shifted. His retirement from the 7pm bulletin does not necessarily mean a complete withdrawal from public life—Chalmers and others have suggested he may yet contribute to economic commentary in other capacities.
The ABC now faces the task of finding Kohler's successor, a role that will require someone capable of explaining economic policy and market movements with both accessibility and authority. The broadcaster has indicated it will announce the appointment in coming weeks. Former ABC broadcaster Phillip Adams called Kohler's departure sad news, referring to him as "King Kohler," while economist Stephen Koukoulas described him as having made a huge contribution to economics, policy and markets, calling him a "thoroughly fabulous chap." As Kohler prepares to leave the desk where he has spent nearly a quarter-century, the question of who will inherit his role—and whether anyone can replicate the particular alchemy of warmth and expertise he brought to financial reporting—looms for the ABC.
Citas Notables
I love the ABC, always have, even more so after I joined it. But I'm 74 and it's time to spend more time with my family, including the six grandchildren.— Alan Kohler
His finance reports will be really missed from ABC and from the TV screens in suburbs right around Australia. He's always done a wonderful job, boiling down some of the difficult and complex interactions in our economy.— Treasurer Jim Chalmers
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