Michael Schildberger
Encyclopedia
Michael Julius Schildberger (4 April 1938 – 2 June 2010) was an Australian journalist, radio
and television presenter, and author. He is best known for hosting A Current Affair in the 1970s.
as a copy boy and subsequently became a cadet reporter.
In 1958 he moved to GTV 9 where he remained for the next twenty years. During the 1970s he was executive producer
and national host of A Current Affair. For that role, he was awarded a 1976 Logie Award
for Best TV Interviewer.
After leaving Channel 9, Schildberger worked for several years as Director of News for ATV 10 and FOX-FM
. He then moved to Melbourne radio station 3LO
where he hosted the morning program, with a short stint at 3DB.
In 1984 he founded the media production company Business Essentials.
Schildberger was diagnosed with prostate cancer
in 1997. He achieved remission, and became a strong advocate of positron emission tomography
. The cancer returned in early 2010. Schildberger died at the Cabrini Hospital in Prahran on 2 June 2010.
Radio personality
A radio personality is a person with an on-air position in radio broadcasting. A radio personality can be someone who introduces and discusses various genres of music, hosts a talk radio show that may take calls from listeners, or someone whose primary responsibility is to give news, weather,...
and television presenter, and author. He is best known for hosting A Current Affair in the 1970s.
Career
Schildberger began his media career in 1955 when he joined The Sun News-PictorialThe Sun News-Pictorial
The Sun News-Pictorial, commonly known as The Sun, was a morning daily tabloid newspaper in Melbourne, Australia established in 1922 and closed in 1990.It was part of The Herald and Weekly Times Ltd stable of Melbourne newspapers...
as a copy boy and subsequently became a cadet reporter.
In 1958 he moved to GTV 9 where he remained for the next twenty years. During the 1970s he was executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
and national host of A Current Affair. For that role, he was awarded a 1976 Logie Award
Logie Awards of 1976
The 11th Annual TV Week Logie Awards were presented on Friday 12 March 1976 at Southern Cross Hotel in Melbourne and broadcast on the Nine Network. Bert Newton from the Nine Network was the Master of Ceremonies...
for Best TV Interviewer.
After leaving Channel 9, Schildberger worked for several years as Director of News for ATV 10 and FOX-FM
FOX FM (Melbourne)
Fox FM is a radio station that serves the Melbourne, Australia, broadcasting on the FM band at a frequency of 101.9 MHz. Licensed to Mount Dandenong, Victoria, the station is currently owned by the Austereo Radio Network. The station's transmitter is located on the ATV-10 transmission tower on top...
. He then moved to Melbourne radio station 3LO
774 ABC Melbourne
774 ABC Melbourne is an ABC Local Radio station in Melbourne, Australia. Originally known by its callsign 3LO, it began transmission on 13 October 1924 – Melbourne's second radio station after 3AR.-History:...
where he hosted the morning program, with a short stint at 3DB.
In 1984 he founded the media production company Business Essentials.
Schildberger was diagnosed with prostate cancer
Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...
in 1997. He achieved remission, and became a strong advocate of positron emission tomography
Positron emission tomography
Positron emission tomography is nuclear medicine imaging technique that produces a three-dimensional image or picture of functional processes in the body. The system detects pairs of gamma rays emitted indirectly by a positron-emitting radionuclide , which is introduced into the body on a...
. The cancer returned in early 2010. Schildberger died at the Cabrini Hospital in Prahran on 2 June 2010.