Michael Usher
Encyclopedia
Michael Usher is an Australian reporter for 60 Minutes.
He has previously presented Nightline and was the news presenter on Sunday alongside Ellen Fanning
and Stephanie Brantz
.
Usher graduated from All Saints' College in Perth
in 1987. He went on to study media in 1989 at West Australian Academy of Performing Arts and graduated with an Associate Diploma in Media Studies.
Michael's television career began in 1990 at the Golden West Television Network, Bunbury
, as a final year cadet journalist. He was then posted to Kalgoorlie
before beginning the following year at STW-9
, Perth. In 1993, Usher moved to Sydney and to TCN-9
news. Three years later he was appointed the role of Nine Network
Olympics reporter, leading the Network's coverage of the 1996 Atlanta
and 2000 Sydney Olympic Games
. He also went to Lausanne to cover the corruption scandal that engulfed the International Olympic Committee
.
Usher was the Nine Network
's correspondent in New York when the Twin Towers were attacked in September 2001, and less than two years later was in Iraq
, travelling north from Kuwait
to reach Baghdad
the day after the Coalition seized the city.
In 2001, Michael moved to the Nine Network
's US bureau, where he worked for three years as National Nine News
US correspondent, based in Los Angeles. Usher returned to Australia to fill in as host of Today
, then at the beginning of 2004, together with wife Anna Lee and young son, he moved to the UK, to cover the London bureau.
In 2006, Usher returned to Australia and began presenting Nightline, replacing Ellen Fanning
.
In 2007 Usher became news presenter for the Sunday program. Following the axing of Nightline in July 2008 and Sunday in August 2008, Usher was appointed presenter of the short-lived Nine News Sunday AM. For the rest of 2008, Usher filled-in on various Nine News bulletins as well as reporting for 60 Minutes, filling in for Tara Brown
who was on maternity leave at the time.
Between November 2008 and January 2009, Michael presented the weekend bulletin of Nine News Sydney. This was after the resignation of Mike Munro
and before the appointment of former weeknight presenter Mark Ferguson
as the permanent weekend presenter. Also from 2009, Usher finished his role as presenter of the Sunday Morning News, as the bulletin was replaced with Weekend Today
.
In March 2009, Usher was appointed as a permanent reporter for Nine's 60 Minutes program. He hosted the first leaders debate between Julia Gillard
and Tony Abbott
prior to the 2010 Australian Federal Election.
In December 2010, Michael presented A Current Affair whilst usual fill in presenter Leila McKinnon
had a holiday. Usher also co-hosted the 2010 New Year's Eve Fireworks with Alicia Gorey
.
He has previously presented Nightline and was the news presenter on Sunday alongside Ellen Fanning
Ellen Fanning
Ellen Fanning is an Australian journalist and was the last host of the Nine Network's Sunday television program.She was born in Brisbane, Queensland, and attended All Hallows' School, in Brisbane. She later graduated with a communications degree at the Queensland University of...
and Stephanie Brantz
Stephanie Brantz
Stephanie Brantz is an Australian sports presenter. She began her television career in 2000 on SBS , and has since worked on the Nine Network and Fox Sports...
.
Usher graduated from All Saints' College in Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
in 1987. He went on to study media in 1989 at West Australian Academy of Performing Arts and graduated with an Associate Diploma in Media Studies.
Michael's television career began in 1990 at the Golden West Television Network, Bunbury
Bunbury, Western Australia
The port city of Bunbury is the third largest city in Western Australia after the State Capital Perth and Mandurah. It is situated south of Perth's central business district...
, as a final year cadet journalist. He was then posted to Kalgoorlie
Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
Kalgoorlie, known as Kalgoorlie-Boulder, is a town in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, and is located east-northeast of state capital Perth at the end of the Great Eastern Highway...
before beginning the following year at STW-9
STW
-Mathematics:*The Shimura-Taniyama-Weil conjecture, a generalization of Fermat's last theorem.-Music:*Stop the War Coalition, an anti-war group in the United Kingdom*Salt the Wound, a deathcore band-Other:...
, Perth. In 1993, Usher moved to Sydney and to TCN-9
TCN
TCN stands for:* Take Care Now, a private company providing out-of-hours medical cover in England* TanenbaumCHAT North Campus, a private Hebrew high school in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada* TCN-9, a Sydney television station...
news. Three years later he was appointed the role of Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
Olympics reporter, leading the Network's coverage of the 1996 Atlanta
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
and 2000 Sydney Olympic Games
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
. He also went to Lausanne to cover the corruption scandal that engulfed the International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
.
Usher was the Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
's correspondent in New York when the Twin Towers were attacked in September 2001, and less than two years later was in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, travelling north from Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
to reach Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
the day after the Coalition seized the city.
In 2001, Michael moved to the Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
's US bureau, where he worked for three years as National Nine News
National Nine News
Nine News is the news service of the Australian Nine Network.Nine News's flagship bulletin is the nightly 6:00pm localised bulletin, produced by networked owned-and-operated stations in Sydney , Melbourne , Brisbane and Darwin alongside localised bulletins produced by the WIN-owned Nine Network...
US correspondent, based in Los Angeles. Usher returned to Australia to fill in as host of Today
Today (Australian TV program)
Today and Weekend Today are Australian breakfast television programmes, the show is often referred to as The Today Show. The show has been broadcast live by the Nine Network each morning since 1982...
, then at the beginning of 2004, together with wife Anna Lee and young son, he moved to the UK, to cover the London bureau.
In 2006, Usher returned to Australia and began presenting Nightline, replacing Ellen Fanning
Ellen Fanning
Ellen Fanning is an Australian journalist and was the last host of the Nine Network's Sunday television program.She was born in Brisbane, Queensland, and attended All Hallows' School, in Brisbane. She later graduated with a communications degree at the Queensland University of...
.
In 2007 Usher became news presenter for the Sunday program. Following the axing of Nightline in July 2008 and Sunday in August 2008, Usher was appointed presenter of the short-lived Nine News Sunday AM. For the rest of 2008, Usher filled-in on various Nine News bulletins as well as reporting for 60 Minutes, filling in for Tara Brown
Tara Brown
Tara Brown is an Australian television presenter. She was born in Sydney, NSW, Australia.On 25 October 2008, she gave birth to her first son, Jack Cooper.-Nine Network:...
who was on maternity leave at the time.
Between November 2008 and January 2009, Michael presented the weekend bulletin of Nine News Sydney. This was after the resignation of Mike Munro
Mike Munro
Michael Munro is an Australian television presenter.- Early life :Munro cites a tough childhood with an abusive and alcoholic mother, as one of the main reasons behind his motivation to succeed. Munro attended Sacred Heart Primary School in Mosman, New South Wales and Marist College North Shore in...
and before the appointment of former weeknight presenter Mark Ferguson
Mark Ferguson (television presenter)
Mark Ferguson is a news presenter.Ferguson is currently presenting the weekend Sydney bulletin for Seven News in Sydney and Seven 4.30 News on Thursday & Friday, due to Samantha Armytage's commitments with Weekend Sunrise....
as the permanent weekend presenter. Also from 2009, Usher finished his role as presenter of the Sunday Morning News, as the bulletin was replaced with Weekend Today
Today (Australian TV program)
Today and Weekend Today are Australian breakfast television programmes, the show is often referred to as The Today Show. The show has been broadcast live by the Nine Network each morning since 1982...
.
In March 2009, Usher was appointed as a permanent reporter for Nine's 60 Minutes program. He hosted the first leaders debate between Julia Gillard
Julia Gillard
Julia Eileen Gillard is the 27th and current Prime Minister of Australia, in office since June 2010.Gillard was born in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales and migrated with her family to Adelaide, Australia in 1966, attending Mitcham Demonstration School and Unley High School. In 1982 Gillard moved...
and Tony Abbott
Tony Abbott
Anthony John "Tony" Abbott is the Leader of the Opposition in the Australian House of Representatives and federal leader of the centre-right Liberal Party of Australia. Abbott has represented the seat of Warringah since the 1994 by-election...
prior to the 2010 Australian Federal Election.
In December 2010, Michael presented A Current Affair whilst usual fill in presenter Leila McKinnon
Leila McKinnon
Leila McKinnon is an Australian journalist.McKinnon is currently co-host of Weekend Today an is also a reporter and fill in presenter for Nine News and A Current Affair.-Career:...
had a holiday. Usher also co-hosted the 2010 New Year's Eve Fireworks with Alicia Gorey
Alicia Gorey
Alicia Gorey is an Australian journalist and news presenter. She is currently weekend news presenter on Nine News Melbourne.-Career:...
.