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Kate Freebairn

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Kate Freebairn
Born
Occupation(s)journalist, television presenter
Known forpresenting weather reports
Notable work10 News First

Kate Freebairn is an Australian journalist and television news presenter.

From 2013 to 2021, Freebairn was a weather presenter for the Adelaide edition of 10 News First.[2]

In 2020, Freebairn relocated to Melbourne, where she presented the weather for both the Melbourne and Adelaide editions of 10 News First, as well as appearing on The Project and Studio 10 until she went on maternity leave in late 2021.[3]

In November 2022, Freebairn was announced as the anchor of a new local Adelaide edition of 10 News First, to be presented from 10's Sydney studio in 2023.[4]

Career

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Freebairn was born and educated in Adelaide, completing a Bachelor of Journalism at the University of South Australia. While in her final year of studies, at 19 years old, she made an early start to her media career as a freelance news reporter at Channel Seven Adelaide. On completion of her degree, she accepted a full-time role with Southern Cross News, spending 10 months working as a video journalist in Broken Hill.

Freebairn made the move to Network 10 in 2008, working as a news reporter until 2014, when she replaced veteran weather presenter Jane Reilly who retired after 37 years in television.[2]

When Network 10 underwent a major restructure in 2020, it was originally reported that Freebairn was one of the many redundancies of on air talent across Australia.[5] The locally-presented Adelaide edition of 10 News First, anchored by Rebecca Morse, was axed in favour of centralising studio production to Melbourne and hiring one national weather forecaster for all 10 News First bulletins.[5] However, Freebairn was ultimately retained after the network decided against hiring a national weather presenter.[6] Freebairn temporarily remained in Adelaide due to COVID-19 restrictions where she commenced presenting the local weather segments for both Melbourne and Adelaide, but she eventually relocated to Melbourne.[6]

In November 2022, it was announced that a new local Adelaide edition of 10 News First would be reintroduced, with Freebairn as anchor.[4] The bulletin airs live from 10's Sydney studio into South Australia each weeknight.[7]

Freebairn is the ambassador for a suburban Adelaide shopping centre, Burnside Village.[8][9] She also spent two years as the face of South Australia's Fashion at the Races,[10] and is an ambassador for F45 Training.[11]

She also works closely with two charities, as an ambassador for Variety – the Children's Charity, to support children who are sick, disadvantaged or have special needs;[12] and the Jodi Lee Foundation for bowel cancer prevention.[13]

References

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  1. ^ "Kate Freebairn – Fashion and Entertainment Co-Host". 10play. Network 10. 30 September 2021. Retrieved 14 November 2022. Born and bred in Adelaide...
  2. ^ a b Knox, David (24 February 2013). "Adelaide weather doyenne to retire". TV Tonight. Retrieved 14 November 2022. She will be replaced by reporter Kate Freebairn in April
  3. ^ "A Sad Farewell to Kate Freebairn". 10 News First. 17 December 2021. Retrieved 14 November 2022. Tonight Kate Freebairn says goodbye to 10 News First as she heads off on maternity leave. Kate will be missed not only in our newsroom but also on your screens...
  4. ^ a b Iannella, Antimo (13 November 2022). "Kate Freebairn, Max Burford to lead Channel 10 Adelaide's new-look news bulletin". The Advertiser. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  5. ^ a b Knox, David (11 August 2020). "10 job cuts as Bris., Perth, Adelaide news head interstate". TV Tonight. Retrieved 14 November 2022. A national weather presenter is to be introduced across all bulletins... Confirmed redundancies include Brisbane newsreader Georgina Lewis and weather presenter Josh Holt; Adelaide newsreader Rebecca Morse, weather presenter Kate Freebairn and sports anchor Will Goodings...
  6. ^ a b Woolford, Lisa (9 September 2020). "10 News' local weather presenter Kate Freebairn will join combined Melbourne-Adelaide bulletin". The Advertiser. Retrieved 14 November 2022. In an abrupt about-face from Ten, Adelaide's Kate Freebairn will present weather for the combined Melbourne-Adelaide bulletin, joining news anchor Jennifer Keyte and sports presenter Steve Quartermain.
  7. ^ McKnight, Robert (3 November 2022). "EXCLUSIVE - KATE FREEBAIRN to present new local 10 NEWS FIRST for ADELAIDE… but there's a twist". TV Blackbox. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  8. ^ Woods, Jaki (5 September 2016). "Kate Freebairn joins Burnside Village". Clique.
  9. ^ Burnside Village SS16 Ambassador: Kate Freebairn. Burnside Village. 31 August 2016.
  10. ^ "Fashion at the Races Ambassador". Racing Fashion.
  11. ^ Brown, Amber (18 January 2017). "Clique FIT Ambassador: Kate Freebairn". Clique. Archived from the original on 11 September 2017.
  12. ^ "Kate Freebairn". Variety.
  13. ^ "Kate Freebairn / Channel 10 Weather Presenter - Jodi Lee Foundation | Preventing Bowel Cancer".