Aaron Kearney

He is the creator of a 'Sports Broadcast for Development Commentary' system used at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France. It was first adopted in Australian indigenous communities in Tiwi Islands and later the basis for Pacific-wide coverage of the 2015 Pacific Games in Papua New Guinea.

Kearney is also a freelance writer, with his work appearing in Fairfax Media, football website The Roar and ABC’s The Drum. This freelance work was recognised when he was awarded the MEAA Prodi for Best Print Feature Writing 2011 for an ANZAC feature carried by the Fairfax press and the MEAA Prodi Best Specialist Journalist.

It will be used again at the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2019.

In April 2019, Kearney left his full time role at ABC Newcastle to start a media and sports diplomacy consultancy AKS Media International.

His 'Sports Broadcast for Development Commentary' system will be used at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France.

His works as a documentary producer and presenter include ‘Inner Mongolia’ - a one-hour documentary tracing a four-wheel drive expedition from the far south to the northern-most regions of Asia, ‘Hunter Holidays’ - a Getaway style program that was co-hosted with well-known Australian presenter Penny Cook, ‘Knight Fever’ – a one-hour documentary tracing the Newcastle Knights historic win in the 1997 Australian Rugby League Grand Final, and ‘Cape Town to Cairo – The Ultimate African Safari.’

The ‘Cape Town to Cairo' Series consisted of four one-hour documentaries following a four-wheel drive expedition the length of Africa from the Cape of Good Hope to the Mediterranean Sea. The death-defying six weeks of filming risked Kearney and his teams’ lives under extreme circumstances, dealing with everything from wildlife to rebel gangs of militia.

In early 2016, Kearney transferred from ABC Newcastle to ABC International.

Here he developed a sports broadcast for development commentary system called 'Commentary for Good'. It was first adopted in Australian Indigenous communities in the Tiwi Islands and then used for the Pacific-wide coverage of the 2015 Pacific Games in Papua New Guinea.

He released a CD, Kokoda – Steps to Healing, after completing the Kokoda Track in 2008.

Kearney worked alongside Matildas goalkeeper Melissa Barbieri as play-by-play commentator of ABC TV's W-League coverage in late 2012, while regular commentator Peter Wilkins was calling Champions League Hockey. Kearney is the creator of a Sports Commentary Training Course that has been adopted by the Papua New Guinea National Broadcasting Corporation and by indigenous broadcasters in the Tiwi Islands. An article on his course was featured in the June 2013 edition of industry journal, Walkley Magazine.

In 2011, the program returned its best ratings in 30 years, beating the main talk rival for the first time.

In July 2011, he was awarded a Gold Medal at the World Radio Awards in New York City for ‘Andrew’s Story, a documentary on a young paraplegic man from the Hunter.

Kearney's 2011 piece "Apocalyptic Hyperbole Leave Journalism Speechless" is a widely cited in journalistic and academic circles.

During his time as an ABC Newcastle radio host, Kearney was also a sports commentator for the ABC, having called a range of major sports from the Asian Cup of football (soccer) and FIFA World Cup, to the Rugby League World Cup and National Rugby League. This commentary work was recognised by ABC Radio with an Outstanding Contribution to Sport Award in 2006.

Kearney joined the ABC in 2005, initially presenting 1233 ABC Newcastle’s Drive radio program and moving on to present the Breakfast program in 2007.

Kearney hosted a popular sports/talk drive time program on 2HD from 2001–2003, and was a sports correspondent for Austereo Stations KOFM and NXFM in the early 2000s.

An all around sports-lover, Kearney has had the opportunity to cover a range of sports across Australian media. In the year 2000, Kearney was the Chief Reporter for Prime's Olympic Team at the Sydney Olympics, and Sports Presenter and Sports Editor for Prime Television from 1994 to 2001.

Kearney began his career as a cadet journalist for Fairfax Media in 1990 and was the Chief Writer and co- Editor of the Hunter Valley Weekend newspaper before joining Prime Television's fledgling Hunter news service in 1993, working as a police a political reporter before becoming the Sports presenter.

Aaron Kearney (3 July 1971) is a multi-award winning broadcaster, journalist, sports commentator and the 44th MEAA Prodi Journalist of the Year.