Rod Young
Before becoming one of the most well known news presenters on Queensland television, Rod Young was a radio announcer, a house-husband, helped run a sheep and cattle property and worked for Telecom.
Rod was born in Brisbane, but from the age of five grew up on the Gold Coast with his grandparents. While living with his grandparents, Rod's parents ran a sheep and cattle property at Meandarra, on the western edge of the Darling Downs. He studied Arts at Queensland University, during which time he met his wife, Karen Berkman.
Rod signed up for a radio announcer’s course at 4BH in Brisbane while studying at university and working for Telecom. The manager of 4BU in Bundaberg saw Rod’s potential, offered him a position, and he started working there in 1975 as an announcer on the evening shift. He later worked as an announcer for 4AK in Toowoomba and 2GO in Gosford.
Leaving his career options open, Rod left radio for several years to work on the family farm. When the property was sold, the Young family relocated to the Gold Coast.
Rod got in touch with the ABC when he heard one of their announcers had left, coincidentally to work for Channel 7. Rod started working at the ABC in the late 70s, where he remained for the next three years doing live announcements between programs, reading radio news and some mid-evening television news.
In the early 80s, Rod left the ABC so he and Karen could travel overseas for three months. Three months turned into a year before they returned to Australia to start a family.
When their son was born in 1983, Rod took on the role of house-husband while Karen worked as a television journalist. He waited for the right job to come up, and two years later returned to the ABC as the weekend weather presenter. Within a year he was presenting the ABC’s weekend news bulletin, and the following year moved to weekday news.
On October 18, 2002, Rod left the ABC to join Kay McGrath as co-presenter of Channel Seven’s weekend news service, now the number one news service in Queensland.
Rod and Karen have three children and live in the Gold Coast hinterland. Spending time at the beach is one of the Young family’s favourite forms of relaxation. Rod loves music, in particular blues and rock ‘n’ roll. He also enjoys taking long walks, riding his ride-on mower, and reading. Karen works as a journalist and documentary maker.
