Vic Lorusso has been one of the most recognisable voices across Australian radio and TV for 25 years. 

From the early 2000s, his unique voice has been a fixture in cars and living rooms across Sydney as he delivers live traffic reports from a chopper over the city.

Now, after more than two decades since he got his start at Australian Traffic Network, Vic, 44, has worked his way up the ladder and is the CEO of the company that gave him his big break.

Vic was offered the position of CEO at ATN in July 2023, and has since led the ASX-listed company through an incredibly successful re-brand.

Now he runs a team of 50 reporters nationwide and has expanded ATN from covering traffic to also delivering live updates on sports, weather and breaking news.

‘I’ve always loved the business from day one,’ he tells Daily Mail in an exclusive interview.

Vic Lorusso has been one of the most recognisable voices across Australian radio and TV for 25 years 

‘I’ve always tried to play a big part, more than on air, in the background. Sort of building out the business,’ he continues.

‘When I was asked if I wanted to lead the business, it was an awesome time. It was a moment where I pinched myself.’ 

But while Vic may have steered the company into incredible success since taking the top seat in 2023, he has clung to his roots with fiery passion. 

As he recounts the days he first took off from Bankstown Airport to deliver much-needed traffic reports, the love in his voice is undeniable – even as he talks about the horrifying moment he almost fell out of the helicopter while capturing footage of the 2003 Canberra bushfires. 

‘We were flying down to Canberra to get some footage of a bushfire and we got caught in very strong winds,’ he recalls.

‘My passenger door did fly open. I lost a two-way radio, wallet, keys. Luckily we had harnesses so I didn’t fall out, but I remember the pilot grabbing me.’

The near-miss couldn’t keep Vic on the ground, as he was back in the chopper the very next day to shake off the nerves.

‘I remember the next day it was a weekend, on Sunday. We arranged to go for a fly just to get over the fear of what happened,’ he continues.

From the early 2000s, his unique voice has been a fixture in cars and living rooms across Sydney as he delivers live traffic reports from a chopper over the city 

‘We had a lot of moments in bad weather where you get caught in situations. But safety is number one, so luckily nothing serious has happened.’ 

Vic was a fresh-faced teenager with a dream to become a rugby league commentator when he landed his job at ATN after a brief stint of work experience at 2GB radio. 

He was among the first to take to the skies with an innovative approach to traffic reports, guiding listeners through peak-hour chaos.

While some would say the rest is history, Vic reveals his decades-long career as a beloved chopper reporter almost stalled before it could take off – pun intended.  

‘I remember I did my first couple of reports [for Mix Network, now KIIS] and thought, “This is so cool. I’m on radio and I’m 19 and everyone’s listening,”‘ he recalls.

‘I remember halfway through the shift, I got a call from the operations manager at the time and they said, “Vic, can you just slow it down? You’re going really quick in the program.”‘

But the bad news didn’t end there, as he was later told by the founder of ATN that Mix Network never wanted Vic back on their airwaves.  

‘[They said] they would never allow me back on the radio because I sounded too young,’ he explains.

And after more than two decades since he got his start at Australian Traffic Network, Vic, 44, has worked his way up the ladder and is now the CEO of the company that gave him his big break 

‘I was young, I was 19, I was really excited, I was nervous. I probably would have been calling the traffic like a race caller. 

‘After that I practised to slow it down and they gave me another shot,’ he adds.

Vic was back on their station full-time six months later and has been for more than two decades. 

‘I do Monday to Friday every single weekday, have done for 25 years,’ he says and jokes he ‘could be a pilot’ as he has now logged 22,000 hours in the chopper. 

‘I took myself off the afternoon TV stuff just to allow our awesome talent to come through and do it better than me,’ he says.

While many Aussies may miss hearing Vic in the afternoons, early birds can still catch him giving traffic reports on the radio for KIIS FM’s The Kyle & Jackie O Show and Gold 101.7’s Jonesy & Amanda. 

Vic gets up at about 3.15am every morning to get in some exercise before he heads into the ATN Australian office for a 4.30am to 5.00am start. The company also has offices in Brazil, Canada, and the UK.

He is ‘on air from just after 5.30am until 9.30am’, and manages to fit in his work as CEO around his helicopter hours. 

‘I’ve always loved the business from day one,’ he told Daily Mail in an exclusive interview on Thursday. Pictured with Nine News Sydney presenter Peter Overton

He says people always ask how he manages to still do full-time traffic reporting while also acting as the CEO of ATN – but passion makes everything easy. 

‘The moment I don’t want to get up in the morning to do traffic, I think that’ll be the day I hang the headsets up. I don’t think it’s any time soon,’ he says.

Of course, Vic humbly attributes the seamless expansion of ATN – and subsequent 35 per cent stock market rise – to his team, who he says ‘makes him look good’.  

‘We’ve had a great year on the stock market, but it’s more than that. It’s about our people. The people here have been here for a long time,’ he says.

‘Having the right people in the right positions helps me. Everyone makes me look good… but I’m learning every day. I’m learning in this role every single day.

‘It’s a whole new world in the corporate environment, but that’s why I love staying grounded, being on air and never forget my roots of reporting.’ 

But Vic hasn’t let his achievements go to his head. 

In fact, he still calls himself a reporter and says ‘it’s been an honour and a privilege’ to lead the Australian business he got his start in. 

When Vic isn’t working, or spending time with his wife Katie (right) and their four children, he volunteers as an auctioneer for children’s charities 

And when he’s not working, or spending time with his wife Katie and their four children, Vic volunteers as an auctioneer for children’s charities. 

The media professional has committed as much time to the job as he has to traffic reporting, with two decades’ worth of experience as a real estate auctioneer.

‘I love giving back and helping when people need help,’ he says.

‘I’ll regularly get contacted by different charities or people in need and anything we can do to help… It’s a big part of what I love doing, too.’