He has presented the Shepparton-based breakfast program since it began in 2005 and will host his last show on Friday across the Border as well as the Goulburn Valley.

Dowling is shifting to an operational role for Shepparton FoodShare, a charity which assists with sustenance for the needy.

"It's a total career change," Dowling said.

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"At my age, I'll be 55 next birthday, I wondered if there could be a third act in my career.

"I started out in banking, albeit briefly and then media and the idea of doing something completely different appealed to me."

Having been a bank teller at the NAB branch in his hometown of Berrigan for seven months, Dowling began his media career as a cadet journalist with the then Border Morning Mail in 1986.

He went on to work with Prime television news in Albury with that city's now mayor Kylie King and then spent many years in the Melbourne newsroom of Channel Nine.

A poignant moment in his career came in the aftermath of the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires when he was broadcasting for the ABC and realised his former colleague, Nine newsreader Brian Naylor, had died in the disaster.

"I'll never forget that," Dowling said.

"I was sitting alone in the studio at three o'clock in the morning when I heard that."

Dowling has been the sole permanent presenter of the Shepparton breakfast show which broke away from the Wodonga-based early morning program in 2005.

In the early days, he lived only three doors away from the studio and upon hearing the garbage truck one morning put a song on and was able to depart and put his bin out, before resuming his on-air presentation.

"I'll certainly miss the interaction with the listeners and my guests and regular guests over the years and I'll miss the camaraderie of the staff, both in Shepparton and Wodonga," Dowling said.

"It's hard to leave after 17 years."

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