Kelvin began broadcasting at Townsville's 4AY until a cyclone blew away part of his house. He then shifted to Swan Hill's 3SH. After radio roles in Sale and Hobart, he returned to Adelaide's 5AD as a radio journalist. He joined NWS9 in 1979 doing various presenting and reporting roles before becoming a newsreader in 1983. After being joined at the news desk by Kevin Crease in 1987, the pair would enjoy considerable ratings success, taking "Nine News Adelaide" to the top of the ratings in the 1990s.