Brian Henderson (television presenter)

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Brian Weir Henderson Template:Post-nominals (15 September 1931 – 5 August 2021) was a New Zealand-born Australian radio and television personality and pioneer known for his association with the Nine Network as a television news anchor in Sydney, as well as a variety show presenter and host of music program Bandstand, the local version of the US music program American Bandstand.

Henderson, who started his career in radio, went on to become a long-serving Australian newsreader for 45 years, having presented the news bulletins for Sydney station TCN-9, either on weekends or weeknights, from 14 January 1957 until retiring from TCN-9 on 29 November 2002. His role as weeknight presenter at the time was subsequently given to Jim Waley. TCN-9 bulletins would eventually be relayed to regional New South Wales through Nine's regional affiliate WIN Television.<ref name="tribute">Template:Cite news</ref>

Biography

Early life and career in New Zealand

Henderson was born in Dunedin, New Zealand, on 15 September 1931. His father worked as a bus driver and a pastry cook, and served in World War II.<ref name="SMH obit 1">Template:Cite news</ref> Henderson grew up in the South Island,<ref name="SMH obit 2">Template:Cite news</ref> and attended Waitaki Boys' High School.<ref name="SMH obit 1"/> He caught tuberculosis while in high school and spent three years recovering in a hospital.<ref name=AAP>Template:Cite news</ref> During this time, his interest in broadcasting was piqued when he became resident announcer and disc jockey of the hospital's radio station.<ref name="SMH obit 1"/><ref name=AAP/> He started working for 4ZB when he was 16 years old, initially as a copywriter, before becoming the country's youngest DJ.<ref name="SMH obit 1"/>

Career in Australia

Henderson moved to Australia in 1953 and settled in Sydney, New South Wales. He first worked for radio station 2CH before switching to television. After joining the Nine Network, he started presenting Nine News in Sydney from 1957, four months after it was established.<ref name="SMH obit 1"/> He went on to host the music variety program Bandstand from 1958 until 1972.<ref name="SMH obit 1"/>

From his first news broadcast in January 1957, Henderson used the tagline "...Template:Nbspand that's the way it is",<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> or "the way it is", followed by the date of the broadcast, to sign off after every bulletin, similar to United States newsreader Walter Cronkite.<ref name="ABC obit">Template:Cite news</ref>

At the end of his final bulletin, Henderson's voice wavered as he told viewers it was time to watch the news, not present it:

Not the way it was, as has been suggested, but for the last time, the way it is, this Friday the 29th of November, this is Brian Henderson, a sad Brian Henderson, saying not good night, this time, but goodbye.<ref name="powerhouse">Template:Cite web</ref>

A pair of Henderson's familiar dark-rimmed spectacles, worn while reading the news, are in the collection of the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney.<ref name="powerhouse" />

Henderson came out of retirement in 2012 to narrate a documentary for the Foxtel network, The Train: The Granville Rail Disaster, which examined the aftermath of the 1977 rail disaster and the rescue workers' heroism.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Recognition

National honours

In the 2009 Australia Day Honours, Henderson was named a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for "service as a pioneer in the television news and entertainment sectors, and as a mentor to aspiring and established presenters, readers and journalists".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Awards

Award	Association	Year	Work	results
Gold Logie	Logie Awards	1968	Bandstand	Template:Won
Gold Logie Logie Hall of Fame	Logie Award	2013	Lifetime Achievement Award	Template:Won

Henderson won his first TV Week Gold Logie award for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television in 1968.<ref>Brian Henderson | Television.au. Retrieved 25 March 2013 </ref> He received a second Gold Logie at the Logie Awards in April 2013 when he was inducted into the Logie Hall of Fame.<ref>2013 Logie Awards | The Age 7 April 2013. Retrieved 7 April 2013</ref> Industry peers vote for the award and he was the 30th inductee since the award began in 1983.<ref>Henderson strikes gold again | The Sydney Morning Herald 25 March 2013. Retrieved 25 March 2013 </ref> Henderson was on the shortlist in 2010 when it was awarded, posthumously, to Brian Naylor.<ref>Televisionau.com website</ref>

The King of Pop Awards were voted by the readers of TV Week. The award started in 1967 and ended in 1978. Henderson won the award for his Contribution to Teenage Television in 1972.<ref name="Top40TV">Template:Cite web</ref>

Henderson won a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2019 Kennedy Awards.<ref name=honourroll>Template:Cite web</ref>

Personal life

Henderson was married to Mardi Ozoux from 1966 until his death. Together, they had two children, Nicole and Jodie. He also had two children from his first marriage.<ref name="SMH obit 1"/>

Henderson revealed he had throat cancer in 2014. He previously had other cancers; doctors said his prognosis was good.<ref name=nu-idea-cancer>Template:Cite journal</ref> In February 2020, it was announced that Henderson had kidney cancer and that he had opted not to receive treatment.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Death

Henderson died on 5 August 2021<ref name="SMH obit 1"/> at his home in Sydney, at the age of 89.<ref name="ABC obit"/> A private funeral was held on 16 August, in front of a limited number of family members including his 5 grandchildren (Jess, Jamie, Jade, Thomas and Charles) due to COVID-19 restrictions in place at the time.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>