Roger Climpson, Veteran Australian Broadcaster, Dies at 93
Roger Climpson, a belovedโ figure โฃin Australianโ television news and โฃentertainment, has โdied peacefully โin his sleep at the age of โ93. The news broke early Wednesday (September 17th), marking the end โof a five-decade career thatโ saw him becomeโข a household name.
Climpson’sโข career began in โ1956 at Nine Network, where heโ initially worked as โฃan announcer, weatherman, and newsreader, hosting programs like Rendezvous โคwith Roger andโ Theโค House and Garden โคShow. He โlaterโ moved to Seven Network afterโฃ a dispute over a pay rise at โNine,โ remaining withโ seven as aโ news presenter for 15 years, anchoring Sydney’s Seven โNews between 1989 and 1994.
Beyondโ news, Climpson was widely recognisedโ for his โขhosting roles onโฃ iconic programsโ such as This Is Your life (1977-1980) and Australia’s Most Wanted (1997-1999).He also presented theโข afternoon shift onโค 2GB radio โin โขSydney from 1977.
Tributes have poured in from across โthe โขmedia landscape.โฃ 7NEWS โSydney โขco-anchor Mark Ferguson, who grewโ up watching Climpsonโ on television, described him as “very warm and very welcoming,” adding, “behind the desk he was all class – informed and engaging, with a voice that made you sit up and listen.” Ferguson extended condolences to Climpson’s family, friends, โand the many viewers who considered him a trusted friend.
Geoff Dunn, โค7NEWSโ Sydney News Director, hailed โClimpson as defining “a golden era of broadcast television,” noting hisโค standing as “one of Australia’s most authoritative news presenters.”
Roger Climpson’s influence extended beyond mainstream media. Phillip Randall, CEOโ of Hope media, highlighted Climpson’sโ “legacy of love, faith and vision” during his time as Chairman, โoverseeing โคsignificant changes that โคallowed the ministry to โreach a wider audience. Randall stated โคClimpson’s contributions were “pivotal for nowโ and the future.”
Journalist Michaelโ Smyth shared fond โขchildhoodโข memoriesโค of attending tapings of This Is Your Life with his mother, โขremembering Climpson โas “a great broadcaster.”