Australian sports journalist and presenter Ron Casey dies aged 89
Australian media industry veteran Ron Casey has died aged 89. According to 2GB program director and friend John Brennan, the former 2GB radio host and Nine sports presenter passed away in Sydney this morning.
Casey, who was once described as the “controversy king” for his heated on-air arguments, began his career at 2KY in 1948. Casey became well known in his time with Nine Network’s Wide World of Sports program, which he hosted with Frank Hyde. He later became a sports newsreader at Ten.
In 1988, Casey was awarded an Order of Australia Medal for his services to Australian television and sport.
Despite his success, Casey often found himself caught up in controversy, famous for a quick temper. He was a campaigner against increasing Asian immigration to Australia, and during a televised debate in 1991, got in a fight with singer and actor Normie Rowe on Nine’s Midday television show.
On air this morning, 2GB radio host Ray Hadley described Casey as an “institution on both radio and TV”.
“When I entered the media about 37 years ago, he was still doing his best in his 50s. At Channel Nine, he was their sports guru for many many years.
“Despite the bravado, he was in fact, a very nice man,” he said.
A Nine spokesperson said Casey was the “unmistakable” voice and face of Nine Sports in the 1960s.
“With his own Saturday sports show and then the famous second-half only, black and white television broadcast of Sunday rugby league matches, Ron was a household name,” the spokesperson said.
“He was a real character – the quintessential Aussie who found his way into television. Always opinionated, amusing, often pugnacious, but never boring.
“Nine extends its deepest condolences to the Casey family at this time. He will be remembered at Nine, and way beyond, with great warmth and good humour.”
Other tributes have flooded in on Twitter:
My favourite Ron Casey photo. Ron and Normie met up after the infamous TV moment, to prove to everyone that they’d ‘forgiven and made up’. The Case couldn’t help himself and called out to the cameras “let’s go for round 2 – The Case versus The Choirboy”. @7NewsSydney pic.twitter.com/TVf6RyB96v
— Jason Morrison (@JasonMorrisonAU) October 1, 2018
This from my friend, Richard Sleeman, who helped Ron Casey with his book Confessions of A Larrikin. pic.twitter.com/W4m56CAo0D
— Peter FitzSimons (@Peter_Fitz) October 2, 2018
RIP Ron Casey. A pioneer of rugby league broadcasting from the days of black-and-white television. https://t.co/TNDMtlwZ9Q
— Brad Walter (@BradWalterSport) October 2, 2018
Hey Zoe, I’m sure Ray Hadley wouldn’t have said “Chanel 9” but “Channel 9” and I’m sure he meant to say “their” and not “there”.sports guru.
R.I.P. Case.
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Hi Garry, we’ve corrected those transcribing errors. Thanks for pointing them out.
Paul Wallbank
News Editor
There is a delicious irony about those copy errors the day before Mumbrella publishes an article spruiking the need for more sub-editors.
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