That voice takes me back to another time.
I thought it was a bit daggy to watch the same news service my parents did when I was a teen and was attracted to the flashier looking, ever changing offerings on Seven an Ten. By the time I was in my 20s I found his smooth tone very comforting and reassuring and stuck with Nine until he retired.
I wish I had memories of him presenting.
I feel like weâre really missing someone of his authority and stature in the media today. The likes of Peter Hitchener and Sandra Sully are arguably exceptions and are right up amongst the ranks of the best newsreaders, but many of todayâs newsreaders donât have the same âpullâ as what Brian Henderson had. Why exactly that is, I donât know. Maybe itâs just a sign of the times.
You can tell though that Nine are molding Peter Overton to eventually be the next Hendo of Nine News, but while I think he will end up having a very lengthy career at the role, his presenting isnât comparable to that of Brian Hendersonâs. No one will ever replace him.
Most likely. The media landscape has fragmented considerably since Hendo presented his final bulletin.
One question which instantly comes to mind when assessing the popularity of newsreaders: If this person moved to a rival network (think Ian Ross or Alan Jones/Kyle & Jackie O on brekky radio), would they have the power to bring their audience over with them?
Although Brian Henderson remained loyal to Nine throughout his television career, undoubtedly he had that potential. Of the newsreaders currently on our screens, youâd have to say that Overton, Hitchener and Rick & Sue over in the West are probably the few newsreaders left in Australian TV whoâd be able to bring an audience with them if they moved to a rival network.
This opinion is probably going to upset a lot of people, but I personally think Sandra Sullyâs position in Australian TV news is a bit overrated. Now donât get me wrong, Sandra is definitely a popular, high quality broadcaster whoâs deserving of recognition. But she sometimes gets talked up almost to a point that you could actually be mistaken for thinking that Sandra Sully is the newsreader of Sydneyâs highest rating TV news bulletin when in reality, itâs Peter Overton.
I donât disagree with this. I rate Sandra Sully as a presenter but I canât watch Tenâs news offering anymore. Unfortunately Sully is let down by not being in the main 6pm game and being the face of a woefully under resourced, third rate news service. She is the last really familiar, long serving news presenter left at Ten and her profile has more to do with her presenting Ten Late News for years rather than being the person people overwhelmingly turn to for nightly news.
Having stated that, the role across all stations has diminished in respect and recognition over the past few years. Weâll never again see half a million viewers regularly tune in to watch any channelâs news in the way they did in the Hendo era.
Well said.
Itâs going to be rather interesting to see what happens to 10 News First (or whatever name theyâll actually be known as by then) at that point in the future when Sandra is no longer presenting bulletins for them. But that lengthy discussion is probably best had at another time and in another topic.
Yeah, Hendoâs peak in the ratings was probably around the same time that television as a whole peaked as a mass mainstream source of information and entertainment for Australians: Sometime around the Late 1980s/Early 1990s.
Itâs interesting you say that. Obviously not being from Sydney, I never knew who Brian was really until I got into the media and sites like this, as 9 didnât use him nationally, so when I see clips on you tube I think âwhoâd watch this, itâs putting me to sleep?.â
So I guess that pull comes from a number of factors, a time when the TV news was âitâ, and older audience used to a more measured style and all in all that familiarity. Plus he was from a time when the news reader was a performer, not a journalist.
I mean half a century on TV endures you to a lot of people, they watched, their kids watched, and their kids watched. I donât think that sort of thing will ever be replicated.
But yeah as you say, certainly a sign of the times.
Nine has just advised the special is out of the schedule.
Wut 
Ah I hope it is rescheduled for during the week. I will be recording for the Vault.
Hope itâs in primetime
Nothing in Nineâs advance schedule for next week (yet).
At the very least, I would hope they can upload it to 9Now.
His Funeral was held today, very small ceremony due to covid restrictions
No doubt if it had been normal times, just about every major Sydney media personality wouldâve turned out?
Iâd like to believe he would have had a state funeral under better circumstances.
Almost definitely Iâd say.
Nineâs Late News had just done a tribute to Brian Henderson. Footage from his funeral was shown, with singer Col Joye and Hendersonâs daughter paying tribute. Peter Overton did a piece to camera too, sharing his recollections of Henderson. Footage from his early Bandstand days was also shown. It was a nice tribute.
Hereâs a video of it:
Itâs great to see that Nine are going to the extent that they are to honour Brian Hendersonâs legacy. It would have been disrespectful of them not to have, but if iâm being totally honest, I was expecting Nine to only air a brief 20-second report about Brian Hendersonâs funeral service.
