Legendary broadcaster Clive Robertson, who gained popularity for his original style and going off script, has died aged 78.
Robertson, who had been diagnosed with cancer, was remembered on Thursday by colleagues as a “one-off”.
Clive Robertson hosted 2BL’s Breakfast program in the 1970s. (ABC Archives)
He began his ABC career in 1967 before taking over Sydney’s Breakfast program on what was then 2BL in 1972.
In a special program celebrating the 100th anniversary of ABC Radio Sydney last year, presenter Rod Quinn, who researched the history of the station, said Robertson broke the mould of the stiff and serious presenter.
“[He] became both the first of a new breed of announcer, but totally original — a one of a kind who is still remembered fondly today by listeners who tuned in each morning for his philosophical musings and quirky observations on life,” Quinn said.
“He won fans from other stations, too, and not just listeners from commercial radio who wanted to know what all the fuss was about, but other breakfast presenters who described Clive as brilliant, bordering on genius.
“Different, refreshing, our youngest eccentric, a communicator, a humourist.”
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‘Never abided by the rules’
Tony Twiss was Robertson’s producer on the Breakfast show and said working closely with him was always an “adventure”.
“He was wonderful with words, he was wonderful with music — he was a very clever man,” Twiss said.
Listeners fondly remember his daily exchanges with Caroline Jones and Margaret Throsby who hosted the Mornings program.
“He never abided by the rules,” Throsby told ABC Radio Sydney.
“He’d never say, ‘So what’s on your show today?’ He’d pick up some fragment of something from somewhere and ask me about it and I was completely unprepared and we’d just have to riff.”
Clive Robertson refused to follow the conventions of the news business and listeners loved him for it. (ABC Archives)
Throsby acknowledged that his views on women were problematic, but listeners loved him.
“He’d drive you mad if you took it seriously,” she said.
“But that was who he was.
“[His program] had a cult following — he really was incredibly, incredibly popular.”
Throsby also worked with Robertson after he left the ABC and was hosting Channel 10’s Beauty and the Beast in the 1980s.
Robertson later joined Channel 7 as a newsreader, where he continued to ignore the usual conventions.
“Famously, if he didn’t like the story he was asked to read … if it was about sport, for instance, because he hated sport, he would just chuck [the script] on the floor and say, ‘The next story is about sport’ and he’d throw it away and start on the next story,” Throsby said.
While this approach angered journalists, Robertson got away with it because he rated so well.
“If you said, ‘Look, this is a silly item, I don’t know why we’re running it’ and you run it and it is a silly item, you’ve got them,” he told the ABC’s Talking Heads program in 2005.
Clive Robertson brought an original style to ABC radio in the 1970s. (ABC Archives)
No interest in ‘ripe old age’
Robertson, who was born in the Blue Mountains, also spoke of his interest in photography, nature and classical music, as well as a love of trains.
A 1979 ABC publicity bio for Robertson stated that he “does not particularly like human nature”.
“He does not want to live to a ripe old age either,” his bio read.
“He regards himself as a religious person and believes that a man’s best ambition is to be charitable and to be satisfied with what he has.”
Robertson was married for some years to Penny Cook, who acted in A Country Practice.
He had broadcasting stints on a range of stations, including ABC Classic FM, 2GB and 2UE.
Robertson was also the host of an ABC television program called Agony Aunts, which launched in 2006 and offered relationship advice to couples.
