Brian Henderson (television presenter)
Brian Weir Henderson AM (born 15 September 1931) is a retired Gold Logie winning Australian radio and television personality and pioneer known for his long association with the Nine Network in Australia as a television news anchor and variety show presenter, as host of Bandstand the Australian version of the US music program American Bandstand. Henderson was born in New Zealand and is nicknamed "Hendo".
Brian Henderson | |
|---|---|
| Born | Brian Weir Henderson 15 September 1931 |
| Occupation |
|
| Years active | 1957 - 2002 |
| Spouse(s) | Mardi Henderson (married 48 years) |
Career
Henderson hosted Bandstand from 1958 until 1972. He also holds the record for the longest-serving television news presenter, having read either the weekend or the weeknight news on Sydney station TCN-9 from January 1957 until his retirement in late November 2002. Henderson took part in the reunion with Channel Nine for the 50th birthday of Australian television in September 2006.
From his first news broadcast in 1957, the tag-line Henderson used to sign off at the end of every newscast was either "...and that's the way it is"[1] or "the way it is", similar to Walter Cronkite.
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."[2]
In 2012 Henderson came out of retirement to narrate a documentary for the Foxtel network: The Train: The Granville Rail Disaster, which examines the aftermath of the 1977 rail disaster and the heroism of the rescue workers.[3]
Honours and media awards
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".[4]
In 1968 Henderson won the TV Week Gold Logie award for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television.[5]
In April 2013 Henderson received a second Gold Logie at the Logie Awards when he was inducted into the TV Week Logies Hall of Fame.[6] Industry peers vote for this award and he is the 30th such inductee since the Hall of Fame award began in 1983.[7] Henderson was on the shortlist in 2010, being beaten out by Brian Naylor.[8]
King of Pop Awards
The King of Pop Awards were voted by the readers of TV Week. The King of Pop award started in 1967 and ran through to 1978.[9]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | himself | Contribution to Teenage Television | Won |
Personal life
In 2014, Henderson revealed he was suffering from throat cancer. He previously had other cancers; doctors said his prognosis is good.[10] In February 2020, it was announced that Henderson had contracted kidney cancer, and that he has opted not to receive treatment.[11]
References
- Tabakoff, Jenny; Peatling, Stephanie (22 October 2002). "That's the way it is - Hendo to call it a night". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 28 May 2007.
- 2003/169/5 Pen, plastic, used by Brian Henderson, made by Pentel, Japan, 2002 - Powerhouse Museum Collection
- The way it is: Brian Henderson back for TV doco | The Sydney Morning Herald 12 December 2012. Retrieved 25 March 2013
- "Brian Weir Henderson AM". Australian Honours Database. Retrieved 26 January 2009.
- Brian Henderson | Television.au. Retrieved 25 March 2013
- 2013 Logie Awards | The Age 7 April 2013. Retrieved 7 April 2013
- Henderson strikes gold again | The Sydney Morning Herald 25 March 2013. Retrieved 25 March 2013
- "Australian Music Awards". Ron Jeff. Retrieved 16 December 2010.
- "Brian Henderson: 'I've beaten cancer three times... And I'll beat it again!'". New Idea. 24 November 2014. Archived from the original on 6 January 2016. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
- Overton, Peter (9 February 2020). "News legend Brian Henderson talks cancer, family and 'the other side' with Peter Overton". Nine News. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
External links
| Preceded by unknown |
National Nine News Sydney Weekend presenter 1957–1963 |
Succeeded by unknown |
| Preceded by Chuck Faulkner |
National Nine News Sydney Weeknight presenter 1964–2002 |
Succeeded by Jim Waley |