Ian Ross (newsreader)

Ian Charles "Roscoe" Ross (24 June 1940 – 30 April 2014) was an Australian television news presenter for Seven News in Sydney and for Nine News.

For the Australian television personality known as Ian Ross Perrygrove, see Ian Dickson (TV personality).

Ian Ross
Born
Ian Charles Ross

(1940-06-24)24 June 1940
Waverley, New South Wales, Australia
Died30 April 2014(2014-04-30) (aged 73)
Tugun, Queensland, Australia
OccupationTelevision journalist
Years active1957–2009; 2013
TelevisionToday
Nine News
Seven News
Partner(s)Gray Bolte (1989–2014; his death)
Children3

Career

Commonly known as "Roscoe", Ross began his career in 1957 at Sydney radio station 2GB. He returned to Sydney as a National Nine News reporter in 1965. Ross remained at Nine for 38 years, where he was most known for his tenure as Today news presenter. There, he also presented National Nine News on many occasions, filling in for presenters who were either on leave or sick.[1] In 1997, Ross appeared as himself in the acclaimed Australian film The Castle.

Moving out of retirement in Queensland, Ross joined the Seven Network in 2003, "lured back by the challenge of becoming Sydney's No 1 reader" to head the station's struggling flagship 6.00 pm bulletin. Despite making some steady progress in 2004, finishing with 13 weekly wins out of a possible 40, Seven News still finished third in Sydney behind Nine News and Ten Eyewitness News in that year's ratings, but by the following year it had become Sydney's number one news bulletin.[2][3][4]

Before his final retirement, Ross was only hosting Sydney's edition of Seven News from Sunday to Wednesday, with Chris Bath hosting the news on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. Ross previously presented the news Monday to Thursday until Chris Bath began hosting Sunday Night.[1]

On 27 November 2009, Ian Ross presented his final bulletin of Sydney's Seven News and officially retired from newsreading.[5] He was visibly moved as he made his final farewells to his viewers and colleagues.[6]

He was a guest on the first episode of Seven Network's The Daily Edition.

Illness and death

In January 2014, at age 73, Ross publicly announced that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and that it had spread to his liver.[7] His doctors estimated that he had five months to live.[8] He died on 30 April 2014 at the John Flynn Hospital in Tugun on the Gold Coast, survived by his partner Gray Bolte[9] and his ex-wife, children and grandchildren, his sister Robin and step-brother Max.[10] His funeral was held on the Gold Coast on 5 May 2014, and was attended by many of Ross's colleagues including former Today hosts Steve Liebmann and Tracy Grimshaw, as well as Seven News personalities Mark Ferguson, Chris Bath, Jim Wilson and Mark Beretta.[11]

References
  1. Meade, Amanda (4 July 2009). "Newsreader Ian Ross Quits". The Australian. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  2. Warneke, Ross (23 June 2004). "No big Deal for Nine". The Age. Retrieved 22 October 2007.
  3. "Why Nine called Eddie". Crikey. 9 June 2004. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
  4. Lallo, Michael (27 November 2016). "Ratings winners and losers: Channel Seven still the one after 10 years on top". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
  5. Meade, Amanda (23 November 2009). "Final Bulletin Roscoe to Go On a High Note". The Australian. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  6. "News veteran Ian Ross has teary farewell". adelaidenow. 27 November 2009. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
  7. Gardiner, Rod (30 April 2014). "Iconic Newsreader Loses Battle with Cancer - Vale Ian Ross". Queer News. Archived from the original on 2 May 2014. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
  8. Busby, Cec (28 January 2014). "Former news anchor Ian Ross diagnosed with cancer". Gay News Network. Archived from the original on 22 July 2014. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  9. "Veteran Newsreader Ian Ross Has Pancreatic Cancer". Out in Perth. 28 January 2014. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
  10. Potts, Andrew (30 April 2014). "Gay Australian veteran newsreader Ian Ross dies at 73". Gay Star News. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
  11. Ian Ross farewelled on Gold Coast Archived 5 May 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Sky News Australia, 5 May 2014
Media offices
Preceded by
Eric Walters		 Today
News presenter
1991–2001		 Succeeded by
Sharyn Ghidella
Preceded by
Ross Symonds and Ann Sanders		 Seven News Sydney
Weeknight presenter
2003–2009		 Succeeded by
Chris Bath
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