Gerald Stone

For the British linguist, see Gerald Stone (literary scholar).

Gerald Stone
AM
Born
Gerald Louis Stone

(1933-08-18)18 August 1933
Columbus, Ohio, United States
Died6 November 2020(2020-11-06) (aged 87)
CitizenshipUnited States (birthplace), Australia[explain status]
Occupation(s)Television and radio journalist, television executive, author
Years active1957−2010

Gerald Louis Stone AM (18 August 1933 – 6 November 2020) was an American-born Australian television and radio journalist, television executive and author.

Early years and career

Born in 1933 and raised in Columbus, Ohio,[1] Stone graduated in political science from Cornell University and in 1957 started work as a copy boy for The New York Times. In 1962, he emigrated to Australia and commenced as a journalist for News Limited, working as a foreign correspondent in Vietnam in the late 1960s, and also covered the Australian Moree "Freedom Rides" for the Daily Mirror and Sunday Mirror. Between 1995 and 1998, Stone was editor-in-chief of The Bulletin.[2]

Moving into television in 1967, he first appeared on ABC TV's This Day Tonight as a reporter before being appointed a news director for the Nine Network in 1975. While at the Nine Network, he was in East Timor in August 1975 when the Balibo Five were shot. According to The Daily Telegraph,[3] "... [Stone] went to Dili with Kerry Packer and cameraman Brian Peters, one of those later killed." Further, it was reported that "Mr Stone said he and Mr Peters came under fire and Nine boss Mr Packer's voice could be heard on tape shouting: 'Come back.'"

Stone was the inaugural executive producer of the Australian version of the newsmagazine 60 Minutes, first aired in 1979.[4] Given the job by Packer, he was told: "I don't give a f... what it takes. Just do it and get it right."[5] Packer was less than impressed with the opening show, telling Stone: "You've blown it, son. You better fix it fast."[5] Over the years, Stone's award-winning 60 Minutes revolutionized Australian current affairs reporting and enhanced the careers of Ian Leslie, Ray Martin, George Negus, and, later, Jana Wendt.[2][5]

Stone also served as head of current affairs for Rupert Murdoch's Fox Network in New York and returned to Australia to take up the position of network head of current affairs for Channel 7. Stone was appointed as a director of SBS on 1 December 2000 and reappointed for a further five years in 2005,[6] serving in the role as deputy chairman[2][7] until December 2010.

Stone was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2015 Australia Day Honours "For significant service to print and broadcast media as a journalist, editor, television producer and author."[8]

Stone died on 6 November 2020, aged 87.[9][10]

Published works

  • War Without Honour. Brisbane: Jacaranda Press. 1966. p. 154.
  • Compulsive viewing: the inside story of Packer's Nine Network. Ringwood, Victoria: Viking. 2000. p. 536. ISBN 0-670-88690-4.
  • Singo : mates, wives, triumphs, disasters. Pymble, NSW: Harper Collins. 2002. p. 346. ISBN 0-7322-7423-0.
  • 1932: A Hell of a Year. Sydney: Pan Macmillan Australia. 2005. p. 429. ISBN 1-4050-3677-X.
  • Who Killed Channel 9?: the death of Kerry Packer's mighty TV dream machine (hardback). Sydney: Pan Macmillan Australia. 2007. p. 292. ISBN 978-1-4050-3815-7.

References

  1. ^ "60 minutes trailblazer and legendary TV producer Gerald Stone dead". 5 November 2020. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  2. ^ a b c "Gerald Stone". Speaker profile. Saxton. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
  3. ^ Fife-Yeomans, Janet (10 May 2007). "Balibo deaths 'a cover-up'". The Daily Telegraph. Australia.
  4. ^ "About 60 Minutes". 60 Minutes. 2012. Archived from the original on 19 January 2012. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
  5. ^ a b c Stone, Gerald (30 July 2011). "Just do it and get it right!". The Australian. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
  6. ^ "Board of Directors" (PDF). SBS Annual Report 2007-2008. Special Broadcasting Corporation. 2008. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
  7. ^ Dyer, Glenn (22 August 2007). "Gerald Stone and the death of Mary Kostakidis". Crikey. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
  8. ^ "STONE, Gerald Louis". Australian Honours Search Facility, Dept of Prime Minister & Cabinet. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  9. ^ Idato, Michael (6 November 2020). "60 minutes trailblazer and legendary TV producer Gerald Stone dead". The Age. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  10. ^ Barlass, Tim (17 November 2020). "Original 60 Minutes crew reunite to farewell television great Gerald Stone". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 17 November 2020.