What's New December 12, 2024

RIP Radio and TV legend Clive Robertson

RadioToday Network

Clive Robertson has passed away, aged 78 from cancer.

Robertson began his broadcasting career in 1967 with ABC Radio and began hosting the 2BL breakfast show in 1972. He also hosted shows on 2Day FM, 2UE and Classic FM during his radio career, moving back and forth from commercial to ABC radio several times.

In the 1980s he moved to tv, presenting a late night news show, where he regularly went off script, add libbing and often getting the network into trouble with his satirical comments. The viewers loved the irreverent style, which rated through the roof and reinvented late night tv news formats. He also hosted Beauty and the Beast.

Robertson was known for his wry sense of humour, his grumpy yet entertaining repartee with talkback callers and his regular send up comments about ABC management. And of course his famous on air segments with Caroline Jones and Margaret Throsby.

As radioinfo reported some years ago, Robertson was unique among broadcasters.

Clive Robertson zigged when others zagged. In 1979 when this video was made, he was at the height of his radio career on breakfast at 2BL 702.

While other breakfast announcers strove to be bright and bubbly, Clive was low key and introspective – but very, very funny.

At age 33 Clive was number two in breakfast behind 2UE’s unassailable Garry O’Callaghan who described him as “The youngest eccentric I’ve ever met.”

Bob Rogers said of him, “I think he’s brilliant, bordering on genius.” Ian MacRae, the biggest star at the then mighty 2SM, was simply grateful that Robertson started half an hour earlier than he did, saying, “I get to listen to Clive driving in to work each day so that I have plenty of time to gather material for my show.”

Here is his last 2BL show from January 1980, before he moved to 2Day FM.