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Vale: Barry McQueen

Newsreader Barry McQueen, the first first permanent newsreader for 0-TEN, has passed away.

2014-09-18_2334Former TEN newsreader Barry McQueen, passed away on Wednesday.

He had been suffering from dementia for the past few years but finally succumbed to pneumonia.

McQueen, was 0-TEN’s first permanent newsreader, and officiated the Nundawading Studios opening with Nancy Cato in 1964, after a successful stint as newsreader at the ABC and at the BBC.

In 1967 left his sick bed to cover the disappearance of Prime Minister Harold Holt. “I was in bed with a temperature of 105 or something. (The News Director) said ‘Doesn’t matter. Get up! Get down there!'”

Back then he lasted 8 years in the role, a long time in those early days. Mal Walden in his book on 0-TEN’s history wrote, “He broke new ground in reporting, scooping all other networks in the process.”

In the early 1970s he hosted the ground-breaking current affairs series Dateline.

McQueen also appeared on In Melbourne Tonight and in some cases, even hosted the show.

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