Vale: Des Ford

Retired Nine Head of Audio Des Ford has died, aged 83 on the Gold Coast.

Ford worked at GTV9 in technical roles, including for The Tarax Show and Jack Little’s World Championship Wrestling and later becoming Head of the Audio Department.

Back then studio time was so tight they often had to record the interviews with the winning wrestlers before the bouts were held.

He became the first program manager at SES8, South Australia’s first regional commercial station, who set out the new channel’s early program objectives: “We want to build a local image by not only covering local newsworthy events but by giving viewers programs they like. In other words, a program may be considered old by city standards, but if SES8 viewers want to see it, we’ll screen it. Don’t get the idea, however, that we’ve bought up old material — a lot of our programs are new — but we’re going after popular-appeal shows. And we’ll try and dodge the heavy violence. We want family viewing.”

He also worked at radio stations including 3AW and 5DN Adelaide, where he conducted the breakfast program, and at Cairns FM 89.1.

In retirement years, he filled senior roles at Golden Days Radio, as a much respected and popular member of the Survivors showbiz veterans group.

Source: Facebook, Radio Info TelevisionAU