David Rogerson remembers his friend Glenn Daniel, who passed away earlier this month.

There are so many memories running through my head as I sit down to write about the life and times of Glenn Daniel.

Glenn wasn’t just a good friend; he was a great friend.

A true contributor to the radio industry, Glenn gave more back to the industry than he managed to put into the short 60 years with us.

Could I write the three short paragraphs Glenn believed were the max for a good news story?  But how do you keep it short and sharp when there’s so much to say? So many things to celebrate and honour. There’s so much that Glenn Daniel contributed to the industry he loved.

I’ve been blessed to have worked at one time or another with Glenn’s brothers Terry and Richard, and also Glenn during the Wesgo and then again during the ARN ownership.  As Group PD for ARN, the late Greg Henricks, Glenn and I re shaped the sound of the 2WS FM news room.  Most of the ideas were theirs along with an amazing team of journalists. I never had to question anything they did.  Always coming together with suggestions that made total sense wrapped around the mutual respect everyone had for each other’s opinions.

Glenn’s great legacy, and there are many of them, was his focus on making sure that the next tier of journalists coming through received advice without being overwhelmed with detail. At no time was this for the benefit and kudos that Glenn could quite rightly expect to receive.  It wasn’t about Glenn – it was about those who worked with him with and those who received the sage advice of Glenn’s mentoring.   He had a strong Christian faith that guided him. He even wrote and planned his own celebration of life service right down to the songs he wanted played and who should sing them.

Glenn’s time as guest lecturer at the Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS); with me at Macleay College and the Australian Institute of Music (AIM) are testament to his keenness to mentor and guide those who wanted to learn. Just 2 weeks ago I chatted with Glenn and asked if he’d be available to  be a guest again at AIM’s Digital Journalism class in the first week of February next year. “Absolutely Rogo.  Lock me in.  And mate I’ve got a box of 30 books here for the students as well.  I’ve your name on them. They’re yours for the students.”

I reminded Glenn he’d been generous with free copies of his book News Time: A Life In Radio on three occasions in the last 18 months.  I’d be more than happy to purchase them.  “No Dave, not necessary. They’re yours for them.”  Glenn’s book is now a legacy that lives on, sitting on the shelves of the AIM library as a prescribed reading for journalism students in 2022.

Maybe those early days at the family home when reading and writing the news bulletins on their childhood station 2DD was when Glenn developed the skill of identifying the right story for the right time and the right day. It had to be Glenn doing the news because his brothers Richard and Terry had already locked in the music part of the station they played for family members in Sydney’s Western Suburbs. These were the formative years for honing Glenn’s early writing skills.  It could also have been the major stories encountered in his career from the tragedy of 9-11 in New York City; his on the ground reporting of the massacres in Rwanda; numerous disasters in Australia and his genuine love of cricket and The Parramatta Rugby League Team that created and molded the unique all round journalist Glenn became.

One thing I do know is that Glenn has left us with a huge legacy.

I will miss his friendly and focused demeanor and the chats we enjoyed in more recent times. My great friend had not a bad word for anyone. Similarly, no one I know of had a bad word for Glenn.

Hopefully, this more than 3 paragraph obituary to Glenn is the kind of tribute he well deserves.

I’m sorry Glenn, so much to say about you, so much more of your time with us than your 3 paragraph rule allows me to fit into … RIP my great friend.