Glenn Taylor (television presenter)

Glenn Taylor is an Australian Logie Award-winning former television presenter.

Glenn Taylor
Occupation(s)former journalist and television presenter
Years active1968 to 1998
Known forbeing sacked for saying "testicles"
TelevisionToday Tonight, State Affair, Seven News, Ten News

He is best known for co-anchoring Seven News on HSV-7 in Melbourne from 1988 to 1991 and Ten News on TVQ-10 in Brisbane from 1992 to 1998.

Career edit

Taylor commenced his media career at ABC Radio Adelaide in the late 1960's.[1] He moved into television in the mid 1970's, appearing on the ABC's Adelaide television station ABS-2, presenting Today at One and reporting for This Day Tonight.[2][3][4]

In 1979, he joined QTQ-9 in Brisbane where he hosted a local current affairs program called Today Tonight (unrelated to the Seven Network's Today Tonight of the same name which commenced in 1995).[1]

In 1980, Taylor was "poached" by rival Brisbane station BTQ-7 to host their own local current affairs program called State Affair.[5] Taylor defended the decision to leave QTQ to go to BTQ despite there being a 'no poaching' agreement amongst the Brisbane television stations.[6][7]

When State Affair was axed in 1986, Taylor briefly moved to Channel 7's Perth station TVW-7 where he began anchoring the local edition of Seven News following the departure of Peter Waltham.[8]

In late 1987, it was announced that Taylor had been appointed as a co-anchor for Seven's hour-long Melbourne news, alongside Jennifer Keyte.[9][10]

He continued this role until 1991 when Seven decided to revert the hour-long bulletin back to 30 minutes with Keyte continuing on as sole anchor.[11]

Taylor then returned to Brisbane where he commenced co-anchoring Ten News.[12] Initially, he was paired with Marie-Louise Theile until she left in 1993 and then with Tracey Spicer from 1994 to 1996 before Theile returned in 1997.

Network Ten sacked Taylor from the role after an on-air incident in 1998.[1][13] After Theile had introduced a story about swimmer Richard Upton (who had tested positive to a banned drug) being relieved he hadn't "been suspended", Taylor added "...by his testicles."[1][14][15]

After the sacking, the network and Taylor reached an out of court settlement.[13] He told Nine's local current affairs program Extra in September 1998: "I admit I made the remark but I didn't think it was blasphemous or profane, and I thought the penalty far outweighed the indiscretion on my part."[1]

In 2000, Taylor accused the network of having double standards when they didn't sack Theile after she called her husband an "arsehole" whilst on air during a conversation with Taylor's successor Geoff Mullins when they thought station was still in a commercial break.[16]

Awards edit

Taylor won Logie Awards for Most Popular Male Personality (Queensland) in 1980, 1984 and 1986.[17][18][19] QTQ-9's Today Tonight also won a Logie in March 1980 for Most Popular Show (Queensland) while Taylor was still host, prior to being poached by BTQ-7 in May 1980.[17]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e McCormack, Ben (8 September 1998). "Glenn Taylor". Extra. Nine Network.
  2. ^ Bayley, Andrew. "Monday 18 February 1974". Television.AU. Retrieved 10 January 2023. ABS2... 7:30: This Day Tonight. Bob Willcox, Mike Drewer, Tony Brooks, Glenn Taylor
  3. ^ Bayley, Andrew. "Monday 24 March 1975 - ADELAIDE". Television.AU. Retrieved 10 January 2023. 1pm: Today at One. Glenn Taylor
  4. ^ Bayley, Andrew. "Wednesday 16 June 1976 - ADELAIDE". Television.AU. Retrieved 10 January 2023. 1pm: Today at One. Glenn Taylor
  5. ^ "A State Affair puts HSB to rest". TV Week. 17 May 1980. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  6. ^ Taylor, Glenn (17 May 1980). "My move a tough decision". TV Week. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  7. ^ Beck, Christopher (17 May 1980). "Defection ends 'no poach' agreement". TV Week. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  8. ^ Dennis, Anthony (19 May 1987). "From Perth... Today's people". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 10 January 2023. The departure of Waltham left a hole at Channel 7, which secured the services of the completely blemish-free Brisbane newsreader Glenn Taylor - apparently for a cool six-figure sum.
  9. ^ "Taylor joins HSV-7". The Age. 29 December 1987. p. 7. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  10. ^ "Channel Seven goes for all the trimmings, but no extras". The Age. 15 January 1988. p. 2. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  11. ^ Hooks, Barbara (7 April 1990). "Seven dumps Glenn Taylor". The Age. p. 4. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  12. ^ "Spy hole". The Age. 19 May 1991. Retrieved 10 January 2023. And back on air: Glenn Taylor, Ms Keyte's former news twin has surfaced back home in Brisbane as Ten News anchor
  13. ^ a b Price, Amy (5 March 2022). "Sacked, punted and shock walk outs: The 10 high-profile exits that rocked Qld: Glenn Taylor". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  14. ^ "Below the belt". The Sydney Morning Herald. 12 April 1998. p. 85. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  15. ^ "Suspense too much". The Sydney Morning Herald. 18 April 1998. p. 434. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  16. ^ "Day the air turned blue and the newsreader went white". The Birmingham Post. 24 June 2000. Retrieved 10 January 2022. Mr Taylor, who had not seen the recent broadcast, said the network's reaction to Ms Theile's remarks showed there was a double standard.
  17. ^ a b "The 22nd Annual TV Week Logie Awards". Yahoo!7. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016.
  18. ^ "The 26th Annual TV Week Logie Awards". Yahoo!7. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016.
  19. ^ "The 28th Annual TV Week Logie Awards". Yahoo!7. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016.
Media offices
Preceded by
Des McWilliam
Ten News Queensland
Weeknight presenter with Marie-Louise Theile and Tracey Spicer

1991–1998
Succeeded by
Geoff Mullins
Preceded by Seven News Melbourne
Weeknight Presenter with Jennifer Keyte

1988–1991
Succeeded by