Broadcast community pays tribute to Ian McMurray

Ian McMurray, long serving broadcast and AV journalist, has sadly passed away

By James McKeown

Published: September 22, 2020 Updated: September 23, 2020

Ian McMurray, long serving broadcast and AV journalist, has sadly passed away

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TVBEurope is saddened to report the passing of its dear friend and colleague, Ian McMurray who died last week after a short illness.

Ian was a rare talent who made an art of translating highly complex and technical information into engaging, palatable editorial; always of the highest quality, always submitted on time. Ian often joked that he was yet to miss a deadline, and he was true to his word right to the end; he filed his final article for our sister title of Installation just days before he sadly passed away. It is the mark of the man who went about his business professionally, diligently, and without fuss.

On a personal level, he will always be best remembered for his work on the IBC and ISE Daily teams, where his relentless filing of high-quality copy really came to the fore. He was an ever-dependable member of both teams, and was much loved and much admired by all of his peers. Indeed, another of his rare talents was that he was universally liked in the industries he served.

Ian was someone I regularly sought counsel from; someone I turned to for advice, ideas, perspective. He was always accommodating, always honest, always willing to help. For me and for many of his peers, he was a constant in our industries as a respected and notable writer, a technical expert, and a colleague and friend that many of us will retain the fondest memories of.

The picture we've used above, courtesy of Michael Burns, captures Ian in typical working mode in the ISE Daily office. For many of us, our lasting image of him will be sitting in The Hoppe pub in Amsterdam after a long shift on the Daily, nursing a pint. It is heartbreaking news. He will be sorely missed by all.

The thoughts and condolences of everyone at TVBEurope and the wider Future family go out to Ian's family and friends. May he rest in peace.

Tributes have been coming in to us from around the industry, which we will continue to collate for the forthcoming editions of TVBEurope and Installation magazines. If you would like to offer a tribute to Ian, please contact me at james.mckeown@futurenet.com.

Michael Burns, IBC and ISE Daily colleague I've worked with Ian for several years on the IBC Daily and ISE Daily, first as a fellow writer and then as an editor, but always as a much-respected colleague. Always the one to deliver the first story, and usually the one to deliver the most copy on the team (small victories he always celebrated), Ian was always a very dependable and accomplished writer, who I greatly enjoyed working with. Our industry and its publications will miss his talent and support. I know I will.

Ian's witty observations and cutting comments always made me laugh out loud, especially when they were directed at me (more often than not). It's so typical of the man that earlier this month, in what would be the last message I received from him, his remark about something I'd forgotten was: My excuse is I'm a bit preoccupied. What's yours? LOL

Louise Wells, on behalf of all at Bubble Communications We are deeply sad to hear the news of Ian's passing; his family and friends are in our thoughts and prayers. Ian was a pleasure to work with, always offering such kind words whenever any of the Bubble team worked with him on opportunities. The industry has lost a wonderful man and a great contributor. We are all so very sad and lost for words.

Joss Armitage, Jump PR Having worked as both a journalist and in PR in this industry, more so the latter, Ian was a constant in my professional life for many, many years. He was easy to deal with, clear in what was required and knew the pressures and constraints under which we often have to work. And he appreciated a laugh, too. This is very sad news.

Chris Forrester, IBC and ISE Daily colleague Ian was MUCH too young to be taken from us and his family. He was invariably one of the very first to arrive at the office and was always there with a joke and a comment on the day's news - and perhaps a light-hearted grumble about Dutch coffee. But more than any of this he really was a super nice guy, a total professional, and we will all miss him.

George Jarrett, IBC Daily colleague My abiding memories of sitting next to Ian in the IBC Daily News room were his incredible productivity, and the subsequent adoration accorded by PR teams excitingly glad to prove their value to clients. Everyone who brought him a story, or a present for writing a published piece, were given the same polite and brief reception.

Ian took everything in his stride, despite having the most demanding hall (1) in terms of technical variation, and for every one story I did he seemed to produce five or six. Writing a ton of stuff for the pre-produced middle sections gave him a wide product news perspective for IBC itself, so he was rarely surprised.

In terms of Amsterdam outside of RAI churn hours, Ian loved The Hoppe as his every night local, but just for a couple of beers and being immersed in his own thoughts, just inches from the bustling activity of the street. All our conversations, bar one long exchange in The Hoppe, were brief but witty or cordial. Ian reminded me of the Paul Simon lyric, I am a rock, I am an island .

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