
A legend and a gentleman: The sports broadcasting industry pays tribute to Barry Johnstone By Will Strauss, Editor
Monday, June 27, 2022 - 10:14
Print This Story
Tributes have been pouring in for Barry Johnstone, the chairman of EMG UK and the founder of CTV Outside Broadcasts, who passed away last week.
The words' legend' and' gentleman' appear frequently in what are very heartfelt and genuine appreciations of his contribution to the sports broadcasting industry.
Johnstone died at the age of just 76, following a heart attack.
SVG editorial director Ken Kerschbaumer described Barry as being in equal part, industry colleague, friend, and even mentor. I was so looking forward to spending some quality time with him at the Open Championship and I will miss being called young Kenneth, sharing meals, laughs, and hearing his amazing stories. Miss you Barry. But what a legacy you leave behind both professionally and personally.
SVG Europe Advisory Board chairman Alessandro Reitano said: I remember him throughout the years as always being fun-loving, sincere, hard-working and fighting for the cause. And I remember very well when he took me on side after I was appointed Chairman of the SVG Europe Advisory Board and offered his help and support whenever I needed it. Most recently at NAB, I had a lively conversation with him about a social project that he wanted to implement in the SVG Europe group to help those working in sports broadcasting, which really typified his ongoing support for the industry. I will definitely miss him.
David Shield, SVP, director of engineering and technical worldwide at IMG Studios, and a former chair of the SVG Europe Advisory Board, knew Barry for more than 30 years. I have always counted him as a true friend, mentor and source of much respected good advice, he said. He was a great support to me personally in my time as Chairman of the SVG Europe Advisory Board, and he truly cared for our industry and the people who worked within it. He will be sadly missed by us all.
Shaun Gregory, the CEO of EMG, said: Barry held several board roles within EMG, most notably serving as our UK Chairman. However, he was much more than that, offering help and support to everyone across the EMG family. It's why this news has been so devasting for everybody, both within EMG, and across the industry. We've lost one of the good guys' and there's a void that no one else will ever be able to fill. Our thoughts are with Barry's family and I feel honoured and privileged to have worked alongside such an incredible person.
Inga Ruehl, Sky Sports, executive director of production and operations described his passing as a truly a sad day for the sports broadcasting industry, adding, Barry was a pioneer and icon in our field and truly left his mark. His exuberance and passion were so infectious and made it so wonderful to work with him. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones.'
Steven Cozort of SCC Productions said: The word leader is what comes to mind when I think of Berry. He not only help lead the direction of our industry but led, guided and mentored a great number of individuals within the broadcast industry. God Bless and Rest In Peace, Barry.
Darren Long, formerly of Sky Sports and now an industry consultant, commenting on Linkedin, described him as a true legend in the OB world who will be greatly missed by all of us and someone I owe so much to for all his many years of support to me.
Andy Hayford, business development manager at ARRI Cine Technik said Barry was a real gentleman, who always had time and patience even when I was young and wet behind the ears' and continued to be passionate about his company and his team.
Greg Livermore, CTV Outside Broadcasts, technical project manager, said: Always up for a challenge, he would relentlessly chase down every opportunity. Around a table of professionals, you could get lost in his knowledge of the industry, its technology and its future. In truth, we worked for him, personally. We would have gone to any lengths if he had thought it the right thing to do.
EMG head of special projects and innovation Adam Berger added: For nearly 20 years I have been one of many who worked and laughed alongside Barry. He always quoted I am just a salesman he was so much more than that. He was an inspirational leader, a skilled negotiator, a tactician, a character, a friend, a gentleman, and a human being. The world will miss him. I just hope there's a large glass of Cloudy Bay waiting for him up there with Libby. Rest well Sport. Your legacy lives on.
Barney Francis, VP of global production at IMG said: A legend of the industry, and more importantly a wonderful man. So grateful to have shared some of his wise counsel over the last 25 years. Truly a very sad day. Love and thoughts to Barry's family and close colleagues. A very bright light has just gone out.
Roger Moffat, global head of playback analytics, Prime Video, said: The saddest news to enter summer. 30 years ago I ran VT operations for Barry's studio in St Johns Wood and his obvious passion for the business was infectious. Barry exuded confidence, and to borrow a phrase from my current home, customer obsession. He was the centre of gravity for an increasing number of extraordinarily talented editors, engineers and outside broadcast experts who were captivated by his vision and energy and propelled CTV to the fore. My condolences to his family. RIP Barry.
Paul Knight, who worked as Barry's private chauffeur between 2004 and 2020, described him as a kind and generous man with a well-developed wit.
He added: I never knew him to be anything other than a true gent. I always felt sure that he would be a fair but formidable adversary in the boardroom, although I can't imagine that he e
Most recent headlines
06/10/2025
France T l visions, France's leading broadcaster, has received the 2025 EBU ...
04/09/2025
Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), in collaboration with Dalet, has been a...
30/06/2025
There's nothing quite like the magic of finding music that feels made just f...
30/06/2025
When it comes to new music, Spotify's team of editors across North America is always on the hunt for songs that make them feel, think, and move. They're...
30/06/2025
SBS On Demand boosts global news offering with launch of France 24 FAST Channel
30 June, 2025
Media releases
SBS is expanding its international news offeri...
30/06/2025
Star Studded Ensemble Cast Are Joined by Richard Rankin as Filming Begins on the Second Season
[June 12, 2025 - Boston, MA]: The Forsytes, Debbie Horsfield...
30/06/2025
The Artemis II Space Launch System core stage is integrated with the solid rocket boosters inside High Bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASAs Kennedy S...
30/06/2025
RALEIGH, N.C. Capitol Broadcasting Co. has named Heather Gray vice president and general manager of WRAL-TV and WRAZ-TV here....
30/06/2025
The Virginia Association of Broadcasters has recognized Bill Sewell, Director of Engineering at WTKR & WGNT in Norfolk, Va. as the recipient of the 2025 J.J. Fr...
30/06/2025
The Society of Broadcast Engineers said its annual member drive resulted in the recruitment of 49 individual members....
30/06/2025
BURLINGTON, Mass. Avid today released its fully integrated news platform, uniting MediaCentral and Wolftech News in a single newsroom solution, and will demonst...
30/06/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communication's Enforcement and Media Bureaus have entered into a Consent Decree with Sinclair Broadcast Group to resolve a variety o...
30/06/2025
Eurorack sequencer module reimagined
California-based modular synth innovators Qu-Bit have announced the launch of a new module that offers a fresh new take...
30/06/2025
Berklee at Umbria Jazz Clinics to Host 40th Anniversary Concert The celebration will be held on July 10 in Perugia, Italy.
By
Colette Greenstein
June 30, 202...
30/06/2025
PremiumBeat Tips and Tricks
Brie Clayton June 30, 2025
0 Comments
When editing to impress, you'll need quality music, and if your studio happens t...
30/06/2025
Improved dynamic behaviour, improved audio quality & more
Techivation have announced the release of an upgraded edition of their very first premium plug-in,...
30/06/2025
German premiere with live flight demonstration: German industry team showcases e...
30/06/2025
Back to All News
Bel n Cuesta and Karra Elejalde Star in El ni o, the New Film ...
30/06/2025
Back to All News
A New Dangerous Troll Awakens: Netflix Unleashes Teaser for Troll 2Play Video
Play Video
Entertainment
30 June 2025
GlobalNorwayDenmarkSwe...
30/06/2025
The Focusrite Summer Sale is now on Don't miss unbeatable deals on Scarlett, Vocaster, and more.
Whether you're an artist, a producer, or a podcaste...
30/06/2025
All 8 episodes of Season 1 of 1923 will be available on RT Player from Tuesday ...
30/06/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
52% report AI security spending is displacing tr...
30/06/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Cannes, June 30th, 2025 - Thales Alenia Space, t...
29/06/2025
Handpan-inspired instrument announced
Roland have announced the launch of the Mood Pan, a unique electronic hand percussion instrument that has been designe...
29/06/2025
Back to All News
A Secret Society, Ritualistic Killings, and a Century-Old Curs...
28/06/2025
Johannesburg, 27 June 2025 - As the nation commemorates Youth Month
2025, the N...
28/06/2025
WASHINGTON In a press conference following the Federal Communications Commission's May Open Meeting, Chair Brendan Carr promised the agency would move rapid...
28/06/2025
STAMFORD, Conn. Charter Communications has awarded $1.1 million in Spectrum Digital Education grants to 55 nonprofit organizations that work to expand access to...
28/06/2025
LAKE FOREST, Calif. June 19, 2025
What's New:
Sonnet Technologies today announced the certification of its Echo 20 Thunderbolt 4 SuperDock as an Engin...
28/06/2025
MASV (massive.io), the fastest and most reliable large file transfer platform for media professionals, has been named an IDC Innovator in the IDC Innovators: Me...
28/06/2025
Grass Valley today announced that TV SKYLINE GmbH, one of Europe's top mobile production providers, has expanded its camera inventory with 30 LDX 135 UHD/HD...
28/06/2025
AgileTV, a European leader in TV and video technology solutions, signed an agreement with Austrian telco LIWEST to develop and implement its TV service in Austr...
28/06/2025
Music theory plug-in updated
Three months on from the release of the latest version of their renowned music theory plug in, Scaler Music have launched an up...
28/06/2025
The 48th Annual Indian National Finals Rodeo Shot with Blackmagic PYXIS 6K
Brie Clayton June 27, 2025
0 Comments
Filmmaker Cameron Mackey relied on Bl...
28/06/2025
Social, Streaming Don't Compete, They Compliment
Andy Marken June 27, 2025
0 Comments
I think we've all arrived at a very special place. Spir...
28/06/2025
Blackmagic Design Captures Filipino Rock Band Drama Singtala
Brie Clayton June 27, 2025
0 Comments
Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro 12K and DaVinci Resolve St...
28/06/2025
Enhance Videos Faster with Aiarty Video Enhancer - Offline, Sharp, and Natural
Brie Clayton June 27, 2025
0 Comments
If you've used AI video tools...
27/06/2025
By Jessica Herndon
One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Fest...
27/06/2025
K-Pop remains one of the biggest genres globally, and many fans just can't get enough of it. That's why Spotify has launched a new series of K-Pop perf...
27/06/2025
In our latest blog post, Rafael Rivera highlights the rising threat of online scams, and the important role cybersecurity plays in protecting families across ge...
27/06/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission has set deadlines for comments to a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to codify certain foreign ownership re...
27/06/2025
WASHINGTON In a press conference following the Federal Communications Commission's May Open Meeting, Chair Brendan Carr promised the agency would move rapid...
27/06/2025
From grounded realism to bending, impossible geometries
Klevgrand have announced the release of a new algorithmic reverb plug-in which they say deconstruct...
27/06/2025
Learn to use REW for room analysis
Acoustic treatment is one of the most important factors in any studio, and with the extensive range of products available...
27/06/2025
SAN JOSE, Calif. The HDMI Forum has released Version 2.2. of the HDMI Specification with 96Gbps bandwidth and next-gen HDMI Fixed Rate Link technology to provid...
27/06/2025
MONTREAL Grass Valley has announced that TV Skyline GmbH, one of Europe's top mobile production providers, has expanded its camera inventory with the acquis...
27/06/2025
NEW YORK & CHICAGO FuboTV Inc. and Weigel Broadcasting Co. have announced a multi-year agreement for distribution of seven networks including MeTV, H&I, Movies!...
27/06/2025
NEW YORK A national survey of U.S. consumers shows 66% of us watch TV all or most of the time and also multitask while doing it....
27/06/2025
MIAMI Sunbeam Television has reached a multiyear agreement with Findal Media & Technology Group to broadcast the new ABC Miami beginning Aug. 4....
27/06/2025
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. AccuWeather has announced a deal with Perplexity, a AI-powered search and answer engine, that will bring AccuWeathers weather data and severe...