No one disproved Hunter S Thompson’s infamous indictment of television more than Richard Morecroft.

Richard was the antithesis of Thompson’s denunciation of the TV business as “uglier than most things … a kind of cruel and shallow money trench through the heart of the journalism industry”.

Rather than ugly, Richard made the newsroom environment at Sydney’s ABC Gore Hill beautiful. Or as near to beautiful as such a den with such a remit could be. He gave it heart, soul and empathy. Made it interesting and fun. Inclusive. Newcomers – from nervous cadet reporters to production assistants and new co-hosts – would be taken aside for a warm welcome word over a hot cuppa. For a man at the top of the broadcast tree, hierarchy wasn’t in Richard’s vocabulary. Not off air anyway.

You know someone was born with natural empathy and generosity of........

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