Graham McNeice, an icon of Australian sports broadcasting and an acclaimed documentary producer, passed away after a short battle with illness on Thursday.
He was 76.
McNeice had an extraordinary career in the media and his passing touched many people.
Sydney entrepreneur John Singleton described his close friend as a “special man”.
“It’s a very sad day, we have lost a beautiful soul,’’ Singleton said.
“No one has a bad word to say about Graham and that is so rare in the media industry.’’
Racing NSW chief executive Peter V’landys described McNeice as a “Legend in media and a giant in racing’’.
“Even with all his contributions and achievements, the memory I have is of a beautiful human being,’’ V’landys said.
“The racing and media family has lost one of its most popular members.’’
McNeice, who was known as “Shadow” to his friends, began his broadcasting career as a 17-year-old alongside Legendary greyhound caller Frank Kennedy at radio station 2KA.
After calling races for nearly a decade, McNeice became a consummate presenter on radio and television.
In 1977, McNeice joined Channel 10 where he Eventually became the network’s sports newsreader working alongside another broadcasting icon, Ray Warren.
“Graham was a great friend, rich in sincerity,’’ Warren said.
“He was meaningful, helpful, charitable and highly ambitious. His work ethic was incredible, he was prepared to work eight days in sEven.’’
McNeice led Channel 10’s coverage of the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles before he joined Sky Channel in 1986 as executive producer and head anchor and became the face of the racing television channel for more than two decades.
He Eventually branched out into producing documentaries on sport, racing, entertainment and crime.
In 2005, he was commissioned by the newly established Foxtel Crime Investigations Channel to develop a documentary series on true Australian crime called “Crime Investigation Australia”.
McNeice’s series, hosted by Steve Leibman, was groundbreaking for its investigative documentary filmmaking covering such gruesome crimes as “The Anita Cobby Murder”, “The Backpacker Murders” and “The Snowtown Bodies in the Barrels”.
Former leading racecaller John Tapp said McNeice had been a friend and colleague for more than 50 years.
“Graham’s career was split in two – the media phase and then the documentary phase,’’ Tapp said.
“He was an absolute professional, a very slick operator during his television and radio careers but I always thought his true craftsmanship emerged in the last two decades with his documentaries.
“His kindness, compassion and above all his loyalty to friends was Legendary.’’
Graham McNeice began his broadcasting career as a 17-year-old before joining Channel 10 in 1977.
Darren Flindell, the voice of Sydney racing, joined Sky Racing in the mid-1990’s where McNeice became a mentor and friend.
“Graham quickly transformed from being a boss to a trusted and loyal friend,’’ Flindell said.
“Then when I arrived back in Sydney in 2015 to call the races for Sky, I was under siege on social media and felt like giving it away but Graham was a tower of strength with his forthright advice and support.
“There is some comfort knowing Graham passed away peacefully knowing he was loved by so many people.’’
Sky Thoroughbred Central’s chief presenter Greg Radley said McNeice was responsible for building the legacy of Sky Racing.
“If it wasn’t for Graham there would be no Sky,’’ Radley said.
“He was an incredible help to me right throughout my career when I first started in radio and Eventually moved to television.’’
Sky Thoroughbred Central’s form expert Ron Dufficy said McNeice gave him a start at Sky Channel more than 25 years ago and was a wonderful mentor. “Graham was a great friend, a father figure to me,’’ Dufficy said.
“Anyone who worked with or for him loved him.’’
McNeice was also a close confidante of mine and when I last spoke to him just two weeks ago where it was obvious his health was in serious decline.
His passing is a sad day for the Sydney and Australian media who have lost a true Legend of sport, racing and broadcasting.
