On the eve of the Paris Olympics, Nine Radio has named its new Olympic studio after the broadcaster and commentator David ‘Thirsty’ Morrow.
The Paris Games would have been Morrow’s ninth Olympics as a commentator.
Morrow, who passed away last week after a battle with brain cancer, was celebrated at his funeral service yesterday, where the announcement was made by his close friend and colleague, Mark Levy.
Dozens of former and current colleagues including Jim Maxwell, Warren Ryan, Tim Gavel, Gordon Bray, Peter Wilkins, Mark Levy, Peter Psaltis, Darryl Brohmann, and Mark Riddell gathered to honour Morrow. Also present were more recent NRL stars and colleagues Andrew Johns, Paul Gallen, and Josh Morris.
Levy shared the poignant news during the service, saying, “David was a NSW country boy who moved to the big smoke to realise his dream as a commentator. I wish he was still here to help with our Olympics coverage from our new studio, but he will be with us in spirit. It gives me great honour to announce that our Nine Radio studio at Pyrmont will be known as The David Morrow Olympic Studio.”
The David Morrow Olympic Studio will be the heart of Nine Radio’s exclusive Olympic Games coverage.
Nine Radio managing director Tom Malone said: “Beyond his professional achievements, Thirsty was known for his generosity, mentorship, and unwavering dedication to sport. He loved athletes and he loved mentoring many young commentators. This is a fitting tribute to a giant of Australian broadcasting.”
See also: Inside 2GB’s dedicated Olympics studio, designed to put Nine ‘in good stead for many years’
The naming of the studio comes as journalists at Nine Publishing begin their five-day strike from Friday, spanning the opening weekend of the Games.
Media, Entertainment, and Arts Alliance (MEAA) members at The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, The Australian Financial Review, Brisbane Times and WAtoday walked off the job at 11am AEST on Friday. Picket lines and rallies are being held outside Nine offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth.
In a statement, Nine called the decision to go ahead with the strike “disappointing,” but confirmed that there are “comprehensive plans are in place to ensure the production and distribution of Nine Publishing mastheads will not be impacted and our readers will continue to have access to unrivalled coverage of the Paris Olympics.”
See also: ‘We deserve better’: Nine journalists walk off job on first day of Olympics