Pioneering radio and television broadcaster Ed Fung died yesterday at the age of 97.
Fung died peacefully at his home in Arima.
He was described as one of the foundation members of the News Department of Radio Guardian, as Radio 610 was then called after it was launched in October 1957.
Fung later moved to Trinidad and Tobago Television (TTT), where he took on the role of mentor and coach to many journalists, helping craft their skills and future, including Dale Kolasingh and Neil Giuseppi.
Fung’s former colleague, Giuseppi, took to Facebook yesterday, where he posted, “My deepest condolences to his family. May he forever Rest in Peace!”
In a retrospective piece on the career of Fung published by MATT as part of its T&T Journalist Foundations and to which Giuseppi contributed, Fung was described as “a newsman par excellence.”
According to the piece by MATT, Fung, Guyanese by birth, was part of a group of legendary broadcasters like Larry Heywood, Frank Hughes and Leo De Leon who worked at Radio 610. He was the station’s first news editor.
The article said of Fung: “Ed’s mellow but commanding voice when reading the various newscasts was the benchmark young reporters referenced to develop their own skills.
“He eventually moved to TTT, where, as the second in command in the newsroom, he helped train and shape the skills of young news reporters like Dale Kolasingh and Neil Guiseppi.
“While at TTT, he established himself as one of the leading television newscasters in the country.
“In 1975, he returned to radio when he was offered the position of Programme Director at 610 while continuing his involvement with TTT as a freelance newscaster.
“He eventually left 610 Radio and joined Dale Kolasingh at AVM Television, where he was responsible for the training of all the young reporters who passed through that broadcast media house.”
Funeral arrangements are yet to be announced.
