Eric Walters (born 4 July 1937, died 18th August 2010) was an Australian journalist, media trainer and former television presenter who worked for all commercial television channels (Seven, Nine and TEN) in a on-air career, including radio, which spanned more than forty years. Eric died following a three and a half year battle with pulmonary fibrosis. He was 73.
John Cranfield reports that Eric started in broadcasting at the age of 16, working in several country radio stations in NSW before embarking on a round Australia road trip in 1957. Eric’s stop off in Perth resulted in him joining 6PR for three years as an evening announcer, before briefly filling the role of Radio and TV manager of an advertising agency, then joining TVW.
At age 24, Eric joined Seven at the end of 1961, following the departure of Garry Meadows. At first Eric shared the newsreading with Gary Carvolth, before becoming the main newsreader, with Gary venturing into hosting the teenage show Club 7 Teen and the evening variety program, In Perth Tonight.
Eric Walters also hosted the 6IX Saturday Night Show in 1963, before TVW gained ownership of the radio station. 6IX was then owned by WA Newspapers, the company responsible for launching TVW Channel 7. Both Eric and Lloyd Lawson made appearances on 6IX as a form of TVW/6IX cross promotion.
When Eric left TVW to advance his career in England, David Low, the former TCN 9 and famous Movietone voice over man replaced him reading the Seven news.
During his overseas period, Eric ran a production company called Rickway Films, to file news stories from England.
Needless to say I’m so deeply saddened to hear about both Eric and Jody Robb.
I have lovely memories of working with Eric when I went to London with Miss Crowning Glory. Eric was working there at the time and Denzil (Howson) had organised for him to take some film of me in and around London to bring back for the kids show. We had great fun and he was a just the loveliest of men.
And I can’t believe it about Jody. He and John (Low) worked quite a bit together and produced a documentary about the “Endeavour” which went to air on Channel 9. So memories that were blanked out are now flooding me…
Eric Walters (1937-2010)
WA TV History courtesy of Seven, Perth
Veteran newsreader and reporter Eric Walters had the distinction of having read news bulletins for the major Australian commercial television networks… Seven, Nine and TEN.
Richard Ashton reminisced about Eric’s last bulletin for TVW in which he read the news with spectacles minus the glass, to then conspicuously poke his finger through the frame to remove them whilst saying goodnight.
Gordon McColl recalls that Eric was a most friendly chap who lived in Norman Street, Innaloo. Both he and his wife were noted for their hospitality and were great home entertainers.
His first wife Shirley was a secretary at 6KY.
On his return to Australia, Eric worked for TEN before moving to Nine, where he is best known on the east coast for his long-running stint as early morning anchor for the Nine Network, both on the National Nine Early Morning News from 1981 and the Today Show from 1982 to 1990.
Farewell To A Legend
Ten
Sad news to report: Australian television newsman Eric Walters has died.
Eric then moved back to Ten where he was the inaugural host of Ten’s Late News until succeeded by Anne Fulwood in 1991.
Eric’s next move was to the Seven network as a reporter on the current affairs program ‘Real Life’, hosted by Stan Grant, from 1992 to 1994.
He also worked as a media trainer and public speaker. He was a guest on the 25th Anniversary Edition of Nine’s Today.
All who knew and worked with Eric will be saddened by this most unfortunate news. He is survived by wife Carol, a daughter and two sons.
Eric had only recently donated all his production equipment to the Australian Museum of Motion Picture & Television (AMMPT) which will eventually be displayed by the Museum as the “Eric Walters Collection”. Patrons will remember AMMPT’s 2009 exhibition at the Fremantle Arts Centre called “50 years of television broadcasting in Western Australia”.
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