John Devine was an audio supervisor in Manchester for as long as anyone can remember. He will be greatly missed.


This is from Ariel

John Devine

A tribute by: Mark Jones

‘Sorry to call you so early, John, but ….’ was the opening line in so many conversations between network radio reporters and John Devine. Whether he was the on call staff radio car senior audio supervisor – or latterly the on call freelance sat van operator – John was someone that you wanted around when the story broke. Radio reporters and producers valued John’s knowledge and companionship. We will miss him.

Caroline Cheetham first met John when she had made the move from print to radio ‘as a rookie broadcaster five years ago and hopeless with anything technical’. ‘John was always my saviour,’ she says. ‘He was always calm – even when the radio car refused to work, he always had a trusty screwdriver in his pocket so he could take things apart if he had to, and he always gave me a good telling off if I left the radio car in a mess or didn’t put the equipment away properly.’

Experienced radio reporters and correspondents were equally grateful. Nick Garnett told me: ‘My overwhelming memories are that he would turn out in the most godawful conditions ever. You’d turn up in a field in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night and there would be John, already set up and dialled up into the studio. He taught me lessons about looking after equipment and safety that I use on a daily basis now. With his passing go all the skills that turned out crafted pieces of beautifully mixed radio day in day out.’

Jonathan Hallewell adds: ‘He was always calm and patient, and would do everything he could to help. He had a great smile and was always a joy to work with. Whatever the stresses of the reporter’s job, John was a very reassuring influence. Technically he was a genuine expert.’

When you were on the road, reporting on the big stories (and not so big) it was reassuring to know that someone like John was working alongside you. Whether on a windswept beach by Morecambe Bay or outside a crown court, I always felt safe in John’s hands … and enjoyed his company and stories when we weren’t actually on air.

John had successfully come through a long battle against cancer but died suddenly on April 28. We will all remember John in our own way but we will also remember him for the words that featured on his freelance business card.

‘John Devine … Good old fashioned BBC engineering’.