– Cecil Taylor legendary BBC news reporter
– Cecil Taylor dies at 96.
Cecil Taylor, the legendary BBC Northern Ireland (BBCNI) reporter and news and TV production pioneer, passed away peacefully at his home near Bangor last week at the age of 96. His funeral service took place at Bangor’s Hamilton Road Presbyterian Church on January 24, 2024.
Taylor played a crucial role in the development of esteemed BBC shows like Newsline, and he also covered significant moments in Ireland during his time as a reporter. Don Anderson, Taylor’s colleague, acknowledged the reporter’s pivotal contribution to BBC’s “journey towards proper impartial journalism.” Anderson stated, “He used to say that when he arrived at the BBC, the news from the Belfast newsroom sounded as if it had been written in Stormont Castle, and he did something to change that, which was highly important.”
Cecil Taylor’s Remarkable BBC Journey
Born in Larne, Northern Ireland, Cecil Taylor began his journalism career at the Irish Times. He joined the BBC newsroom in Belfast as their sole reporter in 1955, embarking on a distinguished career that spanned four decades.
Writing for Chronicle, BBCNI’s account during the Troubles, Taylor reflected, “It is difficult to remember that television news bulletins in the United Kingdom didn’t start until 1955. I joined the BBC in Belfast that year to provide the infant television news in London with a service from Northern Ireland.” He quickly rose through the ranks and became the first reporter to appear on camera in Northern Irish local television news just two years after joining the BBC. Throughout his career, he covered the Irish Republican Army (IRA)’s border campaign and the Troubles in the 1950s and early 1960s.
By the mid-1960s, Taylor had climbed the ladder to become a news editor and head of programs at BBCNI. As a writer, he played a significant role in the development of the 10-minute tea-time bulletin, now popularly known as BBC Newsline. He also commissioned numerous dramas, including Graham Reid’s Billy Plays starring Kenneth Branagh. Known as “Big Cecil,” Taylor was admired for his forthright manner and dedication to providing viewers with reliable news.
Tributes Pour In for BBC Legend Cecil Taylor
As news of Cecil Taylor’s passing spread, many of his colleagues paid tribute to his remarkable career. Don Anderson remarked, “He was one of the men who began television drama here – when we see all the studios here now, all the series, he began all that. Once that boulder began rolling down the hill, there was no stopping it.”
Former BBC news editor Robin Walsh described Taylor as someone who would be “sadly, sadly missed.” Walsh added, “He told you what he thought, and there were no airs and graces about it. He had a fine-tuned editorial mind, but I tell you what he also had, he had an open door – sadly, sadly to be missed.” Former BBC journalist Brian Walker praised Taylor as the go-to source of invaluable local knowledge and good judgment.
Cecil Taylor is survived by his wife Doreen, his daughter Olwyn, son-in-law Ian, and granddaughter Matty.
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1. “Cecil Taylor: Legendary BBC news reporter passes away at 96”
2. “Remembering Cecil Taylor: Iconic BBC news journalist’s legacy”.
