We pay tribute to Richard Wayne Fleming, one of the great broadcast technologists that this country has seen. On Friday 21 July 2023, Richard lost his battle with prostate cancer.
Richard was Technorama’s Guest of Honour at TR19 during which he shared stories of his life in commercial broadcasting, followed by the transition to the next stage of his career as an independent provider through Radio Support Services.
Richard was a great supporter of Community Broadcasting, and through RSS provided essential technology services to many community stations. He made a point of passing on his knowledge to anyone who asked or showed interest, and frequently went out of his way to provide assistance and skills transfer. There have been many tributes and accolades posted in the Technorama Q&A Facebook group.
At the time of Technorama TR19, the cancer was in remission. Richard was stoic, and very open about the medical treatment that he was undergoing. We used the opportunity to remind the 80% or so of males in the room that they should be sensitised to issues of Men’s Health, especially since prostate cancer is treatable if caught early.
Richard will be remembered very fondly for his days as Chief Engineer at 2UE, as a mentor, as an educator, and as a willing participant in Technorama’s mission.
A funeral and celebration of life for Richard will be held on Thursday 3 August at the Macquarie Park Cemetary. The family has invited all Richard’s friends and colleagues from the industry to join them on the day. Full details and RSVP can be found here.