The Haileybury Society is saddened to learn of the death of John Glen Mackay Gau, CBE (K 54) who has died on 3^rd March 2024, aged 83.

At Haileybury John was a Scholar and Prefect, going on to Trinity Hall College Cambridge to read Classical, Medieval and Modern Languages. He went on to the University of Wisconsin where he became involved in TV work on campus.

Career at the BBC

John joined the BBC in 1963 and spent two decades working on several topical news productions including 24 hours (1965-69), Panorama (1969-73), as deputy editor of Midweek (1973-75), and editor of Nationwide (1975-78). He was head of BBC TV’s Current Affairs group from 1978-81 during a difficult period of disagreements with BBC management and politicians alike.

In one particular incident involving a Panorama report on the Troubles in Northern Ireland during which time the programme’s editor Roger Bolton was sacked after Maragret Thatcher told the BBC to put its house in order. After pressure from John and the National Union of Journalists Bolton was reinstated but both he and John were officially reprimanded.

Going it alone

John left the BBC in 1981 to set up his own production company, John Gau Productions, and embarked on a prolific independent career.

He was director of programmes at British Satellite Broadcasting 1988-91 prior to its merger with Sky; he chaired the Independent Programme Producers Association from 1983-86, the Royal Television Society from 1987-91 and was a director of Channel 4 from 1984-88, receiving a CBE in 1989.

He also made documentaries for his former employer, the BBC including Deep Into the Blue Holes (1983), a World About Us episode and Soldiers (1985), Reaching for the Skies (1988) and The Power and the Glory (1991).

He is survived by his wife and their children, William and Chris to whom The Haileybury Society sends sincere condolences.