Brian Walsh dies: Foxtel leads tributes for 'iconic' Australian media ...

He was at Foxtel at the beginning of the pay-TV company in the mid-90s, becoming a key executive within the Murdoch family orbit. Mr Walsh was named godfather to one of Lachlan and Sarah Murdoch’s children.

Mr Walsh’s career began with the ABC and Sydney radio station 2SM. Later at Channel 10, the media executive was behind major productions at the network, credited with building the later global success of TV soap opera Neighbours with young unproven stars like Kylie Minogue, Guy Pearce and Jason Donovan.

Mr Walsh played a pivotal role in rugby league’s ‘Simply The Best’ campaign, involving superstar Tina Turner. NRL Imagery, YouTube

During a stint doing promotions for the National Rugby League, Mr Walsh crafted several of the most iconic events hosted by the sport, and masterminded the Simply the Best ad campaign featuring Tina Turner.

Mr Walsh was among the media executives at the birth of Foxtel in the mid-1990s. Working as a consultant, Mr Walsh attended a lunch with Sam Chisholm, head of Rupert Murdoch’s BSkyB, and his adviser Bruce McWilliam at Rose Bay’s Catalina restaurant in 1994.

He was reportedly among the group of executives to come up with the name for the new pay-TV effort in Australia.

Mr Walsh’s was most recently Foxtel’s head of original programming. 

He would later join Foxtel at its launch in 1995, eventually becoming the pay-TV company’s director of television. Foxtel described Mr Walsh as a “gifted media, entertainment and sports publicist”, crediting the executive for the company’s most well-known TV series including Wentworth, Deadline Gallipoli and The Kettering Incident. In a reshuffle in 2020, Mr Walsh was named head of the newly created Foxtel Original division.

“At the Foxtel Group, Brian was a long-time mentor, a confidant, a colleague and an unwavering friend to so many,” Mr Delany said.

“Today, we are grieving Brian’s passing. Our condolences go to his family and to those closest to him. We have lost an icon of Australian television that will never be replaced. Rest in peace, Brian.”

Federal Arts minister Tony Burke said he was “forever grateful” of Mr Walsh’s contribution to the Australian arts.

“Countless Australian stories were told and careers forged because of Brian’s vision, commitment and innate understanding of great storytelling,” Mr Burke said.