David Ellis retires to much acclaim

After a four-decade career as one of the Eastern Caribbean’s most recognisable voices in radio journalism, David Ellis on Friday retired as Station Manager of  Starcom Network Inc. to the toast of several current and former colleagues.

In a moving send-off held in his honour live on Starcom’s Voice of Barbados, many paid tribute to the seasoned news director and talk show host, including Barbados Broadcasting Authority chairman Dr Allyson Leacock, a former fellow VOB announcer,  who declared that Ellis has always been dedicated to journalism and broadcasting. She insisted that such a high standard of skills must be passed on.

She said: “It is my hope that as David moves on to retirement, that his skills and experience are used to raise the bar in training. Training more of our newsroom reporters on the rudiments of what makes them move from good to great. As a member of the original Rediffusion family that transitioned to the VOB team, I say to David, well done, good and faithful media professional.

“As Chairman of the Barbados Broadcasting Authority, I say thank you for your unstinting service to this noble profession, and for always upholding the highest standards of journalism.”

Retired broadcaster Linda Walrond said Ellis has always been an inquisitive and facts-driven journalist from his youth, even when he began his career at the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation at age 19.

She said: “You were also something of an oddity, because 40 plus years ago, the staffing and the announcing in the news departments, comprised mainly the output of the older secondary schools. A young newsman from Ellerslie Secondary School, it was not much longer before we began to speak of you in other terms.

“Remarking on an obvious talent for getting to the bottom of a story, and aptitude for quick learning, and absolving the fundamental need to shoot only for the best, to do things well, and perhaps more striking, your clear lack of fear when dealing with difficult interviewees. In particular politicians.”

Though in recent years Ellis’ work on air has been primarily moderating Starcom’s talk shows, he has interviewed several high profile people over the years.  His work highlighting the achievements of average Barbadians will forever leave a mark on the industry, according to his former boss, Vic Fernandes whom Ellis succeeded as station manager in 2017.

Fernandes told the programme: “There was a series that David did, there was a point in which there was a discussion going on about black Barbadians, and whether black Barbadians had an opportunity to be part of the business community in this country, and whether it was just the planter class that had taken hold of the whole economy and so on. Without referencing the racial and other overtones of that debate, David came up with an idea to do a program called A Taste of Achievement. He would take successful black entrepreneurs and feature them and gave you an insight into how people built their businesses…how people made a difference in Barbados.

“Above all…his absolutely fearless approach to integrity in journalism, ensuring that the news was always balanced, that it was fair, and it was also fearless, [and] His work therefore stands and speaks for itself.” (SB)