David Leckie

{{Short description|Australian media executive (1951–2021)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2021}} {{Use Australian English|date=August 2015}} {{Infobox officeholder | image = | image_size = | name = David Leckie | honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=100%|AM}} | caption = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1951|05|04|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Sydney]], [[New South Wales]], Australia | death_date = {{Death date and age|2021|07|20|1951|05|04|df=yes}} | death_place = [[Robertson, New South Wales|Robertson]], New South Wales, Australia | education = [[Newington College]]<br>[[Macquarie University]] | occupation = Media executive | title = | spouse = {{plainlist| * {{marriage|Barbara Spence|1978}} * {{marriage|Skye McLeod|1995}} }} | parents = Ron and Joyce Leckie | children = Timothy Leckie, Harry Leckie, Ben Leckie | office1 = CEO of [[Nine Network]] | term_start1 = 1990 | term_end1 = 2001 | office2 = CEO of [[Seven West Media]] | term_start2 = 2003 | term_end2 = 2012 }} '''David John Leckie''' {{post-nominals|country=AUS|AM}} (4 May 1951{{spnd}}20 July 2021) was an Australian media manager, best known as a network television executive. Leckie was the [[chief executive officer]] of the [[Nine Network]] between 1990 and 2001 and [[Seven West Media]] from 2003 to 2012.<ref>''Who's Who in Australia'' (Crown Content Melb, 2007), p. 1224: "Leckie, David John (1951–)"</ref> Afterwards he was for four years an executive director at Seven Group Holdings, which holds investments in Seven West, earthmoving company [[WesTrac]] and the [[Agricultural Bank of China]].<ref>[http://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/seven-west-appoints-boss-000406111.html "AAP, Seven West appoints new boss"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120629090801/http://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/seven-west-appoints-boss-000406111.html |date=29 June 2012 }}, Yahoo! Finance Australia.</ref>

==Early life and education== Leckie was born in [[Sydney]]<ref name="ABC obit">{{cite news|title=David Leckie, one of Australia's former leading television executives, dies aged 70|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-07-20/david-leckie-former-channel-seven-ceo-dies/100306650|date=20 July 2021|access-date=20 July 2021|publisher=[[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]]}}</ref> on 4 May 1951.<ref name="de Ruyter">{{cite news|title=Legendary TV boss David Leckie dies at the age of 70|url=https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/prime-media/legendary-tv-boss-david-leckie-dies-at-the-age-of-70-ng-b881937954z|first=Troy|last=de Ruyter|date=20 July 2021|access-date=20 July 2021|newspaper=[[The Sunday Times (Western Australia)|The Sunday Times]]|location=Perth}}</ref> His father, Ron, was head of the transport division at [[Unilever]] having served in the [[Royal Australian Air Force]]'s 31st Squadron from 1942-1946<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ron Leckie |url=https://31squadronassociation.com.au/about/assoc-history/ron-leckie/ |access-date=2024-06-19 |website=31 Squadron Association |language=en-AU}}</ref> where he met his mother Joyce, who served in the [[Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-04-25 |title=The Post, Anzac Day, a day to remember |url=https://www.hkpost.com.au/page/anzac-day-a-day-to-remember |access-date=2024-06-19 |website=[[Hong Kong Post (newspaper)|Hong Kong Post]]|language=en-AU}}</ref><ref name="SMH obit 1">{{cite news|title='Big Wave (Dave)': Vale David Leckie 1951–2021|url=https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/big-wave-dave-vale-david-leckie-1951-2021-20210505-p57p56.html|first1=Zoe|last1=Samios|first2=Miriam|last2=Steffens|date=20 July 2021|accessdate=20 July 2021|newspaper=[[Sydney Morning Herald]]|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210720073800/https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/big-wave-dave-vale-david-leckie-1951-2021-20210505-p57p56.html|archivedate=20 July 2021}}</ref> He was their first child,<ref name="ABC obit"/> and he had two brothers, Stuart and Ian.<ref name="de Ruyter"/> Leckie was raised in the [[North Shore (Sydney)|Upper North Shore]] in the suburb of [[Pymble]].<ref name="SMH obit 1"/> In 1962 he commenced as a student at the [[Killara|Killara Preparatory School]] of his father’s [[alma mater]] [[Newington College]] and graduated from the senior school in 1968.<ref>Newington College Register of Past Students 1863–1998 (Syd, 1999) pp 115</ref> He then studied at [[Macquarie University]], graduating with a [[Bachelor of Arts]] in economic and financial studies. Afterwards he travelled around Europe, where he also worked for [[Saatchi & Saatchi]] in [[London]].<ref name="SMH obit 1"/>

==Career== Leckie joined in 1977 the Melbourne branch of Nine, [[GTV (Australian TV station)|GTV9]], where he was network sales manager. From there he rose to network sales director of [[TCN|TCN9]] in Sydney, chief executive on TCN9 and thereafter GTV9 in Melbourne. In August 1990 he became successor of [[Sam Chisholm]] as managing director of the Nine Network, which was then owned by [[Alan Bond]]. After Bond's bankruptcy in 1992 the network returned under the ownership of [[Kerry Packer]]. The network then attracted about one-third of Australia's TV audience and roughly 40% of network advertising revenue, which was 400 million dollars in 1988-89.<ref>Lea Wright: "Leckie tries on a size nine", ''Sydney Morning Herald'', 30 August 1990.</ref> Leckie focused on news and sports and under his leadership the network spent all but six weeks atop the television ratings for the next decade. Nine's dominance over its rivals began to diminish in 2001, when the new ratings system [[OzTAM]], the implementation of which he was instrumental, was established. In January 2002 he was dismissed.<ref name="SMH obit 1"/><ref>[https://mumbrella.com.au/former-seven-and-nine-boss-david-leckie-dies-aged-70-693925 Former Seven and Nine boss David Leckie dies aged 70] ''[[Mumbrella]]'' 20 July 2021</ref> He was succeeded by John Alexander and Ian Johnson, who took Nine back to the lead inside six months.<ref>David Dale: "Nine on top after Leckie sacking but Ten wins 16-39s", Sydney Morning Herald, 16. July 2002</ref>

In January 2001 he was appointed for a four-year period as a [[trustee]] of the [[Centennial Park and Moore Park Trust]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Legendary TV executive David Leckie dies aged 70|url=https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/legendary-tv-executive-david-leckie-dies-aged-70/news-story/7fe9aea4f6ed63183a8d8fb142333e67|first=Crystal|last=Wu|date=20 July 2021|access-date=20 July 2021|publisher=[[Sky News Australia]]}}</ref>

Leckie joined the [[Seven Network]] in April 2003 at the invitation of [[Kerry Stokes]]. He was joined by former Nine program director John Stephens and former Nine head-of-news [[Peter Meakin]]. Although it struggled during his first several months at the helm – culminating with a 13-year low in audience share in 2004 – the network's fortunes rebounded after it agreed an output deal with [[the Walt Disney Company]]. This enabled Seven to broadcast popular American shows in 2005, such as ''[[Desperate Housewives]]'' and ''[[Lost (2004 TV series)|Lost]]''. A key part of Leckie's success was differentiating the network from Nine, appealing instead to a more casual, suburban audience.<ref name="SMH obit 1"/> He resigned as CEO of [[Seven West Media]] in 2012, but continued advising the company for four years.<ref name="SMH obit 2">{{cite news|title='Last of the rock star CEOs': Television boss David Leckie dead at 70|url=https://www.smh.com.au/culture/celebrity/television-boss-david-leckie-dead-at-70-20210720-p58b7q.html|first=Andrew|last=Hornery|date=20 July 2021|accessdate=20 July 2021|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210720073357/https://www.smh.com.au/culture/celebrity/television-boss-david-leckie-dead-at-70-20210720-p58b7q.html|archivedate=20 July 2021}}</ref><ref name="AAP obit">{{cite news|title='Television giant': former Nine and Seven executive David Leckie dies aged 70|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/jul/20/television-giant-former-nine-and-seven-executive-david-leckie-dies-aged-70|date=20 July 2021|access-date=20 July 2021|agency=Australian Associated Press|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|location=London}}</ref> He was brought out of retirement in March 2020 to serve as an executive mentor, including to his protege [[James Warburton (Australian businessman)|James Warburton]].<ref name="ABC obit"/><ref name="SMH obit 1"/>

==Personal life== Leckie's first wife was Barbara Spence (1978-1995).<ref name="SMH obit 1"/> They had a son named Tim.<ref name="de Ruyter"/> Leckie married his second wife, Skye, in 1995. They met while she was public relations chief at [[David Jones (department store)|David Jones]], and they remained married until his death. Together, they had two children, Harry and Ben.<ref name="SMH obit 1"/><ref name="AAP obit"/>

Leckie cut his finger in a garage door in 2008.<ref name="ABC obit"/><ref name="SMH obit 1"/> This injury led to [[sepsis]], resulting in his being placed in an [[induced coma]] at [[St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney|St Vincent's Hospital]] in Sydney.<ref name="SMH obit 1"/> His health did not completely recover from that infection,<ref name="SMH obit 2"/> and he later scaled back on his engagements in order to recuperate.<ref name="SMH obit 1"/><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/tv--radio/seven-chief-in-induced-coma/2008/04/15/1208025147789.html|title=Seven chief in induced coma|last=Hornery|first=Andrew|date=16 April 2008|work=[[Sydney Morning Herald]]|accessdate=16 April 2008}}</ref>

Leckie died surrounded by family on the morning of 20 July 2021 in [[Robertson, New South Wales]]. He was 70 and had suffered from a lengthy illness prior to his death.<ref name="ABC obit"/><ref name="AAP obit"/>

After his death, Leckie was posthumously appointed [[Member of the Order of Australia]] in the [[2022 Queen's Birthday Honours (Australia)|2022 Queen's Birthday Honours]] for "significant service to the broadcast media through executive roles".<ref name="SMH QB2022">{{cite news |title=Queen's Birthday 2022 Honours - the full list |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/queen-s-birthday-2022-honours-the-full-list-20220609-p5askg.html |access-date=12 June 2022 |work=Sydney Morning Herald |agency=Nine Entertainment Co. |date=12 June 2022}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Leckie, David John}} [[Category:1951 births]] [[Category:2021 deaths]] [[Category:Australian chief executives]] [[Category:Macquarie University alumni]] [[Category:Members of the Order of Australia]] [[Category:People educated at Newington College]] [[Category:Australian television executives]]