Murray Dickson

by Dr. Iain Corness

Murray Dickson the new General Manager and Managing Editor of the Chiangmai Mail, is a lifetime media man. He worked for the Tourism Authority of Thailand for many years and has had an affinity for this country and, to be able to work and settle here, represents something of fulfilling of an ambition.
He was born in South Australia, “Where the crows fly backwards to keep the dust out of their eyes,” said Murray. The son of an engine driver, he dreamed of standing on the engine plate with Dad. That dream lasted until he was five years old, when his father finally relented and took him on board. “When the fire door opened and the heat and flames rushed out, I was cringing at the back of the engine screaming to be let off.” Fortunately, his mother guessed that something like that would happen and the young Murray was stepped down at the first level crossing, where mother was waiting.
It was becoming obvious that Murray’s talents were leading him towards being a disc jockey, rather than a train jockey. He would practice in the back yard with an old phonograph, while announcing the hits of the day, much to the annoyance of the people next door, he found out later.
At school he showed he had a way with words. He was also showing an inventive turn of mind, always good for a journalist. When asked to read out his homework essay in front of the class, when he had not written a word, he stood there, opened his essay book and spoke, pretending he was reading his written manuscript. He got away with this subterfuge a few times, until the teacher decided he would have a look too. The blank pages brought several hours of detention. However, he had discovered the journalist’s creed — never let the truth stand in the way of a good story!
After finishing school, he felt he wanted to be an announcer and made some small demo tapes to be sent to radio stations in South Australia. These did not bring him offers of work, only reject slips instead. Being resourceful, he rang one of the radio stations to ask why his application had been unsuccessful, to be told he didn’t have any experience. This was his first understanding of the Catch 22 principle. No experience – no job, no job – no experience! However, one station did tell him to go to Melbourne to an announcing school. He heeded the advice and was soon finding experience running a fire station radio, complete with a fireman’s uniform. However, as with his experience on the train, he never actually went to a fire.
From there his career never looked back, even to the point of getting a scoop for a Melbourne radio station when he was up in Queensland on holidays. Murray was never without his tape recorder. A Queensland station was impressed by the ability of the young man and took him to lunch. “I never say no to lunch,” said Murray with a grin, and that particular lunch brought him the offer of being News Director for the station. “I was the youngest News Director in Australian radio,” said Murray, still obviously proud of that achievement.
After a couple of years, he was invited back to South Australia where the new medium of television was seeking talented young journalists. He was a reporter for a show called “News Beat”, in which the young investigative journalist would feature exposes of corruption and misdeeds in the community. He also exposed the first naked white breasts on Australian TV (up till then, colored breasts were considered cultural education). After that first monumental hurdle, TV nudity has become somewhat commonplace, though I doubt if we should blame Murray Dickson for it all!
By 1977, Murray had moved to Perth in Western Australia, with the advent of the new FM stations that were springing up around the country. He was happy there, in the forefront of the developing technology, in the news department, but it was there that he met up with the Tourism Authority of Thailand. The TAT were looking to start up an office in Western Australia and made him an offer he could not refuse, so he became Thailand’s promotions man in the west of the large sunburnt land Down Under.
He enjoyed this position too, involving four to five trips to Thailand each year, but it was on his first trip to Chiang Mai that he remarked to one of his fellow travelers, “You know, I reckon I could live here.” Prophetic words.
However, the Asian economic crash affected many people, and TAT, as part of their belt-tightening closed down their office in Perth. Murray was unemployed – but not for long! He was invited to run a radio station for the indigenous children in Western Australia. This was something new, and a challenge for him to meet.
Remembering just how difficult it had been for him to break into journalism, he knew it would be even harder for the indigenous peoples of Australia. He set himself the goal of getting his trainees into positions both with the government-run and commercial radio and TV stations. The breakthrough came when the Australian Broadcasting Commission reluctantly agreed to take on one of his trainees, but insisted that the young chap did an eight week training course with them first. After two weeks they rang back to say the man had the job, there was nothing more the ABC could teach him!
However, the pull to north Thailand was very strong, and when the position came up with Chiangmai Mail he finished his contract in Australia and caught the next plane out. He is now here, and in charge, and in Murray’s words, “I want to make what is already an excellent publication into a great publication, with information for the English speaking locals, and to training Thais as journalists and broadcasters.”
Welcome to Chiang Mai, Murray Dickson!

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