After a battle with sickness, BBC Scotland presenter and reporter Derek Bateman passed away at the age of 71. He was up in Selkirk, in the Scottish Borders, and joined The Scotsman as a young journalist trainee in 1968.
He worked as a reporter there and at The Glasgow Herald for the ensuing 20 years.
Before joining the BBC in the late 1980s, Mr. Bateman went on to become the political editor of the recently founded Scotland on Sunday newspaper.
He co-wrote a book about what went wrong as a result of his investigations into Robert Maxwell and the Edinburgh Commonwealth Games in 1986.
“No politician ever prevailed over him”
He developed into a renowned and well-liked reporter, correspondent, and presenter throughout his 25 years with the BBC.
Together with John Milne, he presented Good Morning Scotland for more than ten years.
Towards the conclusion of his career with the BBC, he worked as a reporter and presenter on political programs and on Newsnight Scotland. He also hosted the weekend program Newsweek Scotland and served as a primary anchor on Radio Scotland’s election programs.
In spite of leaving the BBC in 2013, Mr. Bateman continued to blog and talk on the radio about Scottish politics.
Gary Smith, the head of news at BBC Scotland, paid homage by saying: “The news of Derek Bateman’s passing will be tragic for BBC listeners and viewers in Scotland.
“Throughout his tenure on Good Morning Scotland and in other parts of our television output, his recognizable voice kept our viewers informed and Scotland’s politicians on their toes.
“Along with his famous broadcasting career, Derek had a distinguished career as a print journalist.
“His former colleagues in the newsroom will miss him. During this challenging time, our thoughts are with his family.”
Kenneth Macdonald, a former BBC Scotland correspondent and Mr. Bateman’s longtime colleague, said: “He was aware of his goodness, but not in a terrible way. It came across as calm assurance rather than haughtiness.
“And what a great interviewer. I’m sure he did his study, yet his depth of political knowledge came across as effortless. Nobody in politics ever defeated him “.
Hannah and Clara, the couple’s two daughters, were born to Mr. Bateman and the late Judith Mackay, a former BBC journalist.
He also had two daughters from his first marriage to Alison, who passed away in 2001, named Eilidh and Lucy.
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