Vale: Ian Carroll

ABC’s Director of Innovation, Ian Carroll, has died following a battle with cancer, just two weeks after retiring from the role.

Carroll, 64, died yesterday morning in a Sydney hospital surrounded by family, including his wife, Compass presenter Geraldine Doogue.

The news marked a tragic day for the broadcaster, occuring just hours after the confirmation of the death of three ABC staff in a helicopter crash.

Carroll had been with the ABC for three decades and was pivotal to the development or creation of many programs, including Nationwide, The National, Lateline, The 7.30 Report and Four Corners. He was managing director of Australia Network. He also established two channels for ABC Digital Television.

But his legacy as Director of Innovation is significant, having been the driving force behind the broadcaster’s iView, iPhone and iPad apps, multi-media sites and online opinion site The Drum.

ABC’s iView remains the leader in online catch-up in Australian television.

At an emotionally-charged farewell at ABC’s Ultimo headquarters earlier this month, ABC managing director Mark Scott said of Carroll, “His generosity and way of spotting and developing talent. He is a mentor to many, including me.”

Last night, following a traumatic day, Scott tweeted, “Ian Carroll. We loved him. So clever, so generous, so energetic, so wise. We valued every minute we shared with him.”

The Australian is currently hosting a tribute video.