He died suddenly of a heart attack on Saturday, age 41. This is his Wikipedia page. The wife and I were shocked to hear the news this morning (Sunday morning). He was just about our favorite reporter on the Beeb. The man was great, and this really is a tragedy. Leaves a wife and three children.
I’ll be surprised if he’s known at all in the US, but I’m curious how well known he is by the Brits on this Board. We saw him on BBC a lot, but I don’t know if how much he appeared domestically. The man was a fantastic reporter and clearly cared a lot about Africa. From Ghana. I see from his Wiki page that his grandfather composed the Ghanaian national anthem, and he’s a Harvard grad.
Sadly, not very well known. BBC World News isn’t generally available in the UK, though it can be found on various satellite feeds. Some hourly bulletins are simulcast on the BBC News 24 domestic channel, and some shows like Hard Talk also get an airing, but that’s about it. It’s a shame, because from what I’ve seen it is an excellent station. It’s similar with the World Service radio station(s).
That is sad, because he had such a commanding presence on screen, with his baritone voice and sense of humor. The Beeb’s World Service has some good talent, but he was the cream of the crop.
BBC America has 2 hours of the BBC World News feed on every weekday morning. I don’t think his regular shows were ever on during that time, but I think I do recognize him from some of the featured reports that involved Africa and business.
He was the go-to guy for Africa, but he’d become one of the regular hourly presenters too. This short bite has become famous, from the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Watch Komla show his “true colors” for Ghana about 45 seconds into it.
I watch BBC News 24 (though with its frankly appalling attempts at social engineering and naked agenda-pushing I’m beginning to wonder why I do) and I didn’t recognise him at all.
Though I’m perversely glad that he died a natural death and was not a suicide as is my first thought when someone dies so young.
At least he achieved a lot in his relatively short life.
