Tributes paid to Flame founder Caldon

Prominent TV industry executive John Caldon, chairman and CEO of Australia’s Flame Media, has died at the age of 73.

John Caldon

Born in the UK, Caldon emigrated to Australia in 1973 where he established Flame Media in 2010, along with a UK office. He is survived by his life partner, Flame creative director and fellow founder Lyndey Milan.

Caldon died on Tuesday after being diagnosised with cancer last April.

At the time of his diagnosis, Flame Media comprised Flame Productions in Australia, Wildflame Productions in the UK and Flame Media in Germany, as well as Flame Corporate, which advised the media industry on funding, government assistance, mergers and acquisitions.

Today the Flame Media businesses include Flame Distribution, a TV production and distribution outfit specialising in high-end factual and documentary content which has a catalogue of 4,000 hours.

It also operates Flame Stock, a stock footage clipping and sales business; the Flame Coproduction Alliance, which fosters international coproductions between outside producers and an in-house development team; and Flame Studio Sydney, a multi-functional sound-controlled studio.

Caldon was also deputy CEO of Macquarie Bank in Australia, a partner at PWC and chairman of the Australian Rail Track Association.

Fiona Gilroy, content sales and acquisitions director at Flame, said: “John was a truly wonderful person, with a warm heart and incredible mind. He loved the people and places he interacted with, always curious and enamoured of life. He was well-respected across the TV industry and was extremely focused on bringing out the best in everyone. He will be sorely missed.”

Dawn McCarthy-Simpson, MD of business development and global strategy at UK producers’ body Pact, added: “John was a great man, a wonderful intellect, who inspired everyone who crossed his path. His passion was infectious, a natural storyteller and entrepreneur combined, which made him one of the great souls of this world who leaves an ever-lasting imprint.”

Brad Danks, CEO of OUTtv Network and OMG Media Group, said: “John was a truly unique person. A Renaissance Man with a deep and broad intellect that he deftly combined with a generous and warm soul. His passing is a loss to all who knew him.”

Colette Beaudry, MD of SeaLight Pictures, said: “John was a gift to factual content creators everywhere – a master of the business world who inspired and supported new ideas with generosity, kindness, insight and respect. He was a joyful gentleman, tireless and even-tempered, capable and visionary. And with Flame, he was just getting started. John’s passing comes far too soon for all of us who knew him.”