Funeral AV - News & Updates
Welcome to the Funeral AV News & Updates page.
This is where we share the latest news from Funeral AV, including new equipment, technology, services, and ideas that can help create more personal, meaningful, and accessible funerals and memorials. We hope it becomes a useful resource for both the funeral directors we work alongside and the families we have the privilege to support.
From time to time, we'll also look back at some of the memorable funerals, memorial services, celebrations of life, and thanksgiving services that we've been honoured to help with. Every service is unique, and we're incredibly proud to have played a small part in helping families say goodbye in a way that reflects the life of their loved one.
Whether we're introducing new technology, showcasing innovative ways to personalise a service, or sharing stories from services that have stayed with us over the years, our aim is to inspire ideas, demonstrate what's possible, and keep you informed about the work we do.
Thank you for visiting. We hope you enjoy following our journey and perhaps discover ideas that may help make a future funeral or memorial service even more personal and meaningful.
Barry Johnstone 1945-2022
A few years ago, we received a phone call from a gentleman named Barry Johnstone. His very first words were:
"I've looked at your website, and you're the company I'm going to use. My family are looking at other companies, but I've made my decision."
We soon discovered that Barry was highly respected within the live television broadcast industry, having worked on many major live events throughout his career. Knowing his background made it an even greater compliment that he had chosen Funeral AV.
Barry was arranging the funeral for his beloved wife, who had been one of the famous Benny Hill Angels. He knew exactly what he wanted. His plans included a five-camera live stream, 75-inch TVs for video playback, a professional PA system to improve the church's sound, and Starlink internet because he knew the mobile signal at the church was unreliable. He also requested a site visit so we could carefully plan every detail together.
When I met Barry, he was a genuinely lovely gentleman. His knowledge and experience in live broadcasting were immediately obvious, and I felt both humbled and honoured that someone so respected within the industry had placed his trust in us.
On the day of the service, we had plenty of time to set everything up. There was a lot to do, but everything went exactly to plan.
The following day, Barry called me.
"Darren," he said, "you are a credit to the industry. Everything went absolutely perfectly. If you ever need a testimonial or a review, just ask."
Hearing those words from someone with Barry's experience meant a great deal to us. Knowing that we had delivered exactly what he had envisioned was incredibly rewarding.
Sadly, just a few months later, we received another call—this time from Barry's son. Barry had passed away, and the family asked if we would once again be there to help, this time with his Thanksgiving Celebration held at Wentworth Golf Club.
We'll share that story in another update.
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SVG Europe is sad to announce the untimely passing of Barry Johnstone, the chairman of EMG UK and the founder of CTV Outside Broadcasts, who has died at the age of 76 following a heart attack.
Born and educated in New Zealand, Johnstone moved to London in 1970 where initially worked in the music industry before founding a small facility post-production facility that was acquired by Carlton Communications and rebranded as Carlton Television Facilities (CTV)
In 1981, he was appointed CEO and broadened the company’s services to include studios, outside broadcasting and transmission and playout. Fourteen years later Johnstone bought CTV from its parent company and in 1996 renamed the outside broadcast division CTV Outside Broadcasts.
In January 2018, after 37 years as the head of CTV, he became Chairman of EMG’s UK companies CTV, BRF and ACS and stepped down as CEO of CTV.
In total, he spent 33 years as managing director of CTV Outside Broadcasts.
During that time he garnered a deserved reputation for being someone that could be relied on, who was a good leader, and who kept the company at the forefront of technology and made it a great place to work.
He was inducted into the ‘Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame’ in 2013 and in 2018 received SVG Europe’s award for ‘Outstanding Contribution to European Sports Broadcasting’
A staunch supporter of SVG, he will be missed by many in the industry including everyone here at the Sports Video Group. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time.
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Some of the most notable events and productions his company was involved with include:
Sports
The Open Championship – Around 25 years providing facilities for US broadcasters including ABC Sports, ESPN, later NBC Sports and Sky Sports.
Ryder Cup – Coverage in both Europe and the United States.
European Tour Productions – CTV built a dedicated fleet of OB trucks and covered every European Tour event after winning the contract in 1997.
London Marathon
The Boat Race – Including the first live sports production using a complete IP acquisition solution.
NFL London Games – Facilities for CBS, FOX, Sky and the BBC.
Match of the Day
Sky Sports cricket, boxing, darts and other major sports.
Olympic & Royal Events
2012 London Olympic Games Opening Ceremony
2012 London Olympic Games Closing Ceremony
CTV was at the centre of the television production for both ceremonies, regarded as among the most technically complex live broadcasts ever staged.
The company also covered:
Trooping the Colour
The Cenotaph Remembrance Service
Numerous Royal ceremonial events.
Entertainment
The BRIT Awards
BAFTA Film Awards
BAFTA Television Awards
Strictly Come Dancing Live
Britain's Got Talent
The X Factor Live
National Television Awards
Major music productions including a live Robbie Williams concert broadcast for Sky.
Why Barry Johnstone is so highly regarded
Barry wasn't famous as an on-screen broadcaster—he was famous because he built the infrastructure that allowed these broadcasts to happen. He transformed CTV from a small facilities company into one of Europe's premier outside broadcast providers, pioneering innovations such as Europe's first mobile edit suite and the UK's first live HD sports broadcast. His work earned him induction into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2013 and SVG Europe's Outstanding Contribution to European Sports Broadcasting Award in 2018.
Given your work with Funeral AV, Barry's career is particularly relevant because he championed reliability above everything else—investing in backup systems, new technology and experienced crews so clients could trust that major live events would be captured without failure. That philosophy is one of the reasons CTV became the company trusted with some of the world's highest-profile broadcasts.
