My friend Steve Turney, who has died aged 59 of Covid-19, was a publicist in the film and television world who in more recent times became a TV sales and acquisitions manager, responsible for financial deals with production companies and studios to buy and sell their library of TV programmes on licence.
Steve was born in north London, the only child of John Turney, an engineer, and his wife, Rita (nee Cook), who worked in a bank. Educated at the Stationers’ Company’s school in Hornsey, he became a diehard Arsenal supporter, with Charlie George a particular favourite.
On leaving school he joined Walt Disney Distribution as a sales statistics clerk before moving, in 1978, to Columbia Pictures as assistant to the media services manager. I was working in the PR department there, and so we met. I was immediately struck by his openness and willingness to help others – a trait that never waned.
After Columbia, Steve was lured to Walt Disney’s theme park in Orlando, Florida, where he donned a Mickey Mouse costume and entertained families for a year. He liked to remind people that his job title there was “cultural representative”.
Thereafter he matured rapidly into a talented publicist, promoting films that were being released in UK cinemas by getting coverage in newspapers and on TV and radio. Among the films he promoted were Sister Act and The Muppet Christmas Carol, both released in 1992. He became particularly popular with film critics for treating them all to a curry after a screening, for his infectious laugh, and for his penchant for inappropriate jokes.
Steve’s rise through the PR ranks was speedy and impressive. He worked variously for the film-maker Zakiya Powell, the British Pavilion in Cannes, the Association of Independent Producers, JAC Publicity, and Medusa Pictures, where he was head of publicity.
The transition into TV sales came in 1994, when he joined Lumiere Pictures as a sales executive. Then he moved to Goldcrest Films International, where he was responsible for theatrical, TV and video sales across the globe. In 2006 he became director of sales at 20th Century Fox Television before creating Blink, an independent television sales company which he ran as a sideline to his other work.
Recently he had joined Power Entertainment as senior vice-president of sales and acquisitions, having formerly been vice-president of sales for the company between 2011 and 2015.
He is survived by his mother.
