Taiwan’s English station International Community Radio Taiwan (ICRT) paid tribute to Bill Thissen, one of its best loved newscasters and Jazz show hosts on Monday.

The 72-year-old died earlier this month at Taipei Veterans General Hospital.

Thissen was the station’s longest running radio jazz show host, on air on the station for 28 years.

According to the station’s website, Thissen was born in Minnesota, USA and moved to Taiwan in 1977 after earning a Bachelor’s degree in music education and teaching at Michigan University.

He joined ICRT as a newscaster and host of a weekly classical music show in 1984.

The following year, he began producing ‘Jazz Flavours’ – a weekly jazz show which went on to become ICRT’s and well as Taiwan’s longest-running show.

He also worked for the ICRT newsroom anchoring morning and evening shows and top-of-the-hour five-minute newscasts, with his assuring voice and knowledge becoming synonymous with newscasts.

He resigned from ICRT in August last year due to ill health.

ICRT’s DJ Terry Engel aired a special tribute to Thiessen during his Morning Show on Monday.