Career
Having joined the British Broadcasting Corporation in 1957, he became one of the corporation"s most prolific radio foreign correspondents, working across Africa, Washington and Europe. McDermid began his career as a cub reporter on the North Wales Chronicle in 1939, based in his home town of Bangor. In 1963, he became the British Broadcasting Corporation"s central African correspondent and the continent soon became his primary beat for the decade.
In 1964, he was appointed the British Broadcasting Corporation"s west African correspondent.
By the end of the 1960s, McDermid was working as the public broadcaster"s South Africa correspondent, based in Johannesburg. During his time in Africa, he reported on the death of Congolese Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba.
McDermid was a regular contributor to British Broadcasting Corporation radio programme From Our Own Correspondent. One of his pieces, according to fellow British Broadcasting Corporation journalist John Simpson, focussed on a censor in Zanzibar who kept a revolver and a hand grenade under his desk.
In 1985, McDermid presented a special 30th anniversary edition of the show.
In a career that included a stint as the British Broadcasting Corporation"s Washington correspondent in the 1970s, McDermid still enjoyed finding other towns named Bangor across the world.