He is best known in the industry for his 17 years as News Director of the Nine Network. Under his stewardship between 1976 and 1993, Nine became Australia's dominant force in television news and current affairs through its high-rating Evening News and A Current Affair programs, as well as its other, broader programs including Today, Sunday, Sixty Minutes and Nightline.

“This was a remarkable era for Nine News, when, with the enthusiastic urging and backing of Kerry Packer, we were able to redefine the boundaries for news and current affairs on commercial television,” Mr Cook said

He left Nine to follow his managing director and mentor, Sam Chisholm, to BSkyB in London where he headed a team of 310 people producing 24-hour news for the world stage.

His return to Australia saw him take up the reins at Channel 7 News which resulted in the stations programs taking out numerous awards. Here he presided over such important news events as the 2000 Sydney Olympics, the devastating NSW bushfires in 2001 and Australia’s intervention in East Timor.

Since leaving the Seven Network in 2003, Ian has been working as a consultant with Sky News Australia, assisting with the implementation of its new digital services and with other ambitious expansion projects

His latest role at CSU will see Mr Cook working with third year Broadcast Journalism students in the School of Communication on the University’s Bathurst Campus, west of Sydney.