May 2016

Poldark’s pulling power RTS STUDENT TELEVISION AWARDS 2016 3 JUNE 1:00pm BFI Southbank, London SE1 8XT

www.rts.org.uk Journal of The Royal Television Society May 2016 l Volume 53/5

From the CEO I am delighted to one of 2015’s breakout hits, Poldark, insights into the growing importance announce the head- featured as the latest subject of the of analytics in television. I think it’s line speakers at our RTS’s “Anatomy of a hit” strand. fair to say that everyone who attended London Conference The evening was a great success as will have returned to their desks the on 27 September. the four panellists each gave their next day armed with some informa- Steve Burke, CEO of own, unique insight into how the tion that they could act on. NBCUniversal, is our series was brought to the small screen. Thanks to all of those who partici- keynote speaker, and is joined by: I’d like to thank each one of them pated and to the producers of an RTS President Sir Peter Bazalgette; and I am very grateful to Boyd Hilton impressive event, and to Torin Doug- Ofcom CEO Sharon White; Kevin for being such an informed chair. las for chairing with such professional MacLellan, Chair of NBCUniversal Quite a lot of Poldark fans stayed after- poise. International; Tom Mockridge, CEO wards to talk to the panel privately. Inside there is lots to read, but don’t of Virgin Media and David Abraham, It was a genuinely inspiring evening miss Stuart Kemp’s piece on Chan- CEO of Channel 4. and is this month’s cover story. I hope nel 4’s strategy to develop a critically The focus of the conference, enti- you enjoy Philip Bannister’s charming successful and financially robust slate tled “Full stream ahead”, is on com- cover illustration of Ross and Demelza of films for Film4. missioning, developing and producing as much as I did. Poldark returns to Maggie Brown’s inside track on the TV content in the on-demand age. our screens later this year. vexed issue of sound quality in TV Booking is now open and we have a The RTS’s other big event in April drama is another must-read. very enticing early-bird rate that you was “Big data or smart data? Data and won’t want to miss. the impact on TV advertising, com- We all know that drama continues missioning and content”. It could not to drive TV schedules. So it was espe- have been more different. cially heartening last month to have A capacity crowd was given valuable Theresa Wise Contents Will Sharpe’s TV Diary Why big data is changing TV The jet-lagged creator of Flowers, Will Sharpe, goes walk- Netflix is not alone in using analytics to understand how 5 about in New York – and gets mistaken for an Uber driver 18 audiences respond to video content. Matthew Bell reports The power of Poldark: Anatomy of a hit Book review: A television giant The scythes, sex and sunsets fired viewers’ imaginations. Roger Mosey hopes Huw Wheldon’s story will inspire 6 Steve Clarke hears from an RTS panel how Poldark was 22 today’s programme-makers to aim higher rebooted Culture on demand Sounding off about the unheard Phil Edgar-Jones convinces Tara Conlan that Sky Arts is Difficulty hearing dialogue in TV drama is a recurring 24 making a bigger splash as it scales up across Europe 10 irritation for audiences. Is there a simple solution, asks Maggie Brown NAB: Net TV sets the pace Streaming services are pushing ahead of broadcasters Film4 ups the stakes 26 to supply bigger, better pictures, says Adrian Pennington Can the new boss of Channel 4’s Oscar-winning movie 13 arm deliver a profit? Stuart Kemp investigates Our Friend in the Big Apple Celebrity soaps, ice hockey, Bruce Springsteen and Who should keep the BBC honest? 28 Donald Trump. Dawn Airey is embracing New York life Do Government proposals for BBC governance threaten 16 its independence? Raymond Snoddy takes soundings Cover picture: Philip Bannister

Editor Production, design, advertising Royal Television Society Subscription rates Printing Legal notice Steve Clarke Vernon Adams 3 Dorset Rise UK £115 ISSN 0308-454X © Royal Television Society 2016. [email protected] [email protected] London EC4Y 8EN Overseas (surface) £146.11 Printer: FE Burman, The views expressed in Television Writer Sub-editor T: 020 7822 2810 Overseas (airmail) £172.22 20 Crimscott St, are not necessarily those of the RTS. Matthew Bell Sarah Bancroft E: [email protected] Enquiries: [email protected] London, SE1 5TP Registered Charity 313 728 [email protected] [email protected] W: www.rts.org.uk

Television www.rts.org.uk May 2016 3 Your guide to upcoming national and RTS NEWS regional events

RTS MASTERCLASS DAY National events Monday 14 November Royal Television Society RTS Student Programme RTS AGM Masterclasses Tuesday 24 May Venue: BFI Southbank, London Annual General Meeting SE1 8XT 6:00pm start Annual Venue: RTS, 3 Dorset Rise, RTS MASTERCLASS DAY London EC4Y 8EN Tuesday 15 November RTS Craft Skills Masterclasses General RTS AWARDS Venue: BFI Southbank, London Friday 3 June SE1 8XT RTS Student Television Meeting Awards 2016 Venue: BFI Southbank, Local events London SE1 8XT BRISTOL 2016 RTS CONFERENCE Thursday 26 May Tuesday 27 September Life in the air: Why Bristol The 87th Annual General Meeting of the RTS will be held on RTS London Conference 2016 leads the world in natural- at Full stream ahead: history film-making Tuesday 24 May 2016 6:00pm Commissioning, developing Panellists: BBC NHU Executive in the Board Room, RTS, 3 Dorset Rise, London EC4Y 8EN and producing TV content in Producer Tim Scoones; Series the age of on-demand Producer James Brickell; and Principal sponsor: NBCUniversal Producer Simon Bell. MIDLANDS SCOTLAND International Joint event with RTS Wales. Thursday 7 July ■ James Wilson 07899 761167 Keynote speaker: Steve Burke, 6:30pm for 7:00pm RTS Midlands Conference 2016 ■ james.wilson@cityofglasgow- CEO of NBCUniversal. He is Venue: BBC Bristol, Whiteladies More details soon college.ac.uk joined by: RTS President Sir Road, Bristol BS8 2LR Venue: Spring Grove House, West Peter Bazalgette; Ofcom CEO ■ Belinda Biggam Midlands Safari Park DY12 1LF SOUTHERN Sharon White; Kevin MacLellan, ■ [email protected] ■ Jayne Greene 07792 776585 ■ Gordon Cooper Chair of NBCUniversal ■ [email protected] ■ [email protected] International; Tom Mockridge, DEVON & CORNWALL CEO of Virgin Media; and David ■ Kingsley Marshall NORTH EAST & THE BORDER THAMES VALLEY Abraham, CEO of Channel 4. ■ Kingsley.Marshall@falmouth. Wednesday 25 May Wednesday 15 June With burgeoning new models co.uk Networking evenings Summer BBQ and lecture of TV consumption, opportunities The last Wednesday of the month, More details soon for content creators and distribu- EAST ANGLIA for anyone working in TV, film, Venue: Pincents Manor, Calcot, tors are both incredibly exciting ■ Contact TBC computer games or digital Reading RG31 4UQ and potentially hazardous. ­production. 6:00pm onwards. ■ Penny Westlake How is the emergence LONDON Venue: Tyneside Bar Café, Tyne- ■ [email protected] of myriad new distribution Wednesday 18 May side Cinema, 10 Pilgrim St, New- platforms impacting on the London Assembly elections castle upon Tyne NE1 6QG WALES commissioning and production Steven Barnett, Professor of ■ Jill Graham ■ Hywel Wiliam 07980 007841 landscape? Communications, School of ■ [email protected] ■ [email protected] With new, entrepreneurial Media, Arts and Design, University approaches to production, of Westminster, chairs an industry NORTH WEST YORKSHIRE access to global funding and panel including Jim Grice, Head of ■ Rachel Pinkney 07966 230639 Friday 24 June emerging trends in consumer News and Current Affairs, London ■ [email protected] RTS Yorkshire Programme behaviour – what are the real Live. How well did the industry Awards 2016 opportunities and challenges of cover the London election and is NORTHERN IRELAND Hosted by Emmerdale stars creating programming for mul- the capital well served for news ■ John Mitchell Laura Norton and Mark tiple platforms? and current affairs? 6:30pm for ■ mitch.mvbroadcast@btinter- Charnock Venue: Kings Place, 90 York Way, 7:00pm net.com Venue: New Dock Hall, The Royal London N1 9AG Venue: ITV London Studios, Armouries, Leeds LS10 1LE Upper Ground, London SE1 9LT REPUBLIC OF IRELAND ■ Lisa Holdsworth 07790 145280 ■ Daniel Cherowbrier ■ Charles Byrne (353) 87251 3092 ■ lisa@allonewordproductions. ■ [email protected] ■ [email protected] co.uk

4 May 2016 www.rts.org.uk Television TV diary

The jet-lagged creator of Flowers, Will Sharpe, goes walkabout in New York – and gets mistaken for an Uber driver

his is not a normal nonsense. Why did I talk about an I wonder whether hiding in an over- week for me. In fact, irrational belief that there could be head locker increases the chances of it’s a positively weird sharks in the pool when I’m swim- survival. Maybe if I wrapped myself one. Three and a half ming? I do a phone interview. in the blanket? years of work are The Seeso rep asks why I didn’t culminating in a one- mention the positive reviews in the ■ I go to the Picturehouse to check week TX of my sit- UK. I say that I thought it would be The Darkest Universe DCP with Tom com Flowers and the premiere of the weird for me to talk about it. She Kingsley and our DOP, Will Hanke. Tfeature film The Darkest Universe, a says: “Next time, just talk about it.” I We catch up. We all have black coffee.­ second venture with my friend Tom go to Schnippers and order a chicken It makes me nostalgic for the shoot. Kingsley. sandwich and fries. On the Flowers side, a social-media SeesoTV has offered to fly me out A neighbouring table likes the look plan is discussed and I go to meet to New York for a press screening of of it: “Avocado, bacon, all the shit – Sarah Bates and Selina MacArthur, Flowers. So I am on a plane. Some next time!” I remember that the the Assistant Editor and Editor of cashews arrive but the packet is quite American for “crisps” is “chips” and Flowers. I perch in the corner of a hard to open. That’s fine. I can handle that the showbiz for “nervous, con- room looking for potential out-takes it. Then I tear the packet with unex- fused and terrified” is “super-pumped to publicise the show. pected violence and there are cashews and excited!”. More Seeso action, this time in Lon- and nut powder all over myself, the The press screening seems to go don. They take Channel 4, Kudos and aisle and the floor. well. A lady from Variety stays behind a bunch of us out. Phil Clarke, Head of Either nobody has noticed or and asks how the reception was in Comedy at Channel 4, is not very good everyone is pretending not to have the UK. I say, “Really good.” The Seeso at chopsticks and starts jokily using noticed. At the hotel, the staff think I rep nods covertly with approval. I feel his glasses and a straw instead. am an Uber driver collecting a client. like Anne Hathaway at the end of The The first two episodes air in the UK. Devil Wears Prada. ■ Tonight, the cast and crew of Flow- I get a beer and sit on my own, tex- Over dinner, a conservative Demo- ers will gather in a pub to watch the ting with friends. Later, I walk around crat and moderate Republican have final episode together. Next week, New York for about three hours. I a civilised debate about the difficult, I will stop smoking, eat healthily know the Comedy Cellar will be sold elusive middle ground of US politics. and go swimming. And there won’t out. I go there anyway. What am I be any sharks. I go outside and feel doing in New York all of a sudden? ■ Back on a plane. I am convinced guilty about still smoking. It’s spring. What the fuck is going on? that it will crash. I make a plan of There’s a nice light. What am I doing? survival in the event of it crashing What the fuck is going on? ■ I guest on a podcast and leave feel- (swim around gathering the clothes ing that I’ve talked utter jet-lagged and mobile phones of dead people). Will Sharpe is a writer, actor and director.

Television www.rts.org.uk May 2016 5 The power of Poldark Anatomy of a hit

eviving a much-loved Why, then, did Mammoth decide drama series from a Content to risk all and revive one of the BBC’s less competitive and defining TV shows of the terrestrial less knowing TV era era, probed the evening’s chair, Boyd was never going to be The scythes, sex Hilton. It was not as if today’s TV easy. But everything and sunsets fired schedules were light on either serial fellR into place for the team that or period drama. resurrected the swashbuckling period viewers’ imaginations. “Every six months, I said in one of romance Poldark, originally a big hit for our regular development meetings that BBC One in the mid-1970s. Steve Clarke hears ‘we should do a big, sweeping romantic Even the notoriously unpredictable from an RTS panel how Cornish saga such as Poldark’,” Timmer Cornish weather played ball – and the remembered. show went on to spark a media sensa- Poldark was rebooted At the time, he had not seen the orig- tion when the rebooted Ross Poldark inal BBC series (watched by around took his top off. the show, when they spoke last month 15 million viewers) because he wasn’t Forty thousand Radio Times readers at the latest RTS “Anatomy of a hit” old enough and hadn’t read any of Win- voted Poldark – played by the ridicu- session. ston Graham’s dozen Poldark novels. lously buff Aidan Turner – scything “Generally, remaking an old series Still, he had a strong sense of the shirtless as last year’s best TV moment. is not a good thing,” admitted Damien stories’ ingredients: crashing waves, Perhaps more to the point, the eight- Timmer, Managing Director of Poldark sea fogs, smuggling and misty moors. part revival gave BBC One another producer Mammoth Screen, famous He must have also reckoned on the Sunday-night hit drama and helped for such other costume productions appeal of a cracking good love story set the channel to reaffirm its dominance as Wuthering Heights and the keenly against a melodramatic background of over ITV. anticipated Victoria. “Just because Poldark costume-clad skulduggery and intrigue. It might have been a very different was a success first time around would The next time that Timmer men- story, according to those who made not be a reason to do it again,” he added. tioned his notion of doing a show akin

6 to Poldark, instead of the usual blank “It’s epic in the sweep of storytelling looks from his staff, one of them, Pro- and the geography, the landscape and Britain catches ducer Karen Thrussell, said “Why don’t its heightened passions, but actually we just do Poldark?” ordinary and domestic, detailed and, chest fever “She’d never watched the TV series: hopefully, identifiable with. Karen was too young. But, as a girl, “That’s what I love when I watch it. I ‘Who’d thought that one photo- she’d read every single novel and look at those landscapes and yet I look graph [the picture of a topless fallen in love with Ross Poldark in a at those little scenes where two people Poldark scything in a Cornish field] really big way,” the Mammoth Manag- are arguing in a room. That’s real life would go global and there wouldn’t ing Director explained. As things set in a gorgeous landscape.” be a day in six months when it turned out, she Horsfield’s wasn’t in the paper,’ said screen- wouldn’t be the scripts aside, the writer Debbie Horsfield. ‘Normally, only one to have JUST BECAUSE key to Poldark’s after a show has had its first epi- a crush on Ross. unusual success sode, you’re kind of begging the Despite his col- POLDARK WAS was casting Aidan press to show a bit of interest. league’s infatua- A SUCCESS FIRST Turner as the ‘There wasn’t a day when there tion, Timmer told TIME AROUND central character. weren’t four or five articles in the the RTS that he Both Horsfield papers. It was wonderful.’ Horsfield still had mixed WOULD NOT BE and Timmer had revealed that she had written the feelings over a A REASON TO the actor in mind scything scene before Aidan Turner Poldark reboot for the part of was cast as Ross. – though, by then, DO IT AGAIN Ross Poldark – ‘It said in the script that he’s Mammoth had although neither scything, he’s sweating and it’s splashed cash on had told the other. a hot day. It’s taking place from the rights. “One day, Damien and I were driving Demelza’s (Ross’s future wife) He approached playwright and over Bodmin Moor in the fog. He asked point of view. screenwriter Debbie Horsfield. She me who should play Poldark,” recalled ‘It’s the day after they’ve had sex was an unusual choice to pen a script Horsfield. “He muttered that he’d for the first time. The script is very for a period drama based on someone thought of Aidan. I said: ‘Oh my God, clear. She’s looking at him thinking else’s stories. that’s who I think should play Ross, “Oh my God, what did I do? What’s Her forte is contemporary family too.’ That’s never happened to me fare, often set in the industrial North before.” of England, rather than the windswept Horsfield had enjoyed seeing Turner moors of the South West; Horsfield is in BBC Two’s Desperate Romantics and a native of Manchester and so, coinci- BBC Three’s Being Human. Having, by dentally, was Winston Graham. this time, written a lot of the Poldark

BBC Never before had the writer adapted scripts, she’d concluded that the actor’s someone else’s words; Horsfield style suited the Ross character. always works on her own projects. “In both Desperate Romantics and Being These have included the influential Human, Aidan played an outsider,” she

BBC One series Cutting It. The show explained. “Ross is very much an out- BBC focused on the lives and loves of a sider, too. He’s rebellious and reckless. group of Mancunian hairdressers. Cut- “Also, Aidan is very charismatic but going to happen now? Where do ting It ran for four series and was nom- has vulnerability. He is charming and we go from here?’’ inated for both RTS and Bafta awards. lights up the screen.” ‘I don’t think any of us thought: So why did Horsfield make an excep- Timmer said that getting him to agree “Wow, that’s going to be in every tion for Poldark? “It came at a time to play Poldark was straightforward. newspaper for the next year.’’’ when I was asking myself why has He had recently finished The Hobbit and Mammoth MD Damien Timmer nobody ever asked me to do an adapta- was scouting for a big, meaty part. said he remembered watching the tion? They think I only write contem- “The thing about Poldark is, if you rushes of the scything sequence porary, Northern-based family drama.” haven’t got the right Poldark, there is and it being ‘scary how naive I was’ Devouring the first two Poldark books no point in making it. You have to have about the impact they would have. on holiday, she was quickly smitten by someone in your head who you think As for Season 2, Horsfield said the power of Graham’s storytelling. is up to it,” emphasised the man from that there would be no more top- Not that the ingredients of a gripping Mammoth. “Aidan completely made it less outdoor scenes. The series page-turner always match the essential his own.” was shot in Cornwall in the autumn elements of an episodic, peak-time TV Thanks to the series-defining scene when it was too cold to have any- drama. “I remember writing the first of Poldark, naked from the waist up, one take their shirt off. line of dialogue that is not in the book engaged in some pre-industrialisation But event chair Boyd Hilton said and feeling incredibly nervous,” said agricultural work (see box, right) the that he had spoken to Turner, who the screenwriter. “I asked myself: ‘Do re-versioned show rapidly consoli- had told him that some of the I have the right to do this?’” dated a loyal fan base. scenes in the second series were The fact that Graham’s tales are Inevitably, the tabloids made much ‘going to cause a stir’. “epic and domestic” appealed to her: of the show’s supposed raunchiness. �

Television www.rts.org.uk May 2016 7 Panellists (from left): Jack Farthing, Debbie Horsfield, Anne Dudley and Damien Timmer

� But Horsfield denies her version of opens down the back’,” recalled Hors- Poldark is a “bodice ripper”. field. “There was a lot of toing and Farthing’s fun: “I remember people saying, ‘Oh, it’s froing. I said: ‘I totally get it, but in this a bodice ripper.’ And I thought: ‘Is it? instance the story trumps historical playing a villain How do you define bodice ripper?’ Is it a accuracy.’ Marianne then made this bodice ripper when no bodices are actu- beautiful dress – which laces up at ally ripped? There is a moment when the back.” Jack Farthing, who played George Ross’s hand goes into Demelza’s dress… Much of the original Poldark was Warleggan: ‘I initially auditioned “You see a couple of scenes in the filmed in the studio. Mammoth’s revival for Francis Poldark (Ross’s cousin). bedroom, where Ross has no top on. needed to embrace higher production [At the time] I thought that I was That’s about as raunchy as it gets. There values because audiences’ expectations much more suited to that role. But are no full-blown sex scenes.… To be of TV drama are now so much higher. now I feel completely connected to honest, I think it is quite subtly done.” There is the Cornish landscape at its George. I feel like I am as horrible as To prove her point, the RTS audience shimmering summer best. “You write he is [laughter from the audience]. was shown a clip of Ross romancing in the script, ‘breathtaking sunset’, but ‘It’s fun to play a villain. The most Demelza. It is the scene (taken from you never think you’re actually going fun thing is that he feels real.… the novel) in which he slowly unfas- to get it. But it was one breathtaking George is only effective if you can tens the back of her gown and then sunset after another,” said Horsfield. believe in him. If you don’t, he just begins to caress her naked back. Interior and exterior scenes were becomes a psychopath and you Horsfield said the sequence involved shot at several West Country historic distance yourself from him. writing “one of the most detailed pieces sites to help create an 18th-century ‘I can justify everything that he of stage directions” she had ever vibe. These included Chavenage House does. You can understand why scripted. It needed to be “highly charged in Gloucestershire and the Georgian he behaves the way he does… and erotic, but we didn’t need to see streets of Corsham in Wiltshire. his chips, his resentments and his very much. It was all in the detail.” The approach to the narrative was vulnerabilities. Costume Designer Marianne Agertoft strictly 21st-century, however. ‘As an actor, that’s all you can tried to ban the scene – not for reasons “The requirements of storytelling ask for, so that you can find a way of propriety but because 18th-century today are rather different to what they into the part.’ English dresses fastened from the front. were in the 1970s,” explained Horsfield, “Marianne said: ‘I can’t do a dress that who has adapted all 10 episodes of

8 The classic art of scoring Poldark Paul Hampartsoumian Paul BBC

Season 2, which is expected to air this The Oscar-winning composer Anne the orchestra. That was my starting autumn. “It is required that you set out Dudley wrote the music for Poldark. point. I then did a little research.’ your stall and get your story rolling Many critics praised her score. Variety Dudley listened to Cornish folk within the first page. Blame the remote said it had ‘haunting and wonderfully songs. She found their ‘rather modal control and 9 million channels for that. romantic’ qualities. style of English pastoral music’ inspir- “That is the reality. That’s what you’re Dudley told the RTS that composers ing. So the composer set out to invent working with. I am not complaining come on board much later than the ‘a world of music that is part of the but, nowadays, you do tell stories in rest of the team. ‘You can’t start work Cornish tradition’. a different way.” until the film is edited,’ she said. ‘Gen- She was determined that the title One factor that remains unchanged erally, I’m working with a final cut.’ sequence should contain a proper from the time when Poldark made its Screenwriter Debbie Horsfield theme. ‘That’s something you don’t small-screen debut is the importance wanted something similar to Vaughan always see on TV these days,’ regretted of working together as a team. Williams’s Fantasia on a Theme by Dudley. ‘I wanted the title sequence to With this in mind, Horsfield made a Thomas Tallis: ‘I liked the lush romanti- reflect the imagery of crashing waves point of always making herself availa- cism of it but also the grittiness of the and passion, something that takes you ble to the cast, by phone or via email, solo strings.’ into that world. I tried to represent that during filming. This enabled her to ‘All through Poldark, there’s a con- with the piano. The theme is played answer any script-related questions. trast between the solo violin played in on the violin in folk style. That is then “What you realise is that the process a folk style without very much vibrato taken over by the orchestra but the is entirely collaborative. You cannot – very hard and uncompromising – violin has the last word.’ start thinking, ‘Oh my God, it’s all and the orchestra,’ Dudley explained. She wrote on piano before making about me’,” she told the audience. “It’s She added: ‘The violin represents a demo, which key members of the not all about anyone, it’s all about all of the character of Ross Poldark who is production assessed. us together. If we don’t all collaborate, at odds with his surroundings and his Once this was approved, the orches- we don’t actually have an end product.” background. trations were written. Dudley then ‘He is born into the gentry but he oversaw the studio recording. ‘Poldark: Anatomy of a hit’ was held at identifies with the common people. ‘The aim was to hide the music from One Great George Street, central London, He is always dissatisfied with what’s the viewer while heightening the emo- on 14 April. The producers were Sally going on. The violin stands out against tional content,’ she said. Doganis and Barney Hooper.

Television www.rts.org.uk May 2016 9 Audio Jamaica Inn Difficulty hearing dialogue in TV drama is a recurring irritation for audiences. Is there a simple solution, asks Maggie Brown

he recent controversy over poor-quality sound on the hit BBC One show Happy Valley has once again focused senior TV execu- tives’ minds on the prob- lem of inaudible dialogue in drama. TLast month, BBC Controller of TV Channels Charlotte Moore pledged to tackle the “big issue” of sound. She added that it was “incredibly hard to get to the bottom of where things go wrong”. She explained she had intro- duced a new set of best-practice guide- lines to help avoid future problems with inadequate audio. Complaints over muffled dialogue in high-profile TV dramas show that this is a regular source of irritation for viewers. Two years ago, another BBC One drama, Jamaica Inn, generated more than 2,000 complaints about Sounding off mumbled conversations; its adaptor, Emma Frost, admitted that it “sounded like listening through mud”. In 2013, Director-General Tony Hall highlighted difficulties with hearing about the dialogue in drama as one of the issues he wanted to confront. “Actors mutter- ing can be testing,” he said. “I don’t want to sound like a grumpy old man but I think muttering is something we unheard could have a look at.”

And, as far back as 2009, the then- BBC BBC One Controller Jay Hunt launched an “audibility project”, involving a Episode 1 of Happy Valley, “we took It is time to get away from the blame 20,000-strong panel of viewers and everyone back to the edit suite to culture. A lot of my colleagues feel listeners. really make sure, to work very hard to undervalued.” Why, then, do these difficulties per- make it crisper, and change these Another sound engineer adds: “The sist? Are they endemic, or is it a prob- [sound] levels” appears to have irri- levels are not a problem. The whole lem literally built into flat-screen TVs tated some sound specialists. nation can hear an actor mumbling. If – something highlighted by Which? Chris Ashworth, 55, a veteran sound you bring up the levels, the actor is still magazine. “Modern TVs might have engineer, who worked on the BBC’s mumbling. There is an entire culture of fantastic picture quality, but their acclaimed War and Peace and, most denial at the BBC. Written guidelines, a sound is often disappointing, because recently, Netflix’s The Crown, says that set of training videos… are pointless.” new, slimline TVs have limited space the belief that sound can be fixed by Ashworth is a member of the Insti- for built-in speakers,” it said in a con- simply changing the levels has tute of Professional Sound, which has sumer report. astounded technicians. around 600 members working in tele- Moore’s explanation that, after He says: “I welcome the debate. vision, film and theatre (see box on

10 Happy Valley

the cues, but not the lines, because “I want to understand what is being said and I am not over-familiar with the script. “Actors who are cast and paid to do the job, turn their back or head, or speak quietly. Some directors like the fact that the audience is straining to hear what is said.” If he found audibility problems, it was not his job to directly instruct actors: he marked the place in the script and told the director. Diederick Santer, Joint Chief Execu- tive of the drama producer Kudos, says that he sometimes has to resort to subtitles because the sound is so bad. He has poor hearing in his left ear. IF THE A former Executive Producer of SPEECH IS EastEnders and ITV’s Grantchester, he backs Moore’s assessment of what can MUMBLED… go wrong. “She is right… it is a complex combi- I WOULD nation of factors. Actors mumbling can REGARD IT be an issue, particularly on a show going for a naturalistic look. In real life, AS THE DUTY people do mumble. OF A SOUND “In real life, the people they are talk- ing to say pardon, and it gets repeated RECORDIST more clearly. It is down to producers and sound recordists to police this.” TO REPORT IT It can be, acknowledges another producer, disheartening for actors,

BBC when they are immersed in the part, to be told to do it again, enunciating their page 12). The IPS view is that Moore is working on War and Peace. The battle words more clearly. They need to bear – in this case – making a simple prob- scenes, where lightweight equipment in mind that the real audience, unlike lem complicated. and short booms were used alongside in the theatre, is absent. Ashworth concedes, in fairness, that hand-held cameras, presented singular Jamaica Inn lost a third of its viewers audibility is not just an issue for the problems. So, too, did Jim Broadbent’s following the outcry over hard-to-hear BBC: it is industry wide and includes scenes as the emotionally repressed dialogue. Gabriel Byrne’s performance documentaries as well as drama. Prince Nikolai facing the loss of his son in Quirke was also criticised later the Nevertheless, filming location drama Prince Andrei. same year for the same fault. often presents a unique set of chal- “We were using sets inside a very Santer adds: “For sound professionals, lenges for sound engineers. There is echoey Lithuanian warehouse. We recording on set is tricky.” The use of the signal-to-noise ratio – the recorded contained it. We used clip-on mics,” two or three cameras makes it chal- dialogue against the background noise, Ashworth explains. Broadbent’s scenes lenging for boom operators who must including the sound of generators. were hailed as a triumph. stay out of shot: “They have to be crea- Take Ashworth’s experience of His method of working is to learn tive to find places to put microphones, �

Television www.rts.org.uk May 2016 11 � not in shot or casting shadows. Con- have the resources to do it properly.” siderations of sound are almost always WHEEL IN A Automatic dialogue replacement is an secondary to those of picture on set.” CRAPPY TELLY option, where the sound recorded on He adds that radio mics, often the day is unusable. resorted to as a solution, give the AND PLAY THE “The problem is that the replace- flattest of sound. This means that WHOLE THING ment isn’t always convincing… a everyone sounds the same. Further- mumbled or slurred line is uttered more, they can pick up the rustling IN THE WAY THAT by mumbling or slurred lips, so the noises made by clothing. REPLICATES THE synch-perfect enunciation on to those Simon Bishop, Chair of the Institute lips can look and sound ridiculous.” of Professional Sound, agrees: “There EXPERIENCE AT At the final mix, after adding in the is a huge lack of understanding by HOME music, “as you sit in the audio suite producers, younger people, about surrounded by big speakers, you can what makes a good soundtrack. hear every chirp of bird song, every “On a TV or film set, everyone – pluck of harp, every lip smack, it all actors, make-up, costume, lighting, sounds rich and lovely. camera operators, directors – are “What I do and a number of other there to make the picture experience producers and engineers do, is wheel good. It may be that three out of a in a crappy telly and play the whole crew of anything from 25 to 125 are thing in the way that replicates the doing the sound. experience at home… and not compel “The camera is king. But, if the the audience to switch on subtitles, sound doesn’t work, you don’t have which I am so often forced to do by a programme. There is a complete badly recorded and mixed shows.” imbalance.” Perhaps the last word should go to In post-production, it is down to Tom Harper, Director of War and the dialogue editor, says Santer, to Peace. He says that, while he respects make sure the best takes are used. the views of sound recordists, in his They can swap in sound from other opinion and experience, if there are takes, mix and match to create the audibility problems, “they arise at the best dialogue track. broadcast and TV reception point, as But “this is a slow and time-­ the soundtrack is played out on consuming job. And shows with tight reduced bandwidth to two tiny deadlines or low budgets may not speakers.” Dialogue that doesn’t lose the director’s ear

Simon Bishop, Chair of the Institute of to hear negatives. There are definitely Professional Sound, says: ‘A lot of this is directors who choose to ignore sound a people problem. We need producers technicians – the experts. with balls, who will stand up to the ‘Modern production techniques also director and actor and say: “This is conspire to make the end result less incomprehensible.” good. Twenty years ago, shooting on ‘Most of the issues with sound film, rushes would be watched over- recording could be solved before a night by producers, and the sound frame is shot, if people made sensible [checked] through a loudspeaker. decisions from the outset. I mean peo- ‘If there was a problem, including War and Peace

ple taking responsibility beforehand. BBC background noise, they would pick it ‘Sound recordists know there are up. In 2016, the producer might watch numerous actors who are mumblers, duty of a sound recordist to report it up on an iPad or even iPhone. That doesn’t who have form. It is solvable. It is a the chain. I say that my Mum only gets lend a [proper] appraisal of the sound. British trait. We don’t like embarrassing to watch this once. If people can’t hear, ‘That said, 99% of all film and tele- confrontations. they’ll turn off. vision sound is excellent. Programmes, ‘If an actor chooses to mumble, I can ‘But what happens if they [directors from Waking the Dead to The Hollow make a perfectly accurate record of it. and producers] don’t listen? Or the Crown and Wolf Hall, all have beautiful You will hear mumbling. If an actor has shooting timetable is being hurried sound.’ been told [by the director] to speak along? Directors have many plates to The Institute of Professional Sound quietly, we can bring the level up. spin. If the sound recordist keeps going changed its name in 2013 from the ‘But if the fundamental speech is back to the director, you can end up Institute of Broadcast Sound, which mumbled it will be unclear, because it in a situation where you have lost the was founded in 1977 by BBC TV and is unclear, and I would regard it as the ear of the director, who doesn’t want Radio and ITV sound balancers.

12 May 2016 www.rts.org.uk Television Film production Can the new boss of Channel 4’s Oscar-winning movie arm deliver a profit? Stuart Kemp investigates

12 Years a Slave 20th Century Fox Century 20th Film4 ups the stakes

hen Film4 mini-studio STX Entertainment, but strategy,” says Abraham. “The impor- chief David will work with Film4 on a consultancy tant thing now is that Daniel has taken Kosse basis until October. the job on the basis that he supports announced “David has done a phenomenal job the strategy and he wants to build plans to stand and, of course, it would have been upon it.” down, the UK lovely to have had him for another As Abraham had previously spear- filmW industry didn’t, at first, take him year or two,” says Abraham. headed an exhaustive [and expensive] seriously. And it wasn’t just because The Channel 4 CEO moved swiftly eight-month executive search before the news broke on April Fool’s Day. to replace Kosse. He wanted to ensure hiring Kosse, the executive talent hunt Just a few weeks previously, there was no loss of momentum, and still felt fresh, he says. Board-level ­Channel 4 CEO David Abraham had hired Cohen Media Group President discussions to bring in another experi- secured the green light from his board Daniel Battsek. enced high-flyer were fast-tracked. to significantly bolster the film unit’s The former Miramax Films President “With the new team and the strat- budget from £15m to £25m for 2016. will start in July, initially with Battsek egy, David and I were looking at Subsequently, Abraham and Kosse and Kosse working together. “Given expanding the team at the top end, had embarked on an industry charm his experience, seniority and ability, anyway,” Abraham says. “With Daniel, offensive, extolling the virtues of work- David has achieved what I wanted him we have someone who, from what I ing with more ambition and a fatter to in terms of resetting the business can tell, has been well received in the wallet. It was a clear endorsement of global industry and here in the UK as the more aggressive and commercially well.” minded deal-making that Kosse, the DAVID ABRAHAM UK-born Battsek, who has spent former Universal Pictures Interna- more than a decade in the US, says he tional executive, had been hired, in MOVED SWIFTLY has “retained strong ties with British November 2014, to deploy. TO REPLACE film-makers”. He regards joining Film4 No wonder that the industry was as “almost like coming full circle”. surprised when it was announced that DAVID KOSSE He will arrive to a development Kosse was planning to move on in … AND HIRED slate boasting fresh projects from June. He has been poached to run the feted film-makers Lenny Abrahamson, international division at US DANIEL BATTSEK Andrea Arnold, Yorgos Lanthimos, �

Television www.rts.org.uk May 2016 13 Danny Boyle’s follow-up to Trainspotting shoots this year Channel 4 DVD

� Andrew Haigh, Steve McQueen, Clio A BRITISH Film Distributors (EFD). The aim is to Barnard and Mike Leigh, among many develop, produce and finance four com- others. BROADCASTER edy features over the next two years His links on both sides of the Atlan- DEAL IS STILL with Film4 and EFD sharing all rights. tic, just like Kosse’s, are important to The £3.5m, big-screen version of the Film4’s future role in what is a global-­ ONE OF THE Beesley and Morris hit TV show is one facing part of Channel 4’s business. MOST VALUED of the few productions that Channel 4 “Film remains an important part of fully bankrolled – even if, taste-wise, our remit and our history,” notes Abra- AND LUCRATIVE it wasn’t entirely to Film4’s liking. The ham. “We’ve made an important con- PARTS OF ANY Inbetweeners movie grossed more than tribution to supporting independent £40m in the UK and spawned a sequel British film-makers throughout our FILM’S BUDGET that grossed just shy of another £40m. existence, going back to 1982. PACKAGE Kosse also sealed a 50/50 co-financing “I’ve always had the ambition to deal with Fox Searchlight for the race find ways to sustainably increase our drama Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, commitment to film, as long as we “I could see a disparity between the Missouri, by In Bruges writer-director could find a path for it to be just that: amount of work Film4 was putting Martin McDonagh. sustainable.” into developing films, getting them to The agreement means that Film4 will It is not going to be easy, however, a point where they could attract other benefit should Fox Searchlight’s world- given film’s high-risk status. “Bluntly, investment and progress to production, wide roll-out garner box-office gold. it was not well known in the industry versus the returns that were coming Produced by Graham Broadbent and that we were losing 50p in every pound back to us,” says Kosse. Peter Czernin at Blueprint Pictures, the on the activities of the division,” reveals “It was frustrating to me that other film is in production in North Carolina. Abraham. “Up until recently, that [loss] investors, who’d come in for a bigger Being in business with Film4 is an was a valid part of the cross-subsidy share of the budget once some of the attractive proposition for UK produc- model of Channel 4, which had to be heavy lifting was already done, were ers. A British broadcaster deal is still paid for by the TV division.” making more money from our films one of the most valued and lucrative Together, Kosse and Abraham inves- than we were.” parts of any film’s budget package, tigated ways for the small but signifi- To this end, Kosse has struck a even if Film4 is only involved at the cant investments that Film4 has four-picture deal with FP Films, the development stage. traditionally made in projects to provide production company set up by The Inbe- “Film4 remains an important partner a better upside from any future com- tweeners’ creators Damon Beesley and on the project after partnering to mercial success. Iain Morris, and the UK’s Entertainment develop it,” emphasises producer

14 Film4 projects

Out now and coming soon High-Rise (Ben Wheatley) cast: Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irons, Sienna Miller, Elizabeth Moss Our Kind of Traitor (Susanna White) cast: Ewan McGregor, Damian Lewis Trespass Against Us (Adam Smith) WE WERE cast: Michael Fassbender, Brendan LOSING 50P Gleeson Free Fire (Ben Wheatley) IN EVERY cast: Brie Larson, Cillian Murphy POUND Una (Benedict Andrews) cast: Tobias Menzies, Rooney Mara ON THE American Honey (Andrea Arnold) ACTIVITIES cast: Shia LaBeouf, Sasha Lane The Oath (Baltasar Kormakur) OF THE Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk DIVISION (Ang Lee) cast: Kristen Stewart, Garrett Hedlund, Vin Diesel How To Talk To Girls at Parties (John Cameron Mitchell) cast: Elle Fanning, Nicole Kidman, Ruth Wilson, Matt Lucas

In pre-production or shooting Journeyman (Paddy Considine) cast: Jodie Whittaker, Paddy Considine Old Boys (Toby MacDonald) Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (Martin McDonagh) cast: Woody Harrelson, Frances McDor- mand, Sam Rockwell Asif Kapadia’s acclaimed Trainspotting 2 (Danny Boyle) cast: documentary Amy

Channel 4 Ewan McGregor, Robert Carlyle, Jonny Lee Miller, Ewen Bremner, Stephen Cornwell of UK- and US-based – and, more importantly, female film- Kelly Macdonald The Ink Factory. He worked with Film4 makers – in competition at the Cannes Dark River (Clio Barnard) on the development of Ang Lee’s Billy Film Festival. At the same time, Danny Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, produced by Boyle’s Trainspotting 2 and Paddy Con- Recent Oscar winners The Ink Factory. sidine’s Journeyman begin filming. Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave; Film4’s latest movies have a lot to “The number of Oscars that we have Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire; live up to. Three Film4 projects took won over the past 15 to 20 years versus Lenny Abrahamson’s Room; Alex home Oscars shortly before Kosse’s the BBC/ITV demonstrates that some- Garland’s Ex Machina; Asif Kapadia’s announcement: Brie Larson picked up thing very special is going on crea- Amy; Phyllida Lloyd’s The Iron Lady Best Actress for Abrahamson’s Room, tively here. That reinforces the overall Asif Kapadia’s Amy was voted Best position of Channel 4 in the cultural Critical acclaim Documentary Feature, and Alex Gar- industries,” Abraham says. “I am very Mike Leigh’s Mr Turner; Chris Morris’ land’s sci-fi drama, Ex Machina, won for positive about what is coming next. Four Lions; Shane Meadows’ This Is Best Visual Effects. “Our new strategy is about saying: England; Clio Barnard’s The Selfish “You can see from the success that ‘Let’s be more ambitious to make it Giant; David Mackenzie’s Starred Up; we had in this year’s awards season self-sufficient’. And should Film4 be in and Jonathan Glazer’s Under the Skin that Film4 has a vital role to play in the happy position of being in profit in developing and nurturing film produc- the future, I would expect that to be Recent releases tion in the UK,” says Kosse. “But it also immediately drawn into future budg- Todd Haynes’ Carol; Sarah Gav- enables home-grown talent to compete ets for the division.” ron’s Suffragette; Justin Kurzel’s on the world stage and to make films When it comes to how serious the Macbeth; Yorgos Lanthimos’ The that reach global audiences.” business of film is to Channel 4 and Lobster; Andrew Haigh’s 45 Years; Meanwhile, Andrea Arnold’s American the broadcaster’s remit, Film4 isn’t and Paolo Sorrentino’s Youth Honey will be flying the flag for Film4 fooling around.

Television www.rts.org.uk May 2016 15 Who should keep the BBC honest?

here is no need to hire said he envisaged that only two or three Nostradamus to predict Regulation members of a 13-strong unitary board what BBC governance will would be BBC employees. All the look like in the future. non-executives would be appointed What had been the most Do Government by the government – something that likely outcome became a proposals for BBC Clementi pointedly did not recommend. racing certainty after the publication of Rona Fairhead, Chair of the BBC theT Clementi report in March. It should Trust, says: “It seems clear that the governance threaten be officially confirmed when culture move is towards a unitary board, secretary John Whittingdale publishes its independence? which is what we argued for, and a the white paper on the renewal of the Raymond Snoddy strong regulator with bespoke powers, BBC’s Royal Charter, due later this which is what we asked for, and it month. takes soundings looks as if that will be Ofcom.” As Sir David Clementi, the former She emphasises, however, the need Chair of Prudential, made clear in his that regulatory oversight of the BBC for clarity about the lines of accounta- consultation paper, there were only should pass wholly to Ofcom and that bility in future governance arrange- three possible models for future BBC the BBC should have a unitary board, ments. Moreover, relationships need to governance and regulation. with a majority of its directors being be based on trust and respect. One could persevere with the BBC non-executive. “You need to ensure that audiences Trust while reforming the body to The primary responsibility for pro- are properly represented and that gov- reflect the experience of its 10 years of tecting the interests of the licence-fee ernance is, and is seen to be, indepen­ existence. Or a specially tailored regu- payers should lie with the BBC board. dent of vested interests and government,­ lator could be created just for the BBC Clementi decided that the Trust and that it works in a transparent regu- – Ofbeeb. The third option would see model was flawed because it conflated latory framework,” says Fairhead. full regulatory oversight of the BBC governance and regulation. Even if Richard Tait, a former senior mem- shift to Ofcom, a move that would be reformed, it would still leave two ber of the BBC Trust, believes that balanced by a heavyweight, unitary boards within one organisation, lead- Clementi’s report in its entirety repre- BBC board. ing to confused responsibilities. sents a reasonable compromise. Clementi’s basic choice could hardly He rejected an Ofbeeb because the “I have argued in the past that it have been clearer – though serious history of single regulators for one might be better to have a separate, practical and conceptual issues still organisation had not been good. bespoke regulator, but I know a lost need to be addressed and resolved. Whittingdale welcomed Clementi’s cause when I see one,” concedes Tait. In effect, the report marked the work. Perhaps not untypically, he then “Ofcom has shown itself to be a death knell of the BBC Trust: it argued added a rather incendiary comment. He good regulator. If it staffs up with the

16 right people, I don’t think there is any civil servant from the Department reason for people to be too nervous for Culture, Media and Sport, an inde- I DON’T THINK about it being the BBC regulator,” he pendent assessor and the BBC Chair. adds. Recommended names would then THERE IS ANY Phil Harding, a former senior BBC go to ministers. If the government of REASON FOR executive, believes that, overall, a uni- the day wished to appoint the Chair PEOPLE TO BE tary board makes sense. Regulation by and Deputy Chair, the Commissioner Ofcom is “fine” – although he, too, for Public Appointments should be TOO NERVOUS would have preferred an independent involved in selecting candidates. ABOUT OFCOM regulator. The controversy was intensified “What I am concerned about [if the recently, when the outgoing Commis- BEING THE BBC Government accepts Clementi] is: who sioner for Public Appointments, Sir REGULATOR will safeguard the public interest? David Normington, alleged that Gov- Ofcom is obviously going to do a job of ernment ministers had increased their regulation in dealing with complaints, efforts to have Conservative sympa- but is Ofcom really the right body to thisers appointed to public bodies decide what the BBC should be doing since the general election. in the public interest?” he asks. Sir Michael Lyons, former Chair of It would be difficult for BBC non-­ the BBC Trust, accepts that if the Gov- executive directors to look after the ernment merely oversees the process, public interest, because they would then that is not very different from be the ones drawing up the plans and, what has happened previously. therefore, would be “too close to the “However, we now have enough action”, argues Harding. from David Normington to know that The Ofcom solution to BBC regulation this is a government that you simply faces at least one practical drawback – cannot trust with even that process. the inevitable and considerable Ministers want their own followers [on increase in its workload. public bodies] – how are they going to

PA Ofcom Chief Executive Sharon resist that on the BBC?” asks Lyons. White points out that the BBC has to Harding, who believes that BBC deal with around 350,000 complaints non-executives should not be part a year, compared with the 25,000 that of the public-appointments process, Ofcom receives concerning the UK’s often works abroad with broadcasters other broadcasters. in developing countries, where he Clementi made it clear, however, that emphasises the difference between editorial complaints should, initially, go state and public broadcasting. to the BBC in a “broadcaster-first” policy. “If we end up with a BBC in which Only appeals against BBC adjudications the non-executives are appointed by should go to Ofcom. the government, I do not know how Despite that, Colette Bowe, the former I can go abroad and say the BBC is a Chair of Ofcom, is concerned that the public broadcasting organisation,” he extra workload might unbalance Ofcom. says. “They could look at me and say: On top of its increased regulatory ‘No, it’s a state broadcaster.’” responsibilities, there would be the Tait, a former Editor-in-Chief of ITN, work involved in contributing to the says he is nervous about the new BBC debate over what the BBC should be. board being too influenced by political “I thought that there should be a sec- appointments. “It was catastrophic for ond body, but I have come off that idea. the BBC in the Thatcher years, when I think the unitary board is going to there were too many governors of a have to do it and Ofcom will have to do similar view,” he warns. its job,” argues Bowe. “But let’s be clear: Bowe has a different perspective. regulation is not governance and the She argues that Ofcom directors are all governance of the BBC is going to have appointed by government and no one MINISTERS WANT to be massively strengthened.” suggests that Ofcom doesn’t act in the The biggest outstanding controversy is public interest. THEIR OWN over who appoints the non-executives “I was appointed by a Labour Gov- FOLLOWERS [ON to the new, all-powerful unitary board. ernment to chair Ofcom and I don’t In contrast to the Whittingdale think anyone commented once on PUBLIC BODIES] approach, Clementi advocated that the who appointed me or what my politics – HOW ARE BBC should be able to appoint non- were,” she says. “The idea that, if you executives, apart from those represent- are appointed by the government, you THEY GOING TO ing the nations and English regions. lose your independence is not right,” RESIST THAT ON As in the past, they would initially be she insists. “You have to judge people chosen by a committee made up of a by what they do.” THE BBC?

Television www.rts.org.uk May 2016 17 Why big data is changing TV

ig data, with Netflix at And big data is not the only kind of the forefront, is trans- Audience information data available to the media industry. forming the way that TV “There are lots of different types of data is commissioned and that are useful for decision-making,” watched, but not as Netflix is not alone said Laura Chittick, Senior Manager radically or quickly as in using analytics to at Accenture Digital Video. manyB in the broadcasting industry Sources include Barb (Broadcasters’ believe. Its impact, for the moment, understand how Audience Research Board), which has remains most keenly felt in advertising. provided the official viewing figures This was the conclusion of a sold-out audiences respond for UK television audiences, using a RTS early-evening event, “Big data or to video content. panel of 5,100 of households, since 1981. smart data? Data and the impact on “Barb is also great, because you TV advertising, commissioning and Matthew Bell reports know exactly who’s doing what in content”. Chaired by the former BBC which household and for what demo- Media Correspondent Torin Douglas, Unfortunately, the term “big data”, graphic. The combination of both [types the RTS panel – composed of both while widely used, is not the only of data] is really powerful,” said Chit- broadcasting and advertising experts name in town. “We tend to talk about tick. It would seem that Barb ratings – explained the appeal of big data. ‘insight’ now, rather than ‘big data’,” are not ready for the scrap heap any In a TV context, big data is the digital said Sky Media Deputy Managing time soon. trail left by viewers as they flick from Director Jamie West. “Data can help you to understand channel to channel. This information is “It was a convenient phrase five or six what audiences are doing,” continued invaluable for broadcasters and adver- years ago, but I don’t think it has too Chittick, providing “insight into con- tisers alike: it reveals the audience’s much use now,” said Mark Connolly, sumption and behaviours”. She argued likes and dislikes and allows broad- Media Performance and Investment that “average video consumption per casters to target their content more Director at the advertising agency user per session” was a key measure- accurately. However, when it comes to Havas Media Group. “[The issue is] ment. “You want that to go up because informing the creative process, it is still what you do with [big data], rather than you want to build loyalty and video in its infancy. what you call it.” viewership.”

18 Sky changes face of TV ads

Big data has been mined most deeply in the advertising field. At this RTS early-evening event, Sky Media’s Jamie West discussed how the pay-TV company has used analytics to offer more to advertisers. In January 2014, Sky launched AdSmart. This allows advertisers to show different commercials to homes watching the same televi- sion programme. The ‘addressable TV’ product is based on 940 attrib- utes or data points. These can be combined to create unique buying audiences for advertisers. Using publicly available infor- mation to identify groups or demographics, AdSmart enables advertisers ‘to target households to drive more effective advertising outcomes. For us, it was about making TV advertising more rele- vant to more brands,’ said West. ‘When we serve a relevant ad to a household, channel switching reduces by 33% over the ad break – that, for me, means that, if you serve relevant ads, you get a more engaged audience,’ he added. In autumn 2015, Sky AdVance “We use a huge number of data came on to the market. This allows THERE IS A touch points [information from inter- advertisers to deliver multi-platform NEED FOR GUT action with customers] to help campaigns across different screens, improve our customer experience, said so that audiences see the right INSTINCT.… Sky Media’s West. “This is both in ad at the right time, in the right WHERE BIG terms of how we make decisions on sequence and on the right screen. content that we acquire or create and At the heart of Sky AdVance is big DATA SHOULD how we promote and schedule that data, which is gathered from more BE UTILISED IS content, through to how we promote than 3 million Sky households, product upgrades.” providing second-­by-second view- TO HIGHLIGHT So-called “addressable TV” enables ing data. OPPORTUNITIES Sky Media (see box, right) to take per- West also revealed that Sky is sonalised advertising a stage further. It building data visualisation tools ‘to allows advertisers to target TV audiences delineate the effects of an adver- Chittick added that the “frequency and serve ads to different households tising campaign. Agencies and with which people come back to that fit certain geographic, demographic advertisers will be able to press watch content” is also important. and behavioural characteristics. a button and see how their cam- Big data, though, reveals more than “Personalisation runs all the way paigns are performing.’ viewers’ TV consumption; it also pro- through our business from the call Havas Media Group’s Mark Con- vides information on their willingness centre to commissioning, to advertis- nolly argued that ‘big data is chang- to pay for content and stick with ads, ing,” added West, who is responsible ing media consumption – clients rather than changing channels during for the development of emerging are spending less money but are commercial breaks. advertising opportunities at Sky. prepared to pay higher prices for “People will pay for different types Sky’s big data is gathered from more the media they buy because they of [TV] bundles and put up with differ- than 3 million Sky households. Cus- can individually control how much ent types of advertising. You can learn tomers give (or refuse) their consent value every single impression or TV about what each individual will do,” for Sky to use this data when they first ad spot [offers].’ explained Chittick. subscribe. At any point during their �

Television www.rts.org.uk May 2016 19 Director, Havas Media Group: Yes, � contract customers can withdraw because of the independent nature their consent. QUESTION of it. “The data gives us a huge insight into who’s watching, the type of audi- & ANSWER Is big data just for big ence, what is working and what is not Qcorporates? working,” said West. Mark Connolly: I don’t buy Pedro Cosa Fernández, Channel 4’s A into that.… [The key is] to use Deputy Head of Analytics, would love Barb is the ratings currency data intelligently. to get his hands on this type of data. Qfor broadcasters and adver- Laura Chittick, Senior Man- “It’s something that we would like to tisers, but what Sky is offering A ager, Accenture Digital Video: have, but we do not have the commer- is a lot more useful. When are Operationally, it could be easier [to cial relationship with our viewers [that we going to be able to use your be small]. A lot of the corporates Sky has],” he explained. information? that we work with face challenges As a linear TV broadcaster, Channel 4 Jamie West, Sky Media Dep- in terms of the silos they themselves does not have “the one-to-one relation­ A uty Managing Director: Barb create and the way they work. ship with viewers that pay-channels is the gold standard and hugely have [with their subscribers]. We’re accurate at measuring audiences How expensive is it to have missing the data that goes with [sub- Qaccess to big data? Is that scriptions],” continued Cosa, who is beyond small companies? responsible for digital audience analysis Laura Chittick: I don’t think at Channel 4. A so these days. You’ve got a The broadcaster’s own big data bunch of different data sources. is derived from the usage of its Depending on what you want to do on-demand player, All 4, but does with it, you don’t have to industri- not include how audiences watch alise it into big-data platforms.… It Channel 4’s linear channels. doesn’t have to be a huge technol- “That TV data can be got from set- ogy investment. top boxes that Sky, Virgin, Freesat or Mark Connolly: Big data can be YouView have, but we don’t have,” A whatever you want it to be.… It added Cosa. doesn’t have to be expensive: [the Douglas asked Cosa whether he cost] depends on what you actually thought Channel 4 had a right to this want to do with that data. data. “Yes,” he replied. “And we’ve had discussions about it.” Is there a danger that data “The ownership and control of data Qwill kill creativity? Is there is often overlooked,” argued Havas still a place in TV for gut instinct? Media Group’s Connolly. He explained Torin Douglas

Paul Hampartsoumian Paul Mark Connolly: Yes, 100% that “personally identifiable informa- A there’s a need for gut instinct.… tion” from viewers had to be regulated at scale. I passionately believe that Where big data should be utilised and made anonymous. “It’s too easy to Barb, as a panel, will be there for is to highlight opportunities but… get hold of data and use it in the wrong the long term.… to have that human interaction… is ways.” In terms of how we share data absolutely necessary, both on the Big data is widely used to provide with partners, we are open to con- media-execution side and also the personalised advertising but, asked versations. We do make elements creative side. Douglas: “How close are we to a proper of our panel open to third parties, Pedro Cosa Fernández, Deputy personalised offer [of content] to but it is a conversation about how A Head of Analytics, Channel 4: viewers?” you [get] that data. We’ve been trying to use data to “We have a big programme around What’s the value exchange? make decisions more on a research recommendations,” said Cosa. “As a We’ve invested millions of pounds and development basis. [The ques- public service broadcaster, it’s really in building a panel and millions of ­tion] “Would you watch [the pro- important to not just maximise our pounds maintaining that panel. It’s gramme] again?” is something that revenue and number of views but to not something we’re going to give a machine can’t really [answer]. also meet our public service remit, away for free.… Laura Chittick: The curation which is about enabling [viewers] to Be absolutely clear, what we are A and editorial [decisions] that discover new shows.” not doing is giving any personal, people love about broadcasting Going further and using big data to identifiable data. We’re giving brands will remain a differentiator. influence TV content and commission­ aggregated, anonymised data. I watch BBC Four because I love ing, admitted Cosa, threw up many the programmes that people cre- challenges, not least because of the Do you think that Barb is here ate on it.… potential conflict between the science Qto stay? That brand attachment is going of big data and the art of programme- ­ Mark Connolly, Media Per- to stay and that is what broadcast- making. A formance and Investment ers are really good at. For the moment, Channel 4 is exper- imenting with its video-on-demand

20 Panellists (from left): Laura Chittick, Jamie West, Mark Connolly and Pedro Cosa Fernández Paul Hampartsoumian Paul data. “All 4 now has original commis- changing the dynamics of the TV mar- Doubts about Netflix’s claim that it sions that are especially made for ket. There is no doubt that TV viewing commissions hit series such as House of online rather than linear channels,” is having to change because of Netflix Cards on the basis of data analysis per- said Cosa. “That is where the data is and Amazon Prime.” sist, largely because the company used, and we’re trying to use this as a Sky Media’s West denied that over- refuses to release ratings information. platform where we can explore and the-top (OTT) TV was a threat to Sky. “It doesn’t share the data to [prove] apply data in a more free way.” “In the UK, what we’re seeing more of that, but, to be fair, it keeps coming up Chittick agreed with Cosa that com- are OTT services being bought in addi- with hit series after hit series,” said missioning was “a harder area” in tion to Sky or other pay-TV services,” Connolly. which to apply data. She said that, he argued. “Speaking to my peers at “How do we know they are hit typically, programme-makers found it Virgin, they are seeing similar things series?” asked Douglas. “Because Net­ difficult to assimilate large sets of data – Netflix is additive, rather than canni- flix tells us so,” replied Connolly. and work with analytics teams. balising the existing pay-TV market.” Douglas refused to take that at face The way forward, she suggested, was West, however, conceded that the value: “A lot of people say it’s hype. It to “bring these two together in a multi-­ is more than hype, but Netflix doesn’t disciplinary team”. share its viewing figures. It doesn’t make Using data in TV is not a new phe- IT’S TOO EASY a profit. How do we know what’s going nomenon, said Douglas, pointing out on at Netflix?” that TV shows had long been commis- TO GET HOLD The extent to which the streaming sioned, recommissioned or chopped on OF DATA AND service uses big data to create content the basis of audience research. What is disputed. Channel 4’s Cosa reckoned had changed, he suggested, was that USE IT IN THE Netflix uses data “more for validation now “there’s an awful lot more data and WRONG WAYS than [content] creation. It knows its [broadcasters] can do more with it”. customer base and it can validate its US streaming giant Netflix, Douglas investment and look at the potential pointed out, had taken advantage of OTT companies were having an of acquiring content.” the vast amount of big data at its fin- impact on content commissioning. Programme-makers, he added, gertips. It had based its content acqui- Netflix’s series about the British royal understand that using big data to sition and development on a detailed family, The Crown, which will air in the inform content “is going to be big in analysis of the viewing habits of its UK from November, is reputed to have the future”, but currently it is used worldwide subscriber base. “Is this cost £100m to make. more in scheduling than for taking a game changer?” he asked. “The amount of money that the creative decisions. “Yes,” replied Connolly. “Netflix global content business can spend develops content that is based on big on a programme or event is so vastly ‘Big data or smart data? Data and the data. If it knows that this data has been different to a business with even the impact on TV advertising, commissioning analysed really well, it commissions budgets of Sky,” he said. “We haven’t and content’ was held at The Hospital content that is based around this.” got the power to compete with Netflix Club in central London on 19 April. It was He added: “It is challenging and on a particular show.” produced by Vicky Fairclough.

Television www.rts.org.uk May 2016 21 A television giant

he three duties of the Kicking the Bar: The life galleries, without exception,” he wrote. broadcaster are to the and legacy of broad- “This afternoon, I went to the Louvre. I subject, to the audience caster Huw Wheldon loathed it… I don’t like any artists. None and to the craft.” Huw by Wynn Wheldon is at all. Late extra: except Rembrandt.” Wheldon’s achieve- published by Unbound, Wynn makes much of his father’s ments and words live priced £20.00 sense of being an outsider – Welsh ‘on,T 30 years after his death. I doubt and non-Oxbridge. This may be a little that there is a BBC Director-General overdone. Huw’s father had gone to since his day who hasn’t used the great Cambridge and had a distinguished Wheldon incantation about public Book review career in education and government, service broadcasting and its duty “to ending up with a knighthood. make the popular good and make the Huw, himself, went to the London good popular”. Roger Mosey hopes School of Economics in the great era Wheldon himself was never DG Huw Wheldon’s story of Harold Laski. When we come across – his most senior job was as Managing him in middle life, he seems very much Director of BBC Television – but the will inspire today’s at home in the agreeable surroundings people who did get the top job have of Kew, with the Attenboroughs round seldom achieved his creative impact programme-makers the corner, and then moving to Rich- or his quotability. to aim higher mond Hill. It’s a struggle to remember soaring Although usually a Liberal, he voted oratory from John Birt, successful outstanding example to his men.” for Churchill in 1945 and Thatcher in though he was as a strategic leader. Wheldon, however, wrote to his father: 1979. Later, we’re told that he informed Greg Dyke, meanwhile, is best known “When bravery was required I have, in a programme producer that his favour- for his blokeish “cut the crap”. most cases, shirked it, being miserably ite walk was not, as they’d hoped, in So this book by Huw’s son, Wynn, is frail. Still, there it is.” He was one of the rural Wales, but from the LSE to the to be welcomed for introducing a new first British soldiers to see the horrors Garrick Club, “of which he was an generation to the Wheldon story and for of Belsen. He never spoke about it. enthusiastic member”. its insight into a man whose approach to This was a character also shaped by What comes out strongly is his belief broadcasting is still much needed today. his Welsh ancestry. Some of his ideas in excellence across the genres and Corporate apparatchiks and regula- are an echo of his grandfather, a noted that dumbing down, as we would now tors, in particular, should note: “No real Nonconformist preacher. In 1885, he call it, is not what mass audiences programme was ever made by a com- was speaking of “men inspired with want: quality matters as much in mittee. You insure yourself against the ideal of duty, of justice, of unde- entertainment as in Shakespeare. failure by having a committee, but you filed affection, of great aims and great There is a contemporary echo in his also insure against triumph.” deeds” and the “infinite possibility belief that “programmes that are cal- The Wheldon era in the BBC began of usefulness, work, art and beauty”. culated rather than made... are slums when he became a presenter in the This inevitably suggests a torch being of the spirit and slums of the mind”. 1950s and blossomed with his man- passed to the descendant who cham- Let us hope this prompts a twinge of agement roles in the 1960s and 1970s. pioned public service. guilt in the people who commissioned It is right to be wary about claimed Huw became the presenter of the recent shockers on all channels. golden ages or the great man theory of influential arts programme Monitor, Filial biographies have their strengths, television history. The fact is that this although he did not uncritically wor- and this one captures well the love was a time when society was being ship creativity. “I hate all picture within a family and the pride in the transformed. Broadcasting was not achievements when dad is a national immune to these forces and its own figure. But there are gaps, too. Wynn revolution was enabled partly by the PROGRAMMES doesn’t find out what his educational- pace of technical change. ist grandfather did: “I have never been But Wynn Wheldon is convincing in THAT ARE really clear what a registrar was or is.” his portrayal of the stature of an indi- CALCULATED Nor does he have any knowledge of vidual who was at the heart of the the mechanics of television (“I con- coming of age of British television. His RATHER THAN tinue to be baffled by the mystery father’s life story is one that subsequent MADE... ARE SLUMS of how pictures and sounds scuttle generations can barely imagine. through the air”) and he’s hazy about Huw took part in D-Day and he was OF THE SPIRIT the even more impenetrable workings awarded a Military Cross for his brav- AND SLUMS OF of the BBC. ery. The citation said: “His fine display When his father first gets a produc- of courage and coolness was an THE MIND tion job, an unpursued aside tells us that

22 he was already working as a television presenter on a show featuring talented children. The editor/presenter/impresa- rio role on Monitor, with its stellar film-­ makers – from Ken Russell to John Schlesinger – is rather better articulated. Later, we don’t get much under- standing of what Huw’s management roles entailed or even their titles. When the dopey BBC governors don’t promote him to DG, we’re not told what job he actually got. That is probably because there are three things going on in this book. There is a biography, which is good in parts. There is a portrait of a family, which is often touching. And then there are some musings about father and son relationships, or about life in general, which edge towards the banal. “We endlessly recreate the past,” writes Wynn. “The concerns of the present are immediate, and the past must con- tinuously be brought into line. This is the job of the historian, and the reason why there is always work for him. He has no choice.” Wynn’s choices are, at times, unfor- tunate: a marvellous story about his father in the war is interrupted by his own experience as a hunt saboteur. Wheldon Jnr is also keen to tell us about his snorting of cocaine in a toilet in Washington (de rigueur, apparently) and precisely when he lost his virginity. Readers may sympathise with Huw, who once threw a flowerpot at Wynn when he was angry with him. This also points to the questions that linger after reading this book. We glimpse aspects of Huw’s character more through others. It is his daughter who speaks of his occasional “towering and terrifying anger”, and it is Robin Day who mentions “his shortcomings, such as talking too much and enjoying being a personality too much”. But Wynn’s recollections of his kindliness are convincing, and there is much to enjoy in the tales that are told. There is, ultimately, no doubt about Huw’s greatness as a broadcaster and as a man. His is a story that can and should inspire our industry today.

Roger Mosey is Master of Selwyn College,

Cambridge, and a former BBC executive. BBC

Television www.rts.org.uk May 2016 23 Culture on demand

ust over 10 years ago, Sky took Brother and the BBC Two show Celebrity having two channels, in the modern control of the struggling Art School – Remarkable Television age, when people consume things Artsworld channel and subse- – says the net result of these changes more on demand.” quently re-branded it Sky Arts. has been successful. Unusually, cutting two channels to A decade on, it is the home of He explains the rationale: “There one gave him more money overall (Sky The South Bank Show and is didn’t seem to me to be much logic to does not reveal budgets). A new, dedi- renowned for its star-studded cated, on-demand section was also J programmes. These shows created. This saw the consumption of have included Jon Hamm and Daniel NOT ALL ARTS Sky Arts content rise by 108% in the RadcliffeI in A Young Doctor’s Notebook, period July 2015 to April 2016, compared and Joseph Fiennes as Michael Jackson IS ACCESSIBLE… with the same period a year earlier, in the forthcoming one-off, half-hour says Edgar-Jones. comedy drama Elizabeth,­ Michael & IT DOESN’T “What it told us, and this was some- Marlon. Not forgetting the pan-European HAVE TO BE, thing that I knew, is that arts are inter- search for the best new photographer BECAUSE THERE esting subject matter in many ways.… in Master of Photography, due later this Few people like all the arts,” he adds. year, and fronted by Isabella Rossellini. ARE SMALL, “They tend to come and cherry-pick A year ago, Sky Arts Director Phil PASSIONATE the things they’re interested in. Edgar-Jones oversaw the reduction “Your opera fan doesn’t necessarily from two to one arts channels and an AUDIENCES FOR go on to watch country music and vice improved slot higher up the Sky EPG. VERY NICHE versa, so on-demand works well. The jovial Scot, who was Creative There’s a classical tab, a rock-music Director of the company that made Big THINGS tab, a ballet tab, and so on. If people

24 end up with some awful Euro-porridge Meanwhile, the new series of the that didn’t work. Melvyn Bragg-fronted South Bank Show “So we drew a Venn diagram and includes interviews with Russell T worked out where we were different Davies, poet Jackie Kay and Jamaican and where we were all the same. It’s musicians Sly & Robbie. been brilliant for me. We get together No one doubts that Sky Arts aims to once a month and talk about content.” be viewer-friendly as well as ambitious. His German colleagues are visiting “The word ‘arts’ can be challenging for Arts programming the Sky Arts office in west London some people,” admits Edgar-Jones. when we speak. “You’ve got to think: not all art is Pretty much everything that the hub accessible and, in a way, it doesn’t have Phil Edgar-Jones has made so far has come from Italy, to be, because there are small, passion- convinces but Edgar-Jones says “they’ve started ate audiences for very niche things.” to engage more with UK producers to But, he says, “The real ambition is to Tara Conlan collaborate with some Italian directors create work that can have a life outside for the next raft of content we’re the channel. It’s not just being a televi- that Sky Arts is developing”. sion channel.” making a bigger Some Sky Arts shows are too paro- This is a reference to Beyond the Fence, chial to cross borders. There was a a musical created using algorithms, splash as it scales documentary on Shane MacGowan’s which ran at the London Arts Theatre teeth and one on The Jam. “They don’t this spring. up across Europe have the resonance in Italy or Germany, Edgar-Jones calls it “a collaboration so they wouldn’t necessarily take it,” of science and data… these are things admits Edgar-Jones. Equally, he “would that we are doing that have real-world draw the line at obscure German resonance, not just for TV.” gardens”. Despite this, recording live perfor- The appeal of Italian renaissance art mances – such as Simon Rattle con- is much broader. Sky Arts has an Italian ducting at The Barbican – is important, season coming up, which its boss says too. And not only for audiences to enjoy, “is stunning… and is probably bigger but for the historical record. than we could have done ourselves. “Imagine that you could have filmed That’s the advantage of it. Some of it Beethoven recording his own sympho- won’t work and some of it will.” nies.… It’s important to preserve some Playhouse Presents, a series of single, things for the future in digital form. studio-based plays, is a prime example Sky Arts should be the home of of Sky Arts’ originality. It gives people genius,” he declares, pointing to a behind the scenes and in front of the recent collaboration with Enda Walsh camera the chance to “do something on his theatrical opera The Last Hotel, Phil Edgar-Jones that no one would commission else- which allowed the playwright to play Sky where”, claims Edgar-Jones. with form. Emma Thompson, David Tennant, Cutbacks at the BBC have inevitably like a particular genre or artist, they Idris Elba, Hamm and Radcliffe are hit BBC Four, regarded as Sky Arts’ can find it much more easily.” among the stars who have played roles biggest rival – though, as Edgar-Jones He continues: “A lot of people with in Playhouse Presents since the strand points out, “We’re pretty much the Sky Arts will sit on the sofa on a Satur- began in 2012. only dedicated arts channel”. day and create their own schedule for “I think people genuinely enjoy He praises the BBC’s arts coverage the week. It’s the kind of content that, working for Sky Arts,” says Edgar- – “Its Shakespeare season looks fan- if you’re serious about it, you’ll find Jones, partly because of the freedom tastic, it has the Proms, it has Radio 3” space in your evening or weekend to they are given. However, he concedes: – but adds: “I’d like the BBC to do watch all you can.” “It’s difficult to get commissioned, as more arts. The more successful it is, One of the benefits of Sky taking we’re very picky. I would love to do the better it is for everyone.” full control of Sky Italia and Sky everything, but you have to make diffi- Although churn is up slightly, Deutschland has been the creation of cult choices sometimes. We get con- according to Sky’s latest figures, the the Milan-based Sky Arts Production tacted a lot by incredible people who kind of audiences that Sky Arts brings Hub – a cross-border collaboration want to come and work with us, and in are important for the overall brand. that has given birth to documentary that’s nice.” “Each of the channels here has its series Artists in Love and Mystery of the Forthcoming Playhouse Presents epi- job to do and reaches a slightly differ- Lost Caravaggio. sodes revolve around urban myths. ent audience,” says Edgar-Jones. “Cer- Edgar-Jones explains: “Once the One is about Bob Dylan visiting a tainly, all the evidence suggests that three Skys joined up, one of the first house in London that he thinks is the Sky Arts is a highly valued part of the initiatives to get us working together home of Dave Stewart of The Euryth- portfolio. Not by everyone who sub- was Sky Arts. We wanted to establish mics, but which turns out to belong to scribes to Sky, but there’s a significant a way of working, so that we could a different Dave. Another concerns audience watching the channel who scale things up a bit. We didn’t want to Cary Grant and LSD. value the fact that it’s there.”

Television www.rts.org.uk May 2016 25 Ready-to-wear TV at NAB Net TV sets the pace he television set and For drama, the focus is on enhancing viewing of our childhood NAB review the 4K image all the way through to the are gone.” So said Google’s screen, with a wider colour gamut and President of Global better contrast achieved by retaining Partnerships, Daniel Streaming services higher dynamic range (HDR) data cap- Alegre, in his closing are pushing ahead tured by cameras. All new Netflix and ‘keynote to the broadcast equipment Amazon commissions will use HDR. tradeT show NAB, adding: “A newer, of broadcasters to Monitoring video for HDR content better TV is rising from the ashes.” on-set has been extremely tricky, but While Alegre was referring to the rise supply bigger, better the new Shogun Inferno from Austral- of globally popular online content crea- pictures, reports ian manufacturer Atomos changes tors such as PewDiePie, the focus of the that. The £1,665 unit can record and Las Vegas event was on the disruptive Adrian Pennington play back 4K video at 60fps and sup- potential of internet technologies, ports 10 stops of dynamic range. higher picture resolutions and pano- The bulk of new production tech- “HDR leaves even the most experi- ramic video streams. nology at NAB was aimed squarely at enced video professional excited like Broadcasters such as CBS Sports, Ultra-HDTV, in particular its 4K stand- a kid in a candy store - never before Rogers Media and Swisscom are ard, which has four times the resolu- have you actually been able to monitor starting to introduce premium Ultra- tion of HDTV. Panasonic and Grass and shoot what you are actually see- HDTV services, concentrating on live Valley unveiled 4K cameras, but the ing,” claimed CEO Jeromy Young. sports and entertainment. BT Sport, pick was probably, Sony’s HDC-4800. It Sony’s Oled monitor, already the perhaps the world’s most experienced offers a whopping 480 frames per sec- most widely used for grading HDR Ultra-HDTV live broadcaster, plans to ond for 4K slow-­motion. It also allows content, has been joined by a larger, ramp up its output – including its an operator to zoom in and extract an 55-inch model. The new Trimaster EL entire portfolio of English Premier HD cut-out from the 4K image. PVM-X550 can display four separate League matches from next season – in Sony has also produced a 4K version pictures in HDR HDTV for use in anticipation of Sky’s introduction of its of its XDcam, a system popular for post-production houses or outside-­ Sky Q Ultra-HDTV set-top box this year. news reporting. broadcast trucks.

26 Ultra-HDTV: The next wave

Just a few years ago, 4K, an Ultra-HDTV matters, and the production buzz around format with four times the resolution of it will just get louder.’ HDTV, looked like a giant technological Cinegy’s compression technology leap with no supporting business case. is capable of handling multiple video But even before it has spread beyond streams in 8K and even 16K. ‘With our being a niche production standard, its Daniel2, you can acquire, produce and successor is waiting in the wings: 8K has broadcast in 8K today using off-the-shelf Hitachi already supports 8K shooting 16 times the resolution of HDTV and is on equipment. In fact, you can produce in course to begin domestic transmission 16K if you want to,’ said Weigner. Larry Thorpe. ‘Some of our lenses will be in Japan by 2020. Canon showcased a series of 8K in Rio [capturing Olympics content for German play-out specialist Cinegy lenses and reference displays, and will NHK].… We’ll be there when people are focused on 8K at NAB. ‘Most people initially target stadiums and the digital ready for 8K.’ don’t even have 4K televisions yet,’ signage market. ‘This is technology Ikegami and Hitachi both presented admitted CEO Jan Weigner. ‘But, given that we’ve have been working on for 8K broadcast cameras, already available the slew of 8K sets at the Consumer 10 years, primarily for [Japanese broad- commercially, while Panasonic demoed Electronics Show earlier this year, 8K caster] NHK,’ said Canon Senior Fellow an 8K display.

IP: Change is gonna come

The use of internet-based protocols (IP) growth and it has released Go!, a system and generic computing resources may for remotely editing news and sports not be the most glamorous topic, but over the internet. it is now a fundamental driver of every Video editing specialist Avid announced development in TV production and that it had allied with software company distribution. Adobe to tackle a perception that its Familiar broadcast tech brands are proprietary systems are more closed having to replace entire product lines of than interoperable. Users of Avid’s work- bespoke hardware with software that share platform, MediaCentral, can now runs on commodity components. access material built with Adobe’s Pre- Tim Thorsteinson ‘Last year [2015] was the worst year miere Pro application. in the market that I’ve ever experienced ‘The industry is littered with siloed, in this industry,’ declared Snell Advanced of IP technology is new, and there’s fear disconnected products that haven’t Media CEO Tim Thorsteinson at the around that.’ changed,’ argued Avid CEO Louis Her- company’s press event. ‘Customers are Nonetheless, its software-based play- nandez. ‘We’re the most open, extensible driving us to be interoperable. Adoption out systems have seen four quarters of company here.’

Virtual reality: 360° video streaming

YouTube’s introduction of live-streamed is building. GoPro unveiled a six-camera panoramic videos was timed to coincide Omni rig, complete with software to with NAB, where virtual-reality (VR) automatically stitch the cameras’ video products were trending. Anyone with a feeds into an immersive image, for compatible 360° camera and the ability $5,000. The company also launched its to upload video at between 10Mb/s own ‘broadcast-quality’, live-streaming and 20Mb/s can now broadcast on the service – LiveVR. This will soon be used Google-owned­ platform. by the MotoGP and MotoAmerica racing Camera choice ranges from the competitions. GoPro Omni $60,000 Nokia Ozo, which now includes NextVR trotted out what it billed as live VR broadcasting capability, to the the first VR outside-broadcast truck, about transporting you into the world,’ $500 ALLie Cam, which is the first to while Adobe updated its Premiere Pro said Fabrice Lorenceau, Co-founder of enable live-streamed 360° video on editing software to make it easier to broadcast VR firm LiveLike. ‘Here, you YouTube. work with 360° media. can get the best ticket, choose your own The momentum behind VR and, in ‘Television has always been a win- experience, jump to a specific camera, particular, its application in live sports, dow into the world, but VR is really and go to the best seat in the house.’

Television www.rts.org.uk May 2016 27 OUR FRIEND IN THE BIG APPLE

Celebrity soaps, bout six months Springsteen, in concert with our rock- ago, I made a leap. ice hockey, Bruce star entertainment photographer, I moved from west Kevin Mazur. Kevin is magnetic. London to a place Springsteen and Everyone knows him – the celebrities, where the streets Donald Trump. the managers, the crew – and every- are covered with one loves him. blood. Where’s Dawn Airey Seeing him work highlighted the that? NYC’s famed Meatpacking is embracing fact that our photographers are true DAistrict,­ although the description is creative geniuses. They have the not too dissimilar to a moment in New York life access, timing, talent and spirit to get time at Channel 5. the best out of their subjects late into While my career has moved from the night. And then do it again the broadcast to still imagery, I remain a following day. super-fan of Coronation Street. But I do For example, to cover an event such have a new soap addiction – Keeping as the Oscars, it takes an entire team Up with the Kardashians. Sunday night more than 1,000 man hours to pro- on E! is a double dose of the Dashes/ duce more than 80,000 images I am Cait and The Royals; two very cur- (including 360° and video clips). rent, modern-day soap operas that are The level of creativity our experts a sign of our times, where you are bring to their work is stunning. It famous for only being famous. extends beyond our photographers, Despite the on-screen promotional though. While hundreds of thousands backing between Verizon and Time of image-makers are out shooting, a Warner Cable, TWC is my carrier of team of visual trends experts are busy choice. Its on-demand services are understanding the cultural factors rich, intuitive and easy to use. I have that influence photography. They use been able to binge-watch Gotham – a their insights and our in-house data beautifully produced and compelling to predict what kind of images our back story to Batman. customers will need next.

But my prime source of entertain- Yahoo! Which brings me back to Mr Trump. ment has become the US presidential Even before he announced his candi- election. It has been fascinating to significant news events, sport and dacy, our trends team noticed a rise in watch, although I haven’t worked out entertainment. the way “fringe” ideas were becoming whether it’s a black comedy, drama Any night, I have the pleasure of more widely embraced by the main- or serious news. having a front-row seat. I have become stream. Our own data also illustrated I am constantly assured that I am a fan of ice hockey. I attended my first this. Over a five-year span, among witnessing the most sophisticated NY Islanders game, standing with our top-selling images, they found democracy in the world at work. It is award-winning sport photographer the keyword “attitude” had risen 42%, just a pity that some of the presiden- Bruce Bennett as he worked. “individuality” 76% and “creativity” a tial hopefuls are quite so offensive. That night, instantly, he knew which whopping 134%. However, I hope I am going to be a pictures were best. “These are the key Will Trump win? That’s the billion- resident of the US when the first Potus photos that capture the moment, the dollar question. is a woman – that will be something anxiety,” he said. Immediately, I under­ If he does, I don’t know what that to celebrate. stood what separates the pros in an will mean for my new home. But I do One of the joys of being CEO of age when everyone has a camera in know we’ll be there, to capture the Getty Images is that our staff photog- their pocket. moments for the world to see. raphers and thousands of contributors I was able to see another legendary have access to all the world’s American, Bruce “The Boss” Dawn Airey is CEO of Getty Images.

28 May 2016 www.rts.org.uk Television RTS NEWS ondon Centre threw the spotlight on lighting in early May, with an event illumi- natedL by three of the craft’s top practitioners. The panel discussed their careers, cur- rent technology and how to say “no” to directors, as well as offering advice on break- ing into the industry. As a child, cinematographer Stuart Harris spent his lunch money on Sight and Sound magazine and admission to the latest art-film releases. Following school, he became a mail boy, before working as a runner on Roger Corman’s 1964 film The Masque of the Red Death and then as a clapper The Proms – Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Concert

loader. BBC Harris established himself as a cinematographer and moved between shooting commercials, music videos Lighting does much and films, including David Hare’s Wetherby. He is cur- rently Acting Head of Cine- matography at the National more than illuminate Film and Television School. “My career hasn’t gone His films include David just yet. There is a thing called ings. [See] the way the Dutch feature, feature, feature. Cronenberg’s Eastern Promises ‘quality of light’. We need to painters used light to convey I wanted to get into areas and Jonathan Glazer’s Under spend a lot of money on LEDs images and give depth.” where there was more imag- the Skin. Since 2014, Colley to get them right.” Lucky breaks, though, are ination. I’m not putting down has been General Manager The lighting experts dis- important, Davis admitted, feature films, but the thing at equipment supplier Arri cussed how to persuade and offered a personal exam- about a feature is that it locks Rental UK. directors to accept their ple. Following a wave of BBC you into a style,” said Harris. At the London event, advice. “I nag them three redundancies, he recalled, “all Bernie Davis has been which was chaired by digital times and, if three times it’s these experienced people left lighting outside broadcasts producer Muki Kulhan (BBC 'no', then it is no,” said Harris. outside broadcasts, leaving lot since 1987, winning RTS One’s The Voice UK), Colley “You have to find a way to of plum jobs. I became The awards for two BBC pro- discussed Arri’s latest energy-­ make [directors] think that it Proms Lighting Director.” grammes: Masterworks – Six efficient LED lights. “When was their idea,” suggested Looking to the future, Pieces of Britain: The Tallis Fan- I was working as a gaffer Colley. Davis agreed, adding Davis said: “I get fed up with tasia in 1999 and Songs of I didn’t believe LEDs were that, if this fails, “Make it look people telling me that cam- Praise in 2005. He now lights practical,” he said. “But the good despite their lack of eras are getting so sensitive The Proms for the BBC and virtues of LED light are an taste.” that we won’t need lighting National Theatre Live, the plays absolute game-changer now. The experts also offered soon. It’s so shortsighted, broadcast to cinemas around They’ve [mastered] a lot of advice on how to get a start because lighting gives mood the world. the problems.” in lighting. “Keep at it. Make and direction. If lighting was John Colley worked as an The first casualty of the short films. Watch all the [only] about illumination, electrician in Canada until advances in LEDs, said Colley, films you can, but don’t think I wouldn’t bother doing it.” moving to the UK. Deter- “is going to be the smaller it starts with Star Wars – go “Lighting from every mined to make it in movies, tungsten lights. Harris, how- way back. And don’t give in,” angle” was held at ITV he helped out on short films ever, argued that although said Harris. London Studios on 4 May before establishing himself “certain LEDS are fantastic, I “Immerse yourselves in and produced by Rosemary as a gaffer (the electrician in don’t see that everything else lighting,” added Davis. “Go to Smith. charge of lighting). is going to get thrown away art galleries and look at paint- Matthew Bell

Television www.rts.org.uk May 2016 29 RTS NEWS Ireland honours student film

he prizes were shared Tommy Flavin and Killian around the country’s Sundermann. The judges top colleges at the admired the “realist shots RTS Republic of and atmospheric score” that TIreland Student Television worked well in a film about Awards on 23 March. an embalmer and undertaker. An audience of more than The award in the Open 100 attended the event, which category went to Dave Fox was held at RTÉ Television and Naomi Fagan, from the Centre in Dublin. The awards National Film School, IADT, were presented by the Con- Dun Laoghaire, for Lunchtime troller of RTÉ Two, Bill Blues, which “creatively Malone. turned a normal event in the The Animation award was life of a school into a sophis- won by Elif Boyacioglu, Lynn ticated comedy drama”. O’Reilly and Francesca Saun- Chair of the awards jury ders, from the Irish School of Marie Penston complimented RTÉ's Bill Malone with the winners of the Drama award Animation, Ballyfermot Col- the students and tutors on the lege of Further Education, for “very high standard” of The Teacup, a “well-paced, The judges described the bullying at school. “This was entries, adding that the expe- creative, and magical produc- music video as “a fun, rapid-­ a well-developed piece, with rience would help students tion”, said the judges. paced piece”. good attention to all the in their future careers. Dundalk Institute of Tech- John O’Rourke, Rachel disciplines of media produc- There was an increase in nology students Oluwafemi Whelan, Marie Mathews and tion,” said the judges. entries, with two colleges – Adenaiya, Aine McEneaney, Sean Carroll from The School Dublin Institute of Tech- Dundalk Institute of Tech- Maximilian Cope and Linda of Media, Dublin Institute of nology students also won the nology and Coláiste Dhúlaigh Alao took home the Comedy Technology, won the Drama Factual Award for Grey Area, College of Further Education and Entertainment award for award for Battle Scars, which which was made by Jon – entering for the first time. Squarepusher – My Red Hot Car. highlights the problem of Barton, Louise O’Gallagher, Charles Byrne

Queen’s University shines at Northern Ireland Awards

More than 100 guests Leisure (DCAL) and Employ- attended the ceremony at ment and Learning. ‘The cre- the Black Box in Belfast. They ative industries are one of the were joined by their host, local major growth areas of North- BBC presenter Tara Mills, and ern Ireland’s economy and this keynote speaker Brooke Allen, event highlights the creative who reports from Stormont talent of our students,’ said for BBC News. the Minister for Employment Conn McKermott (right) receives his award ‘These awards offer the and Learning, Stephen Farry. opportunity for talented The RTS awards were part of n Queen’s University Belfast Rebecca Kelly; Comedy and media students from across DCAL’s ‘Creativity Month’. ‘We took home three of the four Entertainment for Summit, by Northern Ireland to showcase are celebrating the [students’] awards from the RTS Northern Gerard Donnelly and Nathan their work to some of the entrepreneurial endeavours Ireland Student Awards, which Somerville; and Factual with creative industry’s biggest while acknowledging that edu- were held the night before the Conn McKermott’s film, I Call to names,’ said RTS Centre Chair cation plays a crucial part in Republic of Ireland event. the Living and Mourn the Dead. Michael Wilson. shaping their skill base,’ added The university won the Dualta Donnelly from Ulster The awards were backed by the Minister of Culture, Arts Drama award with The Moun- University won the Animation the Northern Ireland depart- and Leisure, Carál Ní Chuilín. tain, by Connor Brennan and award for Echoes. ments of Culture, Arts and Matthew Bell

30 In 1969, Fitzwalter was including three awards from voted Young Journalist of the the RTS. Year by publisher IPC for his Fitzwalter’s populist touch investigative reporting. One led him to make a World in of his scoops was exposing a Action programme in 1984 crooked Bradford estate that challenged Matthew agent. The man was also the Parris, at the time a Con- paper’s biggest advertiser. servative MP, to live on At the Argus, he wrote his unemployment benefit of first articles on what became £26.80 a week. Parris found known as the Poulson affair, the experience humiliating. focusing on corrupt property Four years later, Fitzwalter developer John Poulson and turned to the BBC in a World his associates. in Action film, The Taming of Fitzwalter joined Granada the BBC, criticising PM Mar- in 1970. Under the guidance garet Thatcher’s influence on of Controller of Programmes appointing BBC governors David Plowright, he attracted sympathetic to her world controversy for his film view. Thatcher reportedly exposing Poulson and his saw Fitzwalter and his team cronies, The Friends and Influ- as “just a lot of Trotskyites”. ence of John L Poulson. In 1987, he became Grana- The Independent Broad- da’s Head of Current Affairs. casting Authority (IBA), the Among the programmes he regulator empowered to executive produced was the

ITV approve all ITV programmes 1990 drama documentary before transmission, banned Who Bombed Birmingham? the show. It was later revealed about the 1974 Birmingham that four members of the IBA pub bombings. This helped Ray Fitzwalter board were linked to people to expose one of the biggest mentioned in the film. miscarriages of justice in ITV responded to the ban recent British legal history. 1944-2016 by showing a blank screen By the early 1990s, Fitzwal- instead of the programme. ter found himself at odds Eventually, a with the cost-cutting Gra- revised version was nada regime of The World in Action investigative broadcast, entitled Gerry Robin- journalist who took on judges, The Rise and Fall son and of John Poulson. Charles Allen. ministers and regulators Poulson was He resigned subsequently and became ay Fitzwalter, who In common with many sentenced to an independ- died on 4 April, TV journalists of his era, seven years in ent producer. aged 72, was one of Fitzwalter­ joined Granada prison. In 2008, the most important straight from newspapers. In 1976, Fitz­ Fitzwalter investigativeR television jour- He was a working-class walter became published the nalists of his generation. Northerner and proud of it. Editor of World acclaimed his- At Granada Television, He was born in Bury, Lanca- in Action, a post tory The Dream Fitzwalter was part of a group shire, the son of a factory he held for ITV That Died: The Rise of talented programme-­ worker and a seamstress. He 11 years. As John Birt, the & Fall of ITV. Not makers who ensured that passed the 11-plus early, aged ex-Granada producer who everyone agreed with its ITV was in the vanguard of nine. became BBC Director-­ thesis that ITV had aban- airing influential and popular After attending the local General, wrote in his autobi- doned its public-service current-affairs shows. grammar school and reading ography, The Harder Path, roots, but no one could As Editor of the trail-blazing economics at the London “The doughty, puritan, plain-­ doubt the passion that ITV flagship World in Action, School of Economics, Fitz­ speaking Ray Fitzwalter informed the book. Fitzwalter was a thorn in the walter joined the Bradford would prove a brilliant Fitzwalter was made a side of corrupt businessmen Telegraph & Argus. There, he upholder of the World in Fellow of the RTS in 1993. and politicians. The peak- developed his flair for root- Action flame.” He is survived by his wife, time show (initially shown ing out rot in high places and On his watch, the pro- Luise, his children and six on Monday nights) was proved that he was a journal- gramme won 35 national grandchildren. launched in 1963. ist of rare integrity. and international prizes, Steve Clarke

Television www.rts.org.uk May 2016 31 RTS NEWS Butler enthralls Dublin audience eteran broadcaster Other excerpts included Pat Butler looked programmes from RTÉ cur- back over his long rent-affairs strand Today TV career at a Tonight, presented by Butler, RepublicV of Ireland Centre on the turmoil in the Middle event at RTÉ in early April. East in 1988 and – closer to At “Telling it as it is: voicing home – an investigation into the voiceless”, Butler dis- the murder of two elderly cussed many of the series patients at a Dublin psychi- that he had been involved in atric hospital. researching and presenting, Known for his work as a often for RTÉ's Irish language television presenter, reporter current-affairs output. and producer, Butler has Among the clips at the been involved in the Irish event was one from the 1997 broadcasting industry for RTÉ dramatised documen- the past 36 years. Pat Butler speaking at the Republic of Ireland event tary, Ballyseedy, which Butler Other programmes that created. the strong advocate of pub- The film took him five lic service broadcasting has and kids show Youngline. Oireachtais awards, the years to research and write, worked on for RTÉ include Butler has received recogni- Celtic Media Awards and the and tells the story of an Irish-language current-­ tion for his work over the Irish Film and Television atrocity in 1923 during the affairs programme Féach, years at the Irish-language Academy Awards. Irish Civil War. documentary series Léargas Gradam Chumarsáide an Charles Byrne

mobile media; the launch of could be gained at smaller Students learn from youth brand Vice’s first companies, telling the audi- European TV channel, Vice- ence that she had done land, later this year; and everything from changing a Southern experts how such moves will have light bulb to appearing on an impact on production screen. techniques. Nineteen TV professionals Students were keen to from ITV, BBC, Vice Media, a know if they would be heard range of indies and a local-TV when they pitched ideas to provider offered advice at the broadcasters. The advice event, which is in its seventh from ITV’s Factual Commis- year. The students at the sioner, Sat Panesar’s was that event came from Bourne- they should know everything mouth University, Southamp- about their subject area and ton Solent University, have total conviction about Winchester University, High- the film that they were bury College and the Arts pitching. University Bournemouth. Panesar added that broad- Gordon Cooper casters needed to know that the person could deliver, so they were unlikely to give a Correction That's Solent Editor Charlotte Briere-Edney offers advice commission to a student, but,

Vitor Vilela Vitor if an idea was really good, n Natalie Rolley is not a they might link the student director of Celtic Prop Hire, n Some 180 media students Two hours of informal with a production company as we incorrectly reported from across the south of Eng- networking was preceded or an ITV in-house team. in Television’s November land heard sound advice from by a session on current TV Station Editor and news 2015 issue (page 34). The TV executives at Southern issues and opportunities in presenter Charlotte Briere-­ business is, in fact, oper- Centre’s “Meet the Profes- the industry for the students. Edney, from local-TV chan- ated by Siân Bundy as a sionals” event at Bourne- The subjects covered nel That’s Solent, stressed sole trader. mouth University in March. included: television on how valuable experience

32 Scotland lifts roof on BBC celebrity show n The team behind Holiday of Widdecombe have revisited My Lifetime with Len Goodman Studland in Dorset and the revealed the secrets of their Lake District, respectively. award-winning show at an The RTS Scotland Awards Raise the Roof team: Burnett, Dunnett, Wharton and Jackson RTS Scotland event in March. judges praised the show for The BBC One series, which “brilliant casting” and the is made by Glasgow indie “fantastic use of archive and childhood holiday memories positive, with the RTS Scot- Raise the Roof Productions, nice interweaving of social and the talent of its presenter, land audience welcoming the was named Best Daytime history with fun”. Goodman, they said. opportunity to find out how a Programme at last year’s RTS Executive Producer Debo- Production Manager Kath- series is stitched together. Scotland Awards. rah Dunnett and Creative ryn Burnett and Series Pro- “You don’t often find out In the show, Strictly Come Director Andrew Jackson ducer Jonny Wharton what happens behind the Dancing judge Goodman outlined the programme’s explained how they plan scenes, and the planning and returns celebrities to the site development at the event, and shoot the multi-episode research that goes into it,” of their childhood holidays. which was held at STV’s Series, and look after the said one attendee. Over two series, the likes of Glasgow studios. The format on-screen talent. Rachael McAlonan and Nicholas Parsons and Ann draws on both the power of Reaction at the event was Rhiannon Melrose ONLINE at the RTS

n Ed Gove met Casting Producer Damien Timmer Director Andy Pryor, who really questioned whether has worked on Doctor Aidan Turner was good- Foster and Call the Midwife, looking enough to play Ross to discuss his job at www. Poldark. You can watch the rts.org.uk/andypryor. Pryor highlights at www.rts.org.uk/ also cast Pearl Mackie poldark or the full event at as the new Doctor Who www.rts.org.uk/poldarkinfull The London panel: Godwin, Dereza, Putt, Eminue and Winstanley companion, Bill, and gave us an exclusive look into the n With Game of Thrones casting process at www.rts. back on Sky Atlantic, we org.uk/pearlmackie looked at what has hap- London offers pened to the actors whose n The highlights package characters met grisly ends. from ‘Poldark: Anatomy Former cast members have a helping hand of a Hit’ was our most- gone on to star in Hollywood viewed video of the month, films, launch theatre com- presumably thanks to the panies and even receive an TS London ran its List; Arit Eminue, Director of number of people wanting RTS award nomination. www. popular “Getting in training body DiVA; and Sara to check whether Executive rts.org.uk/gameofthrones and getting on” Putt of film and TV crew event in late April at agency Sara Putt Associates. ITV’sR London Studios, giving The panellists agreed that that, while people write that struggle to run the business those new to TV – and those apprenticeships are now a they are passionate about TV side of their careers. looking to climb the ladder – good alternative to degrees. in their CVs, the key was An audience member asked a chance to learn from Godwin said that BBC being able to show, not tell. how to become a presenter. experts. Chaired by journalist recruitment was now less Winstanley said that free- Godwin said that it was diffi- Nadine Dereza, the panel London-centric and “com- lancing can build experience cult and dependent on a consisted of Joe Godwin, panies are looking for talent, and contacts, but that new showreel and “talent, talent, Director of the BBC Academy passion and hunger to suc- starters should not work for talent and luck”. He added and BBC Birmingham; Jude ceed – keep making stuff, free. Putt agreed, stating that, that the best way to learn Winstanley, the founder of and putting it on YouTube”. although an agent may appear was to watch lots of TV. online jobs board The Unit Eminue agreed, adding a luxury, many freelancers Stuart Headlam

Television www.rts.org.uk May 2016 33 OFF M E SSAGE

o who will now defend She added: “To make it dependent another bull’s eye for the Hammer- the BBC in its hour of on whimsical words such as ‘trans- smith-based company. need? These are parency’ is actually cutting at the extraordinarily tense heart of storytelling.” ■ Tony Garnett is one of our greatest and unsettling times for Mandabach should know. Her producers. Recently, Susanna White, the corporation. None credits include also The Cosby Show, Director of the BBC’s award-winning of the white paper Roseanna and Nurse Jackie. Bleak House and Parade’s End, singled “leaks” makes reassuring reading for But there is a caveat to her support him out as her mentor. She is not TonyS Hall – or, frankly, for those who for the Beeb. She thinks the BBC alone. believe an independent BBC of scale should stop making whodunnits and Soon we will be able to learn more is vital to the health of Britain’s crea- stick entirely with character-based about his extraordinary life (both his tive economy. dramas. Perhaps she’s been lunching parents died while he was a child and Meanwhile, Hall and his team have with John Whittingdale. Garnett was raised by an aunt and a growing number of big shoes to fill. uncle) when his memoir, The Day the More high-profile exits are being ■ We’ve all read that one idea appar- Music Died – A Life Behind the Lens, is predicted following the announce- ently emanating from the culture published next month. ment that Mark Freeland is quitting. secretary is to force BBC Worldwide Off Message is getting an order in In April, the BBC lost its drama to sell its 50% stake in UKTV. pronto. chief, its head of natural history and, Clearly, there would be no shortage with Freeland’s exit, its most senior of potential buyers. The suitors would ■ Certain cynics are convinced that comedy production executive. almost certainly include UKTV’s joint Rupert Murdoch’s papers would At this rate, the number of head owner, the ambitious Scripps. never print a bad word concerning honchos heading out of New Broad- UKTV recently announced that its Sky. casting House will have reached share of commercial impacts is ahead Well, they’d better think again. double figures by mid-summer. of Channel 5’s portfolio of channels Reviewing Sky 1 thriller The Five, The and Sky’s own branded channels. Sunday Times’s TV critic AA Gill lived ■ But, wait, here’s somebody pre- This, of course, makes Worldwide’s up to his acerbic reputation by writ- pared to speak out on behalf of stake more valuable still. ing the following: “The Five is Sky’s beleaguered Auntie. big suspense drama. The real sus- “Everyone with half a brain is ■ Staying with UKTV, earlier this pense surrounds when Sky is going concerned about the BBC. I moved year, the company surprised every- to manage to make something that is here because of the nature of this one by moving into live sport. It a destination TV moment, and origi- institution, which is singularly the acquired the rights to boxer David nates in Britain, and doesn’t look like most valuable brand that Britain has,” Haye’s comeback fight. old stars cashing in.” opined US scripted colossus Caryn Expect more sport’s coverage from Ouch. Let’s hope that at least one Mandabach, speaking at the launch UKTV. Darts is understood to be one of the, ahem, starry new dramas of Peaky Blinders, which is produced event that the channel provider is announced last month by Sky leads by her company. eyeing up. It could turn out to be Gill to revise his opinion.

34 May 2016 www.rts.org.uk Television RTS PATRONS

RTS Principal BBC Channel 4 ITV Sky Patrons

RTS Discovery Networks Turner Broadcasting System Inc International Liberty Global Viacom International Media Networks Patrons NBCUniversal International YouTube The Walt Disney Company

RTS Accenture Enders Analysis IBM Sargent-Disc Major Amazon Video EY IMG Studios STV Group Patrons Audio Network FremantleMedia ITN UKTV BT FTI Consulting KPMG Virgin Media Channel 5 Fujitsu McKinsey and Co YouView Deloitte Huawei S4C

RTS Autocue ITV London ITV West Quantel Patrons Digital Television Group ITV Meridian ITV Yorkshire Raidió Teilifís Éireann ITV Anglia ITV Tyne Tees Lumina Search UTV Television ITV Granada ITV Wales PricewaterhouseCoopers Vinten Broadcast

Who’s who Patron President CENTRES COUNCIL History at the RTS HRH The Prince of Wales Sir Peter Bazalgette Lynn Barlow Don McLean Mike Best Vice-Presidents Chair of RTS Trustees Charles Byrne IBC Conference Liaison David Abraham John Hardie Isabel Clarke Terry Marsh Dawn Airey Alex Connock Sir David Attenborough OM Honorary Secretary Gordon Cooper RTS Legends CH CVO CBE FRS David Lowen Tim Hartley TBC Baroness Floella Kingsley Marshall Benjamin OBE Honorary Treasurer Kristin Mason RTS Technology Bursaries Dame Colette Bowe OBE Mike Green Graeme Thompson Simon Pitts Lord Bragg of Wigton Penny Westlake John Cresswell BOARD OF TRUSTEES James Wilson AWARDS COMMITTEE Adam Crozier Tim Davie Michael Wilson CHAIRS Mike Darcey Mike Green Awards & Fellowship Greg Dyke John Hardie SPECIALIST GROUP Policy Lord Hall of Birkenhead Huw Jones CHAIRS David Lowen Lorraine Heggessey Jane Lighting Archives Ashley Highfield Graham McWilliam Steve Bryant Craft & Design Awards Armando Iannucci OBE David Lowen Cheryl Taylor Ian Jones Simon Pitts Diversity Baroness Lawrence of Graeme Thompson Marcus Ryder Television Journalism Clarendon OBE Jane Turton Awards Rt Hon Baroness Jowell Rob Woodward Early Evening Events Stewart Purvis CBE of Brixton DBE PC Dan Brooke David Lynn EXECUTIVE Programme Awards Sir Trevor McDonald OBE Chief Executive Education Alex Mahon Ken MacQuarrie Theresa Wise Graeme Thompson Gavin Patterson Student Television Trevor Phillips OBE RTS Futures Awards Stewart Purvis CBE Donna Taberer Stuart Murphy Sir Howard Stringer

Television www.rts.org.uk May 2016 35 Deadline for applications 6 June

RTS Technology Undergraduate Bursary RTS Television Production and Broad­cast Journalism Undergraduate Bursary

RTS bursaries offer £1,000 per year to support students’ living expenses on eligible higher education courses

For criteria and online application: www.rts.org.uk/ undergraduate-bursaries