Spring 2004 BulletinBulletinCelebrating our 21st anniversary year Voice of the Listener & Viewer Working for Quality and Diversity in Broadcasting 77 Public Service Broadcasting: 2003 VLV Awards for Excellence In safe in whose hands? Broadcasting Andrew Marr, the BBC’s Political Editor, Full House Expected for Top BBC and Ofcom Executives who himself won an award two years ago, will present VLV’s 2003 Awards for at VLV’s Spring Conference in London on 29 April Excellence in Broadcasting at 1.45pm, before the afternoon session of VLV’s Mark Byford, the BBC’s Acting Both speakers will be concerned spring conference on 29 April. Director General, and Stephen with the focus this year on issues The Awards are organised by VLV Board Carter, Chief Executive of the surrounding BBC Charter Review and member John Clark and sponsored by the Voice communications regulator Ofcom, Ofcom’s consultation plans, including of the Listener Trust. Four of the presentations will be the speakers at VLV’s 21st its review of public service will be for radio spring conference on Thursday, 29 programmes and broadcasting across all the terrestrial April. It will be held at Hamilton presenters, four for House, London WC1. Mr Carter will channels. Priority booking will be television. Each of speak at 11.am, Mr Byford at 3pm. given to VLV members. the winners will receive a handsome Mark Byford engraved crystal glass trophy kindly donated by Dartington Crystal. Broadcasting and Civil Andrew Marr Society in the Digital Age VLV’s 9th International Conference, 26 and 27 April Your BBC – Andrew (Lord) McIntosh, Europe and the rest of the world, as digital UK Minister for technology brings the convergence of broadcasting, Your Say Broadcasting and telecommunications and the internet, and makes Heritage will open possible hundreds of new channels and services. Public Consultation VLV’s 9th International Among the confirmed speakers are Stephaan on BBC Charter Review conference in April Depeyere, Directorate for State Aid, European with a welcome to Commission; Ashley Highfield, Director BBC New Deadline: 31 March delegates on behalf of Media; Phil Laven Director of Technology, European The BBC’s Royal Charter expires in two years the British Government. Broadcasting Union; Huw Jones, Chief Executive, time but you have only until 31 March to Mark Thompson, Chief S4C; Stephen Coleman, Professor of e-democracy, respond to the consultation on the future role, Executive of Channel 4, Oxford; Elizabeth Smith, Secretary-General, funding and governance of the BBC now being like VLV celebrating its The Commonwealth Broadcasting Association; conducted by the Department for Culture, Lord McIntosh 21st year, will give the Dr Damian Tambini, IPPR and Director, Programme Media & Sport. keynote address. in Comparative Media Law, Oxford; Vladimir Gai, Every VLV member should send their views The conference has already attracted participants Chief, Communications Development, UNESCO, about this great institution to the Culture Secretary, from a wide range of backgrounds in four of the five Paris; Peter Grant, Canadian author of Tessa Jowell, and help to shape Government continents. They will consider the future for public ‘Blockbusters & Trade Wars’; Javad Mottaghi, thinking on the role that the BBC and public service broadcasting, and for viewers and listeners in Director, Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting. service broadcasting in general plays in British life. continued on page 3 Leaflets are available in public libraries, from: Inside www.bbccharterreview.org.uk VLV AGM Book Reviews Meetings & Events attended or VLV. VLV Visits Editorial Comment VLV Responses/Consultations This is a rare – possibly your only - chance to influence Summer Conference Your BBC - Your Say Letters the future of the BBC and Who’s Who Broadcasting in Transition Diary Dates of British broadcasting. Make sure you use it! VLV - Annual General Meeting Notice is hereby given that the 2nd Annual 6 Under Article 38, all current Board members General Meeting of Voice of the Listener & remain in office this year. Subject to a maximum Voice of the Listener & Viewer Viewer Ltd will be held at the British Academy, of 10 members, including the three Honorary Officers, (Article 26 c) further nominations may Working for Quality and Diversity in British Broadcasting 10 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AH be submitted, to the Honorary Secretary, no VLV Patrons on Tuesday, 7th July 2004 at 4.00pm. fewer than three days and not more than Lord Barnet PC JP twenty-one days before the AGM. (The closing AGENDA Archbishop Lord Eames of Armagh date is thus Friday 3rd July). Nominations must 1 To approve the Minutes of the previous Annual Sir Francis Graham-Smith FRS be presented to the registered office, in writing General Meeting of Voice of the Listener & Lord Inglewood MEP signed by a member qualified to attend and vote Viewer Ltd, held on 7th July 2003, at the British Dame Mary Peters DBE at the meeting for which such a notice is given, Academy, 10 Carlton House Terrace, London of his or her intention to propose such person Lord Puttnam of Queensgate CBE SW1Y 5AH. for election, and a notice in writing signed by Anthony Sampson 2 To receive the Reports of the Chairman, the another member qualified to attend and vote at Lady Solti Secretary and the Treasurer with the Annual the meeting for which such notice is given, of Lord Thomson of Monifieth KT PC Accounts for the financial year ending 31st his or her intention to second the proposal of Sir John Tusa March 2004. such person for election, and also notice in 3 To receive the Report of the Examiners, Messrs. writing signed by that person of his or her Directors King & Taylor, Chartered Accountants. willingness to be elected. The notice shall Jocelyn Hay MBE (Hon Chairman) 4 To appoint the Examiners for 2004/5 and fix the give particulars of that person which would, Colin Graeme Thompson FCA, FIRM (Hon Examiners’ remuneration. if he/she were to be appointed, be required to be included in the register of Board members. Treasurer) 5 As provided under Article 26 c, the Honorary Bob Fletcher (Hon Secretary) Officers, Jocelyn Hay (Chairman), Bob Fletcher 7 To receive Resolutions, which must be seconded Robert Beveridge (Secretary), and Graeme Colin Thompson and submitted within the same time scale as John Clark (Treasurer), will have served their statutory nominations to be Company Director. Dr Brinley Morgan two years and are eligible for re-election. (See (6) above.) Professor Vincent Porter Professor Naomi Sargant Jocelyne Tobin VLV Visits Company Secretary Bob Fletcher Visit to BBC Southampton - 25 March 2004 On the evening of Wednesday the 25th of the live telecast of South Today, with additional VLV office hours: March, I joined a VLV group who were given a speakers allowing us to hear audio/visual gallery. 9.00am - 5.00pm Mon-Thurs guided tour by Lisa Hardisty of the Headquarters Lisa Hardisty had produced the show for many of BBC South, which houses both the South years and therefore our questions were very Voice of the Listener & Viewer Ltd (VLV) Today and Radio Solent studios. knowledgeably answered. Finally we were taken to represents the citizen and consumer We were shown the inside workings of both the main news and production offices where and it was fascinating to see how it all functions. everything from Teletext to the local web pages are interests in broadcasting and works We were then taken into the main radio studio created. We discussed how bimedia production has for quality and diversity in and given a demonstration of how one of the worked and the increasing use of camera/journalists. British broadcasting. VLV is free from radio promos was created on a digital editing A very enjoyable and informative evening. political, sectarian and commercial system. Moving on we were led through the BBC affiliations. VLV is concerned with the building to a studio where we were able to watch Robert Hunt, Student, Southhampton. issues, structures, institutions, and regulation that underpin the British VLV visit to the British Library Sound Archive broadcasting system and in particular A party of 20 VLV members thoroughly enjoyed the Royal Shakespeare Company and Royal to maintain the principles of the opportunity to visit the magnificent British National Theatre). Popular Music (hopefully every public service in broadcasting. Library in March. There were so many gems in recording), possibly the largest collection of World VLV does not handle complaints. the talk. Traditional Music, Wildlife sounds (accessed by Originally in 1955, the British Institute of museums, zoos and for sound effects) and Oral Recorded Sound, today’s British Library Sound History which includes Florence Nightingale (barely Design & Production Archive holds world-wide recordings – millions of audible) and BBC’s Millennium Memory Bank. High Profile Ltd, Tel: 01474 533077 discs, thousands of tapes, videos, fragile wax The Archive has every possible BBC recording. Published by Voice of the Listener & Viewer Ltd, cylinders and gramophone records – and is currently Many samples heard were of Beeb origin, for A private company limited by guarantee grappling with digital sound. The life span of the example, George V’s 1932 Christmas broadcast and (number 4407712) recordings is debatable but gold CDs are in current Bertrand Russell’s 1962 anti-invasion views, which Registered address: use. All are housed in London with duplicates in only needed Iraq substituted for Cuba to be topical! 101 Kings' Drive, Gravesend, Kent DA12 5BQ. Yorkshire. The Sound Archive website is Tel: 01474 352835 Fax: 01474 351112. Rod Hamilton’s enlightening talk, with sample http://www.bl.uk/soundarchive and the online E-mail: [email protected] recordings, explained the Archive’s six sections: a Cadensa catalogue: http://www.cadensa.bl.uk.