Bernard Falk
Encyclopedia
Bernard Falk was a United Kingdom television reporter and interviewer perhaps best known for his contributions to the BBC
current affairs and magazine programme Nationwide
in the 1970s and the BBC Radio 4
travel programme Breakaway
in the 1980s.
He was born in Southport
, Lancashire
the son of a wine merchant and was educated at Liverpool College. He began his career in print journalism
with the Birkenhead News and played Liverpool's Cavern Club in the evenings as a member of a beat group called 'Tony Snow and his Blizzards', later re-named 'The Bohemians'. He then worked on Fleet Street
for the Daily Mirror, before his first job as a television reporter on Scottish TV's Scotland Today nightly news programme covering local issues. He quickly graduated to Scotland Today Report a weekly current affairs programme, filmed mostly within STV's region on the issues of the day. He enjoyed a short spell at BBC Scotland
appearing on Reporting Scotland and then to a controversial series of late-night entertainment shows called Falk On.... with the last word of the title featured the subject to be discussed. It was often controversial. He later moved to London to join BBC current affairs, appearing in programmes including 24 hours
.
In 1971 Falk was imprisoned for 4 days in Belfast's Crumlin Road jail for contempt of court. He had interviewed a member of the IRA but refused to reveal his source to the police.
He was also notable for hosting the early reality television
survival show Now Get Out of That, the late night live chat show/discussion programme Sin on Saturday
in the early 1980s and for reporting on British general election
night programmes. He also worked on Start The Week
on BBC Radio 4
and was the regular presenter of BBC Radio 4's Saturday morning travel programme, Breakaway. Falk had a history of heart problems and died of a heart attack aged 47.
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
current affairs and magazine programme Nationwide
Nationwide (TV series)
Nationwide was a BBC News and Current affairs television programme broadcast on BBC One each weekday following the early evening news. It followed a magazine format, combining political analysis and discussion with consumer affairs, light entertainment and sports reporting...
in the 1970s and the BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
travel programme Breakaway
Breakaway (radio programme)
Breakaway was BBC radio's first regular consumer travel programme, conceived by producer Roger Macdonald. It was launched on 29 September 1979 and ran live for an hour at 0900 every Saturday morning for more than a decade, with two regular presenters, first Barry Norman and later Bernard Falk...
in the 1980s.
He was born in Southport
Southport
Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. During the 2001 census Southport was recorded as having a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
the son of a wine merchant and was educated at Liverpool College. He began his career in print journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
with the Birkenhead News and played Liverpool's Cavern Club in the evenings as a member of a beat group called 'Tony Snow and his Blizzards', later re-named 'The Bohemians'. He then worked on Fleet Street
Fleet Street
Fleet Street is a street in central London, United Kingdom, named after the River Fleet, a stream that now flows underground. It was the home of the British press until the 1980s...
for the Daily Mirror, before his first job as a television reporter on Scottish TV's Scotland Today nightly news programme covering local issues. He quickly graduated to Scotland Today Report a weekly current affairs programme, filmed mostly within STV's region on the issues of the day. He enjoyed a short spell at BBC Scotland
BBC Scotland
BBC Scotland is a constituent part of the British Broadcasting Corporation, the publicly-funded broadcaster of the United Kingdom. It is, in effect, the national broadcaster for Scotland, having a considerable amount of autonomy from the BBC's London headquarters, and is run by the BBC Trust, who...
appearing on Reporting Scotland and then to a controversial series of late-night entertainment shows called Falk On.... with the last word of the title featured the subject to be discussed. It was often controversial. He later moved to London to join BBC current affairs, appearing in programmes including 24 hours
24 Hours (TV series)
Twenty-Four Hours is a long-running, late evening, daily news magazine programme that aired on BBC 1. It focused on analysis and criticism of current affairs and featured in-depth short documentary films that set the style for current affairs magazine programmes. Twenty-Four Hours launched in 1965...
.
In 1971 Falk was imprisoned for 4 days in Belfast's Crumlin Road jail for contempt of court. He had interviewed a member of the IRA but refused to reveal his source to the police.
He was also notable for hosting the early reality television
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
survival show Now Get Out of That, the late night live chat show/discussion programme Sin on Saturday
Sin on Saturday
Sin on Saturday was a British live late night chat show based on the theme of the seven deadly sins that was produced by BBC Scotland. It was pulled from the schedules after only three broadcasts out of an intended eight...
in the early 1980s and for reporting on British general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
night programmes. He also worked on Start The Week
Start the Week
Start the Week is a discussion programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4 which began in April 1970. The current presenter is the former BBC political editor Andrew Marr...
on BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
and was the regular presenter of BBC Radio 4's Saturday morning travel programme, Breakaway. Falk had a history of heart problems and died of a heart attack aged 47.
External links
- Bernard Falk at the Internet Movie Database
- Bernard Falk BBC Archive report from the first annual Mersey Beat convention
- http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/opinion/pressing-charges-14302892.html
- http://www.ukgameshows.com/ukgs/Now_Get_Out_of_That