Charles Hill, Baron Hill of Luton
Encyclopedia
Charles Hill, Baron Hill of Luton PC
(15 January 1904 – 22 August 1989) was a British administrator
, doctor and television executive
.
Charles Hill was born in Islington
, London
and was educated at St Olave's Grammar School
in Southwark
, London. He won a scholarship to Trinity College, Cambridge
where he gained a first class degree. He continued his medical studies at the London Hospital gaining MRCS
and MRCP
in 1927 and later he gained MB, BCh and MD
. He became Deputy Medical Officer of Oxford in 1930. He became Assistant Secretary of the British Medical Association
from 1932 and Secretary from 1944 to 1950.
During the Second World War, the Ministry of Health had wanted the BBC
to infiltrate health messages into ordinary programmes rather than have dedicated programmes from the Ministry of Food, but the BBC warned that this would not be effective and would be viewed by listeners as patronising. Consequently, Hill's role as the "Radio Doctor" became part of the Ministry of Food's programme, "Kitchen Front", every morning from 1942.
Hill was still the BMA's Secretary when the National Health Service
was introduced in 1948. He negotiated with Aneurin Bevan
and ensured that general practitioner
s did not simply become salaried employees. He stood for Parliament for Cambridge University
in 1945 as an independent. He was successful in 1950, becoming MP
for Luton
as a Conservative and National Liberal
.
He was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food
in 1951. He became the Postmaster-General
(a non-cabinet ministerial position with responsibilities that included broadcasting) in 1955; during his period in office he publicly berated the BBC
for its reporting of the Suez Crisis
. In May 1956, Hill attempted to formalise the existing agreement by which discussions or statements about matters before Parliament could not be broadcast in the fortnight preceding any debate (the 'fourteen day rule'). However, the Suez Crisis rendered this policy unworkable in practice and the government agreed to its suspension at the end of the year. Hill, who had been uneasy about the implications of the rule for freedom of expression, was relieved.
From 1957 to 1961 he was Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
and from 1961 he was to Minister of Housing and Local Government and Welsh Affairs, but he lost his place in the Cabinet in Harold Macmillan
's reshuffle in 1962.
He was appointed as the Chairman of the Independent Television Authority
in 1963, where he continued his hostile attitude towards the BBC. He was then created a life peer
as Baron Hill of Luton, of Harpenden in the County of Hertford. In 1967 Hill announced that the ITV
contracts were all to be re-advertised, because he was concerned about the large profits being made by the major companies and their lack of regional identity. This resulted in a radical reorganisation of the ITV network.
He succeeded Lord Normanbrook
as the Chairman of the BBC Governors (1967–1972), having been appointed by the Prime Minister
, Harold Wilson
, to "sort out" the Corporation. His appointment as BBC Chairman surprised the BBC's Governors and several resigned. Sir Robert Lusty
, the acting Chairman, commented that "it was like inviting Rommel
to command the Eighth Army on the eve of Alamein
".
Harold Wilson encouraged Lord Hill to be active in editorial decisions. Hill had a difficult relationship with the Director-General of the BBC
, Hugh Greene
, and he eventually forced Greene to resign in 1969. Greene later described Hill as a "vulgarian". He had a quieter relationship with Greene's successor, Charles Curran
. He retired from the BBC in 1972 and died in 1989, aged 85.
He married Marion Spencer Wallace, with whom he had two sons and three daughters.
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
(15 January 1904 – 22 August 1989) was a British administrator
Administrator of the Government
An Administrator in the constitutional practice of some countries in the Commonwealth is a person who fulfils a role similar to that of a Governor or a Governor-General...
, doctor and television executive
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
.
Charles Hill was born in Islington
Islington
Islington is a neighbourhood in Greater London, England and forms the central district of the London Borough of Islington. It is a district of Inner London, spanning from Islington High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the area around the busy Upper Street...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and was educated at St Olave's Grammar School
St Olave's Grammar School
St Olave's and St Saviour's Grammar School is a super-selective boys' secondary school in Orpington, Greater London, England. The school is consistently one of the top achieving state schools in the UK and it was The Sunday Times State School of the Year in 2008...
in Southwark
Southwark
Southwark is a district of south London, England, and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Southwark. Situated east of Charing Cross, it forms one of the oldest parts of London and fronts the River Thames to the north...
, London. He won a scholarship to Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
where he gained a first class degree. He continued his medical studies at the London Hospital gaining MRCS
Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons
MRCS is a professional qualification for surgeons in the UK and IrelandIt means Member of the Royal College of Surgeons. In the United Kingdom, doctors who gain this qualification traditionally no longer use the title 'Dr' but start to use the title 'Mr', 'Mrs', 'Miss' or 'Ms'.There are 4 surgical...
and MRCP
MRCP
MRCP may be:* Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography, in medical imaging, a technique to visualise the biliary tract and pancreatic ducts....
in 1927 and later he gained MB, BCh and MD
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
. He became Deputy Medical Officer of Oxford in 1930. He became Assistant Secretary of the British Medical Association
British Medical Association
The British Medical Association is the professional association and registered trade union for doctors in the United Kingdom. The association does not regulate or certify doctors, a responsibility which lies with the General Medical Council. The association’s headquarters are located in BMA House,...
from 1932 and Secretary from 1944 to 1950.
During the Second World War, the Ministry of Health had wanted the BBC
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...
to infiltrate health messages into ordinary programmes rather than have dedicated programmes from the Ministry of Food, but the BBC warned that this would not be effective and would be viewed by listeners as patronising. Consequently, Hill's role as the "Radio Doctor" became part of the Ministry of Food's programme, "Kitchen Front", every morning from 1942.
Hill was still the BMA's Secretary when the National Health Service
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
was introduced in 1948. He negotiated with Aneurin Bevan
Aneurin Bevan
Aneurin "Nye" Bevan was a British Labour Party politician who was the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 1959 until his death in 1960. The son of a coal miner, Bevan was a lifelong champion of social justice and the rights of working people...
and ensured that general practitioner
General practitioner
A general practitioner is a medical practitioner who treats acute and chronic illnesses and provides preventive care and health education for all ages and both sexes. They have particular skills in treating people with multiple health issues and comorbidities...
s did not simply become salaried employees. He stood for Parliament for Cambridge University
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
in 1945 as an independent. He was successful in 1950, becoming MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Luton
Luton (UK Parliament constituency)
Luton was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Luton in Bedfordshire. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system....
as a Conservative and National Liberal
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
.
He was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food
Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food
The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Food Control, later the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Food was a junior Ministerial post in the Government of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1921 and then from 1939 to 1954...
in 1951. He became the Postmaster-General
United Kingdom Postmaster General
The Postmaster General of the United Kingdom is a defunct Cabinet-level ministerial position in HM Government. Aside from maintaining the postal system, the Telegraph Act of 1868 established the Postmaster General's right to exclusively maintain electric telegraphs...
(a non-cabinet ministerial position with responsibilities that included broadcasting) in 1955; during his period in office he publicly berated the BBC
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...
for its reporting of the Suez Crisis
Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, Suez War was an offensive war fought by France, the United Kingdom, and Israel against Egypt beginning on 29 October 1956. Less than a day after Israel invaded Egypt, Britain and France issued a joint ultimatum to Egypt and Israel,...
. In May 1956, Hill attempted to formalise the existing agreement by which discussions or statements about matters before Parliament could not be broadcast in the fortnight preceding any debate (the 'fourteen day rule'). However, the Suez Crisis rendered this policy unworkable in practice and the government agreed to its suspension at the end of the year. Hill, who had been uneasy about the implications of the rule for freedom of expression, was relieved.
From 1957 to 1961 he was Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is, in modern times, a ministerial office in the government of the United Kingdom that includes as part of its duties, the administration of the estates and rents of the Duchy of Lancaster...
and from 1961 he was to Minister of Housing and Local Government and Welsh Affairs, but he lost his place in the Cabinet in Harold Macmillan
Harold Macmillan
Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton, OM, PC was Conservative Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 10 January 1957 to 18 October 1963....
's reshuffle in 1962.
He was appointed as the Chairman of the Independent Television Authority
Independent Television Authority
The Independent Television Authority was an agency created by the Television Act 1954 to supervise the creation of "Independent Television" , the first commercial television network in the United Kingdom...
in 1963, where he continued his hostile attitude towards the BBC. He was then created a life peer
Life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
as Baron Hill of Luton, of Harpenden in the County of Hertford. In 1967 Hill announced that the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
contracts were all to be re-advertised, because he was concerned about the large profits being made by the major companies and their lack of regional identity. This resulted in a radical reorganisation of the ITV network.
He succeeded Lord Normanbrook
Norman Brook, 1st Baron Normanbrook
Norman Craven Brook, 1st Baron Normanbrook GCB, PC , known as Sir Norman Brook between 1946 and 1964, was a British civil servant...
as the Chairman of the BBC Governors (1967–1972), having been appointed by the Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
, Harold Wilson
Harold Wilson
James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC was a British Labour Member of Parliament, Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the...
, to "sort out" the Corporation. His appointment as BBC Chairman surprised the BBC's Governors and several resigned. Sir Robert Lusty
Robert Lusty
Sir Robert Frith Lusty was a British journalist and publisher.Robert Lusty was born in Cheltenham and educated at Sidcot School. He became an apprentice reporter at the Kent Messenger in 1927 but he was forced to resign because of heart problems. In 1928 he was taken on by Walter Hutchinson, the...
, the acting Chairman, commented that "it was like inviting Rommel
Erwin Rommel
Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel , popularly known as the Desert Fox , was a German Field Marshal of World War II. He won the respect of both his own troops and the enemies he fought....
to command the Eighth Army on the eve of Alamein
Second Battle of El Alamein
The Second Battle of El Alamein marked a major turning point in the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. The battle took place over 20 days from 23 October – 11 November 1942. The First Battle of El Alamein had stalled the Axis advance. Thereafter, Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery...
".
Harold Wilson encouraged Lord Hill to be active in editorial decisions. Hill had a difficult relationship with the Director-General of the BBC
Director-General of the BBC
The Director-General of the British Broadcasting Corporation is chief executive and editor-in-chief of the BBC.The position was formerly appointed by the Board of Governors of the BBC and is now appointed by the BBC Trust....
, Hugh Greene
Hugh Greene
Sir Hugh Carleton Greene KCMG, OBE was a British journalist and television executive. He was the Director-General of the BBC from 1960―1969, and is generally credited with modernising an organisation that had fallen behind in the wake of the launch of ITV in 1955.-Early life and work:Hugh was born...
, and he eventually forced Greene to resign in 1969. Greene later described Hill as a "vulgarian". He had a quieter relationship with Greene's successor, Charles Curran
Charles Curran (broadcaster)
Sir Charles John Curran , was a British television executive.Charles Curran was born in Dublin. He served in the Indian army from 1942-45, but left to work in the BBC Talks department. He resigned following a dispute to edit the "Canadian Fishing News", but he returned in 1951 to join BBC Monitoring...
. He retired from the BBC in 1972 and died in 1989, aged 85.
He married Marion Spencer Wallace, with whom he had two sons and three daughters.