Ian Trethowan
Encyclopedia
Sir Ian Trethowan was a British journalist, radio and television broadcaster and administrator who eventually became Director-General of the BBC. Ian Trethowan was educated at the independent Christ's Hospital
School near Horsham
in West Sussex
and did not attend a university.
and former Parliamentary Lobby correspondent, who would go on to become Director-General
of the BBC from 1 October 1977 to 31 July 1982, having previously been Managing Director of BBC Network Radio from 1970 to 1976. He was a high-profile broadcast journalist and had earlier been a presenter for Independent Television News
in the late 1950s and early 1960s, co-presenting ITN's coverage of the 1959 general election
.
Trethowan moved to the BBC around 1963 and was part of Grace Wyndham Goldie
's group of heavy hitting journalists which included Richard Dimbleby
and Robin Day
. He was a regular presenter of programmes such as the political programme Gallery
, Panorama
and general election and Budget specials. He presented the BBC's tribute programme to President John F. Kennedy
on the day of his assassination
.
Somewhat cautious and conservative-minded, he was responsible for the controversial sacking of Kenny Everett
from Radio 1
in 1970 for making a harmless joke suggesting that the wife of John Peyton, the transport minister in the Tory
government, had only passed her driving test because she had "slipped the examiner a fiver". This intensified dissatisfaction with the BBC's handling of pop radio among a generation still mourning the demise of most of the offshore radio stations in 1967. In 1979, when Trethowan was Director-General, the BBC Governors scuppered a plan to broadcast Michael Parkinson
's chat show three nights a week, probably because the idea seemed too populist.
A close friend of the former Tory Prime Minister
Sir Edward Heath, and an exponent of the same kind of one-nation Conservatism, Trethowan has been criticised in recent years by some on the Left
, especially for his support for the MI5
"vetting" of BBC employees which has often been seen as a means of weeding out Leftists in the Corporation. However, his natural genuflection to those in power ensured that his five years in charge of the BBC were generally very stable and secure for the organisation, in stark contrast to the subsequent director-generalship of Alasdair Milne
. In a harbinger of what was to follow, Trethowan's final months at the BBC saw the Thatcher government dissatisfied with what it saw as the Corporation's insufficiently patriotic coverage of the Falklands War
. From 1987 until his death from motor neurone disease
, Trethowan was chairman of Thames Television
.
In 1994, when announcing her plans to reduce the dominance of Received Pronunciation
and include more regional accents on Radio 3
and Radio 4
, Liz Forgan (who then held Ian Trethowan's old post as Managing Director of BBC Network Radio) said that she wanted to move away from the attitude expressed by Trethowan when he heard a Birmingham accent
on BBC radio and said "What is that sound doing on the BBC? Get it off." These remarks may be apocryphal, although of all BBC
Directors-General
since 1960, Trethowan is probably the one most likely to have held such views.
Trethowan was knighted
in 1980.
Christ's Hospital
Christ's Hospital is an English coeducational independent day and boarding school with Royal Charter located in the Sussex countryside just south of Horsham in Horsham District, West Sussex, England...
School near Horsham
Horsham
Horsham is a market town with a population of 55,657 on the upper reaches of the River Arun in the centre of the Weald, West Sussex, in the historic County of Sussex, England. The town is south south-west of London, north-west of Brighton and north-east of the county town of Chichester...
in West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
and did not attend a university.
Career
Trethowan was a journalistJournalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and former Parliamentary Lobby correspondent, who would go on to become Director-General
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....
of the BBC from 1 October 1977 to 31 July 1982, having previously been Managing Director of BBC Network Radio from 1970 to 1976. He was a high-profile broadcast journalist and had earlier been a presenter for Independent Television News
Independent Television News
ITN is a news and content provider with headquarters in the United Kingdom. It is made up of four key businesses: ITN News, ITN Source, ITN Productions and ITN Consulting. The ITN logotype can be displayed in any of 4 different colours, each of which represents a business unit. This is the...
in the late 1950s and early 1960s, co-presenting ITN's coverage of the 1959 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...
.
Trethowan moved to the BBC around 1963 and was part of Grace Wyndham Goldie
Grace Wyndham Goldie
Grace Wyndham Goldie was an important innovatory producer in British television for twenty years, particularly in the fields of politics and current affairs. During her career at the BBC, she held her own as one of the few senior women in an establishment dominated by men...
's group of heavy hitting journalists which included Richard Dimbleby
Richard Dimbleby
Richard Dimbleby CBE was an English journalist and broadcaster widely acknowledged as one of the greatest figures in British broadcasting history.-Early life:...
and Robin Day
Robin Day
Sir Robin Day, OBE was a British political broadcaster and commentator. His obituary in the Guardian stated that "he was the most outstanding television journalist of his generation...
. He was a regular presenter of programmes such as the political programme Gallery
Gallery (TV series)
Gallery is a Canadian documentary television series which aired on CBC Television from 1973 to 1979.-Premise:This series featured various documentaries, taking an approach which was less serious than usual.-Scheduling:...
, Panorama
Panorama (TV series)
Panorama is a BBC Television current affairs documentary programme, which was first broadcast in 1953, and is the longest-running public affairs television programme in the world. Panorama has been presented by many well known BBC presenters, including Richard Dimbleby, Robin Day, David Dimbleby...
and general election and Budget specials. He presented the BBC's tribute programme to President John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
on the day of his assassination
John F. Kennedy assassination
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the thirty-fifth President of the United States, was assassinated at 12:30 p.m. Central Standard Time on Friday, November 22, 1963, in Dealey Plaza, Dallas, Texas...
.
Somewhat cautious and conservative-minded, he was responsible for the controversial sacking of Kenny Everett
Kenny Everett
Kenny Everett was an English comedian, radio DJ and television entertainer. Born Maurice James Christopher Cole, Everett is best known for his career as a radio DJ and for the Kenny Everett television shows.-Early life:...
from Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
in 1970 for making a harmless joke suggesting that the wife of John Peyton, the transport minister in the Tory
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...
government, had only passed her driving test because she had "slipped the examiner a fiver". This intensified dissatisfaction with the BBC's handling of pop radio among a generation still mourning the demise of most of the offshore radio stations in 1967. In 1979, when Trethowan was Director-General, the BBC Governors scuppered a plan to broadcast Michael Parkinson
Michael Parkinson
Sir Michael Parkinson, CBE is an English broadcaster, journalist and author. He presented his interview programme, Parkinson, from 1971 to 1982 and from 1998 to 2007.- Early life :...
's chat show three nights a week, probably because the idea seemed too populist.
A close friend of the former Tory 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...
Sir Edward Heath, and an exponent of the same kind of one-nation Conservatism, Trethowan has been criticised in recent years by some on the Left
Left-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
, especially for his support for the MI5
MI5
The Security Service, commonly known as MI5 , is the United Kingdom's internal counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of its core intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service focused on foreign threats, Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence...
"vetting" of BBC employees which has often been seen as a means of weeding out Leftists in the Corporation. However, his natural genuflection to those in power ensured that his five years in charge of the BBC were generally very stable and secure for the organisation, in stark contrast to the subsequent director-generalship of Alasdair Milne
Alasdair Milne
Alasdair David Gordon Milne is a former BBC producer who became Controller of BBC Scotland, the BBC's Director of Programmes and then Director-General of the BBC in July 1982. His resignation was forced by the BBC Governors in January 1987, following pressure from the Thatcher government...
. In a harbinger of what was to follow, Trethowan's final months at the BBC saw the Thatcher government dissatisfied with what it saw as the Corporation's insufficiently patriotic coverage of the Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
. From 1987 until his death from motor neurone disease
Motor neurone disease
The motor neurone diseases are a group of neurological disorders that selectively affect motor neurones, the cells that control voluntary muscle activity including speaking, walking, breathing, swallowing and general movement of the body. They are generally progressive in nature, and can cause...
, Trethowan was chairman of Thames Television
Thames Television
Thames Television was a licensee of the British ITV television network, covering London and parts of the surrounding counties on weekdays from 30 July 1968 until 31 December 1992....
.
In 1994, when announcing her plans to reduce the dominance of Received Pronunciation
Received Pronunciation
Received Pronunciation , also called the Queen's English, Oxford English or BBC English, is the accent of Standard English in England, with a relationship to regional accents similar to the relationship in other European languages between their standard varieties and their regional forms...
and include more regional accents on Radio 3
BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3 is a national radio station operated by the BBC within the United Kingdom. Its output centres on classical music and opera, but jazz, world music, drama, culture and the arts also feature. The station is the world’s most significant commissioner of new music, and its New Generation...
and 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...
, Liz Forgan (who then held Ian Trethowan's old post as Managing Director of BBC Network Radio) said that she wanted to move away from the attitude expressed by Trethowan when he heard a Birmingham accent
Brummie
Brummie is a colloquial term for the inhabitants, accent and dialect of Birmingham, England, as well as being a general adjective used to denote a connection with the city, locally called Brum...
on BBC radio and said "What is that sound doing on the BBC? Get it off." These remarks may be apocryphal, although of all 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...
Directors-General
Director-general
The term director-general is a title given the highest executive officer within a governmental, statutory, NGO, third sector or not-for-profit institution.-European Union:...
since 1960, Trethowan is probably the one most likely to have held such views.
Trethowan was knighted
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
in 1980.
See also
- Oxford Dictionary of National Biography article by Brian Wenham, ‘Trethowan, Sir (James) Ian Raley (1922–1990)’, http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/40167 accessed 29 May 2007.