Michael Peacock (television executive)
This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2019) |
Michael Peacock | |
---|---|
Born | Ian Michael Peacock 14 September 1929 BBC1 (1965–1967) |
Ian Michael Peacock , the Corporation's second television channel.
Early life and career
Michael Peacock was born in
Career
Peacock became the producer of
He was appointed Assistant Head of Television Outside Broadcasts in 1958.[1] The following year he returned to Panorama, where ratings had fallen badly. He recruited a new team of reporters including Robert Kee and James Mossman, and restored ratings to the 8–10 million level.[citation needed] Peacock and Donald Baverstock, with Ian Atkins, were given the daunting task in 1959 of preparing a report into ways to improve BBC Television News. Their recommendations were accepted in full, and in 1960 he was promoted to Editor of Television News, then based at Alexandra Palace. He remained in this post until 1963, when he was appointed Chief of Programmes (BBC2). His task was to lead the launch of the BBC's second channel, which was due to begin transmissions in 625-line UHF in April 1964.[3]
During the first year of BBC2 he oversaw the screening of some significant successes, such as
Under Peacock, BBC1 reached the peak of one of its most successful eras. However, his time in the post was barely longer than his tenure at BBC2. This was because in 1967 he was head-hunted to be the first Managing Director of London Weekend Television, which began transmissions in 1968. However, his time at LWT was frustrated by union problems, conflict with the other ITV contractors who objected to the new company's 'high brow' London-centric programming and ratings which were lower than anticipated.[citation needed] He was fired by the company in 1969 and ten senior programme staff resigned in support, including several who had left the BBC with him.[citation needed]
In 1971 Peacock joined Warner Bros TV Ltd as MD in London, making co-productions with BBC TV and ITV. Perhaps his most successful was David Attenborough's Life on Earth.[citation needed] He was a founding partner in Video Arts with Antony Jay, John Cleese and Peter Robinson which they formed to make training films for the world market. By the early 1980s Video Arts was the largest producer of training films in the world, with more than a hundred films in its catalogue.[citation needed] Peacock was invited to become Executive Vice President of Warner Bros TV Inc. in 1974, which meant moving with his family for two years to work in Burbank, California.
On his return to the UK he developed the TV side of Video Arts. He was chief executive of Video Arts TV, and when Milton Friedman chose VATV to produce his Free to Choose series Peacock was the executive producer, with Michael Latham his line producer.
He helped to found Manchester's
References
- ^ a b c "Michael Peacock obituary". The Times. 11 December 2019. Retrieved 11 December 2019. (subscription required)
- ^ "Michael Peacock". BFI. Archived from the original on 5 December 2020.
- ^ "Corrections and clarifications". The Guardian. 11 April 2011. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
External links
- Michael Peacock at IMDb