Over the past few months I’ve been talking to colleagues across the BBC, encouraging them and their contacts to write more for this blog. What emerged unexpectedly was a fairly efficient way of describing what we talk about and how we talk about it on the About the BBC blog.
“We remind people like my mother why they love the BBC.” As time has gone so I’ve seen more and more people nod in agreement. I usually hate standing up in public and talking to people I know and work with. But, when something you explain gets scribbled down in notebooks, you know you’re on to a winner.
I’m glad to say no-one has challenged the elevator pitch. “How can I do that? I don’t know your mother like you do.” If they had, my blog presentations would have gone on for a lot longer than scheduled, leaving little time for the examples I dug out from across the year, examples I’ve included below in a (reasonably) handy list format in my attempt to round up my BBC year.
David Attenborough and violinist Yehudi Menuhin pictured in 1976.
Proms Chamber Music / Archive Clips
During the cold, grey start to the year, the chance to revisit the Proms from the previous season and be introduced to some exquisite archive recordings of Menuhin, Tortelier and Julian Bream was a real treat. Seeing Radio 3 presenter Petroc’s name at the top of the post reminds me of the ongoing difficulty I experienced spelling his name correctly. We didn’t get it finally resolved until the Radio 3 residency at the Southbank. Even now I have to triple check I’ve got it right.
In praise of weather presenters
At the start of the year, a couple of days back from leave I got the chance to meet BBC weather presenter Peter Gibbs. He was charming. Incredibly articulate (as you’d expect – he’s on the telly, after all). He even let me have a go at ‘doing the wevver’ in the BBC’s shiny new weather centre. My feedback: “Don’t wear that sweater, tone down the sarcasm and stop pressing the buttons.”
Performing live for Marc Riley
About the BBCer Jen Macro plays in a band who, at the start of the year, got to play on 6 Music. Jen blogged about it. The first of many reminders that I’m lucky enough to work with incredibly talented people, people who seem comfortable with me living vicariously through their achievements.
UK Eurovision entry 2014: Molly
Eurovision is close to my heart. I’m fascinated by its scale, its origins in early broadcasting and the way it has, over the past 10 years, successfully reinvented itself. I’m resigned to the UK never winning again (mother always said, “Prepare for the worst and what you get will always be a pleasant surprise”). Equally passionate executive producer Guy Freeman, in the BBC’s entertainment department wrote about how his team were working with BBC Introducing to find the 2014 representative for the UK. Molly (pictured) packed a punch but didn’t fare well in the final tally. Fingers crossed for 2015.
Fifteen Years of the Radio 2 Folk Awards
Al Booth has blogged a couple of times for us this year – be sure to read her post about the Radio 2 Country Nights season highlighting the history of Nashville. Her post about the Radio 2 Folk Awards in its 15th year reminds me that the station (and the corporation as a whole) reflects a myriad of audience passions.
March saw the launch of BBC Arts brand and our newest About the BBC Blog recruit, Director Jonty Claypole who went on to blog his reflections on this year’s Hay Festival. Later in the month, Tony went into greater detail on new arts productions planned for 2014 and 2015.
Another inclusion written by me. I’m sorry. This will look like I’ve got an over-inflated ego. I haven’t. At least, I don’t think so. Written following the BBC Proms photo shoot attended by then Controller of Radio 3 and Director of the Proms Roger Wright and who answers the question "Are you sad to be leaving the BBC after 15 years?" as deftly as I expected him to.
Acting Controller Adam Barker wrote about BBC Two’s origins and its future in a special 50th anniversary post. About the BBCer Hannah Khalil compiled a list of all the channel’s controllers to date. Paul Whitehouse and Harry Enfield’s anniversary special (filmed in a deserted Television Centre) picked up an award at the end of the year.
Chris Hawkins with Kate O'Hearn - a 'normal' day at Hay
Chris Hawkins’ (pictured) blog posts from Hay were some of favourite reads from the year because they combined the excitement of visiting this special literary festival with the ‘normality’ of day-to-day life there. Chris is a great writer, a passionate radio man and a lovely chap too. I got the chance to work on Radio 2’s live blog from the 500 Words Final which included the opportunity to meet Hugh Bonneville. So, that’s all good then.
We covered Glastonbury from a variety of different angles this year. But the most touching was former Media Centre editor Ben Murray’s take on the event, 30 years after he first attended the festival.
Me and TVC go back a long way. I had this idea that I may not have quite got over our forced separation after the BBC moved out 18 months ago. So I figured I’d test the water with a return visit which ended up reassuring me that we are really are just good friends now the nostalgia and resulting self-absorbed nostalgia has worn off.
From the Docklands to Dhaka: calling the midwife to Bangladesh
Technically, one should never write about ‘a favourite’ or ‘the best’ of something because you’ll risk making everyone else feel as though they’ve failed to meet the mark. Sometimes, rules are meant to be broken. This post knits together two activities of the BBC in a rather delightful way. A midwife adviser from the BBC One drama Call the Midwife works with the BBC’s Media Action charity sharing knowledge and experience in Bangladesh.
I could go on. Really, I could. The first draft went to 1500 words – way over the limit I proscribed in my blog presentations. Just because I’m editor doesn’t mean I have free rein. I must lead by example.
That said, there’s one more thing. This year the BBC felt like home. Don’t get me wrong, I have my own home I pay a mortgage on. That’s where my heart beats fastest. Coming in a close second however, is the final approach to the revolving doors at Broadcasting House. Various emotions course through me, the one closest to the surface being - I still can’t quite believe I work here . I’m reminded of it whenever I watch the countdown to the hourly news in the office, at home or on holiday. I don’t know of many people who can see their workplace on the TV (pretty much) on the hour every hour.
It’s the same year as I’ve been reunited with old school friends from over 25 years ago, friends who’ve been eager to get a tour of the newsroom and some of the studios. One brought his family with him (he booked a tour with the BBC, I hasten to add). “Is Benedict Cumberbatch here?” asked Rob’s daughter. “No,” I replied, slightly irritated, “You’ll have to do with me instead.”
And then there was the member of the family who turned up with his colleagues for a segment on The One Show. I thought it would be just a couple of them and their guitars. I wasn’t prepared for the (considerable) get-in which started around the time I walked the piazza on my way into work. Suddenly the BBC didn’t seem big and mysterious as it sometimes seems: it was somewhere that talented people gravitate to.
I have a weakness for what's referred to in the internal communications business as ‘staff engagement’ - when staff congregate in their lunch breaks for a voluntary exercise. It usually demands big crowds, invariably involves some dancing. A television camera is usually present too. For 20 minutes, colleagues congregated outside Broadcasting House to learn a few steps for a Children in Need flash-mob. Like the Torch Relay at White City, such occasions see people bonding with one another in entirely different ways. Conversations spark up. People put their mobile phones in their back pockets. Smiles stretch a little wider. “Aren’t you joining in Jon?” “No,” I replied, “I’m taking pictures.
Thanks to Hannah and Jen for a great blogging year. Not forgetting the marvellous Cathal Coughlan and Lesley Mearns for their sterling work upgrading our publishing system and delivering a blog readable on tablets and mobile phones.
Happy New Year.
And remember: no blog should be more than 1500 words.
Jon Jacob is Editor, About the BBC Website and blog
- Read also Jen Macro and Hannah Khalil's round up of the year blogs.
