Alan Yentob: 'The BBC can't compete with its hands tied behind its back'

BBC's creative director on his closeness to Tony Hall, competition from rivals like Google – and his plan for more appsAlan Yentob is having his picture taken on a staircase overlooking the vast BBC newsroom at New Broadcasting House and telling me about the flooding at his house in Somerset when we are interrupted by annoyed news staff.They ask us to move as flashes from the camera can be seen on-screen on the BBC News Channel – illustrating the perils of having a newsroom as a backdrop for live bulletins.Yentob apologises and we retire to his office – a former radio drama kitchen that sits between Old and New Broadcasting House. Apt, as Yentob bridges the old and new within the organisation. His office is narrow but cosy – desk stacked with books and an Alan Yentob mask someone sent him. There is a fold-up bike below his desk, just like the one Hugh Bonneville's character Ian Fletcher has as head of BBC Values in John Morton's forthcoming follow-up to Twenty Twelve, W1A, in which Yentob has a cameo.But as there's no table, we move to director general Tony Hall's office. As he confirms, Yentob played a part in bringing Hall back to the BBC after George Entwistle resigned. "I always felt that Tony should've been the director general. Yes, I did talk to [Lord Patten] about it and I did speak to Tony. For Tony it wasn't without its risks, he loved his [Royal Opera House] job."It seemed his influence might wane under Entwistle, but it is obvious he is now back at the heart... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2014-02-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Back to school with a little bear and his hearing aids

How a picture book about a little bear who discovers he is deaf tells a personal story for its creators. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2021-03-02 00:02:48 UTC ]
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When Can I Go Back to School? Self-published lockdown story lands major publisher

‘Gentle, honest’ book, written by Anna Friend in response to her seven-year-old son’s worries, wins five-figure deal with ScholasticA self-published children’s picture book that was written to help the author’s son deal with being kept home from school during lockdown has been snapped up by a... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2021-02-20 07:00:25 UTC ]
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WI16: Indies Look Back While Charting the Future

Winter Institute 16 kicked off yesterday as a virtual gathering of booksellers. Inspired by such high wattage speakers as Barack Obama and Amanda Gorman, booksellers celebrated their past while charting their future. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-02-19 05:00:00 UTC ]
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True Born Englishman: did the BBC ban this Buckingham Palace play?

Peter Barnes’ monologue about a royal footman was commissioned for radio but never broadcast until now. Director Philip Franks and others unravel its mysteryThe most celebrated set of dramatic monologues for broadcasting and theatre are Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads, first performed in the 1980s.... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2021-02-12 13:00:44 UTC ]
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Alan Johnson's debut novel pre-empted by Wildfire

Wildfire has pre-empted former Home Secretary and memoirist Alan Johnson’s debut novel, The Late Train to Gipsy Hill. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-02-10 23:51:47 UTC ]
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When Black kids – shut out from the whitewashed world of children's literature – took matters into their own hands

At the turn of the 20th century, with few children's books featuring Black characters, one young editor implored his peers to 'Let us make the world know that we are living.' Continue reading at The Conversation

[ The Conversation | 2021-02-05 13:08:13 UTC ]
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Back-Talking The Tone Police: Book People Are Not Your Enemy

Book People are not the enemy of books, and gatekeeping book and reading culture does no one any favors. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2021-02-05 11:37:00 UTC ]
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Back to school for Tele editors after 'activist teachers' exposé | The Weekly Beast

News Corp’s examples of cultural Marxism come up short. Plus: Alan Jones apology relegated to Sky News corrections pageDays after News Corp chairman Rupert Murdoch warned of an “awful woke orthodoxy”, the Daily Telegraph demonstrated the boss’s point with a front-page story about political... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2021-02-04 22:44:51 UTC ]
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John Murray backs Herron with retailer events

John Murray is embarking on a PR and marketing campaign for Mick Herron's Slough House, hosting a raft of events with booksellers online in a show of support for both the series and retailers during the latest lockdown. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-02-04 00:21:11 UTC ]
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Cornwell brings back Sharpe after 15 years

Bernard Cornwell is bringing back his famous Richard Sharpe character after 15 years' absence, for a new adventure with HarperCollins this autumn. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-02-03 20:30:31 UTC ]
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‘A retail media company’: How CAMP wants its online content to eventually drive customers back to stores

CAMP had to shift from brick-and-mortar to a strategy that more directly resembles a digital publisher with a penchant for e-commerce. The post ‘A retail media company’: How CAMP wants its online content to eventually drive customers back to stores appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2021-02-03 05:01:00 UTC ]
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‘A retail media company’: How CAMP wants its online content to eventually drive customers back to stores

CAMP had to shift from brick-and-mortar to a strategy that more directly resembles a digital publisher with a penchant for e-commerce. The post ‘A retail media company’: How CAMP wants its online content to eventually drive customers back to stores appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2021-02-03 05:01:00 UTC ]
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Reading Agency literacy programme backed by McNab and Parks

The Reading Agency is relaunching its Reading Ahead literacy programme on 1st February with a new digital platform, and support from authors including Andy McNab, Adele Parks and Martina Cole. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-01-29 07:05:59 UTC ]
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Nosy Crow flies into its second decade on the back of impressive 2020 growth

Just 10 years on from the children's indie's inception, the list has stonking TCM sales and a flurry of awards to its name. Its three co-founders reveal the key to its success. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-01-28 19:35:06 UTC ]
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Books Are Back in the White House — And One of Them Is by Angie Thomas

The best-selling author just found out that her debut novel is soon to be on the first lady’s bedside table. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2021-01-28 10:00:04 UTC ]
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Bright moves back into books with Midas

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[ The Bookseller | 2021-01-26 01:26:23 UTC ]
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Goodings to present BBC Radio 4 show on Max Perkins

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[ The Bookseller | 2021-01-25 02:43:10 UTC ]
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Taking back control

Reedsy.com describes indie publishing as “…any form of publishing that doesn’t rely on the Big 5 publishing houses.” I have produced work with three such companies. I left them unsatisfied. I didn’t like the royalty payouts, or lack of. I didn’t like their “go to market” strategies. I didn’t... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-01-22 11:59:04 UTC ]
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Umberto Eco tracking down a book in his massive library is your new competence porn.

The late Umberto Eco—professor, novelist, children’s book author—was a man of many talents. One of which, as seen in a video clip posted on Twitter by writer Ted Gioia, was quickly finding books in his famously massive personal library. I once got to meet Umberto Eco—who was very memorable. But... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2021-01-21 20:36:32 UTC ]
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BBC Two book club series 'Between the Covers' to return

BBC Two's weekly book club series “Between the Covers”, hosted by Sara Cox, is returning for a second series this spring. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-01-18 14:17:16 UTC ]
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