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 ]
News tagged with: #loyal audience #major project #social housing

Other Publishing stories related to: 'Alan Yentob: 'The BBC can't compete with its hands tied behind its back''


The Morning After: Twitter hands over Trump’s DMs

Newly unsealed court filings reveal how much data Xwitter has handed over to the January 6 investigation. This includes all tweets sent, drafted, liked and retweeted – even if they were subsequently deleted – by Donald Trump’s official account. This cache also included DMs sent, received or... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-08-17 11:15:13 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #good idea #search giant #life advice #nielsen


Ready to Play: Graphic Novel Media Tie-Ins

Publishers take a collaborative, multiplatform approach in adapting video game IP into comics. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-08-11 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #graphic novel


The future of art is in AI’s hands

An ongoing lawsuit by artists against AI’s biggest players highlights how copyright law can’t keep pace with AI. Artificial Intelligence is rapidly transforming many industries and communities around the world. One of the first groups to feel its impact—and also generate some of its fiercest... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2023-08-10 06:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #artificial intelligence #copyright law


In London, Schroders Backs the Business Book of the Year Award

The Financial Times is joined this year by Schroders, with added support from Nikkei, in the £30,000 Business Book of the Year award. The post In London, Schroders Backs the Business Book of the Year Award appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-08-07 20:19:16 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #business book #added support #book of the year


The BBC’s Fergal Keane: ‘The breakdowns get harder to recover from each time’

The former BBC war reporter, now special correspondent, on the terror of PTSD, his tips for living with it day to day, and the people and poets he admiresDuring a career spanning more than 30 years, BBC special correspondent Fergal Keane has covered brutal conflicts in South Africa, Rwanda and... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-08-06 08:30:06 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #career spanning #south africa #mental health #stepped back #newly published #inherited trauma #irish childhood #psychiatric hospital #memoir


12 back-to-school gadgets you didn’t know you needed

Some tech purchases are no-brainers when getting ready for a fresh school year, like buying a new laptop or Chromebook. But other back-to-school products aren’t quite as obvious. They might seem purely optional—stuff you buy if you have money to throw around. But don’t be so quick to... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2023-08-04 15:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #royal pain #move frequently #special torture #lcd screens #store hundreds #decent trade- #local library #overdrive service #written word #consumer electronics #purely optional—stuff #kindle


The AirPods Pro drop back to an all-time low, plus the rest of this week's best tech deals

This week, the biggest event in tech took place in Seoul with Samsung's Unpacked showcase. Among other announcements, the company officially unveiled its latest foldable smartphone, the Galaxy Z Fold 5. It's not even available yet, but Amazon is offering a $200 gift card if you pre-order from... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-07-28 18:33:17 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #6ghz band #record low #buying advice #$100 savings #follow @engadgetdeals #kindle


10 back-to-school gadgets you didn’t know you needed

Some tech purchases are no-brainers when getting ready for a fresh school year, like buying a new laptop or Chromebook. But other back-to-school products aren’t quite as obvious. They might seem purely optional—stuff you buy if you have money to throw around. But don’t be so quick to... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2023-07-28 10:45:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #royal pain #move frequently #special torture #lcd screens #store hundreds #decent trade- #local library #overdrive service #written word #consumer electronics #purely optional—stuff #kindle


Apple's 10.2-inch iPad drops back to $250, plus the rest of the week's best tech deals

This week's best tech deals include a couple of all-time lows on older but still worthwhile Apple gadgets, with the 9th-gen iPad on sale for $250 and the M1-powered MacBook Air available for $750. The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max is a solid value for those in need of a cheap media streamer at... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-07-21 15:15:52 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #wireless earbuds #extra cost #$40 cheaper #$100 drop #follow @engadgetdeals #audiobook


May Bookstore Sales Bounce Back

After falling in April, bookstore sales rose 6% in May over 2022, rising to $650 million from $613 million a year ago. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-07-18 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #$650 million #bookstore sales


BBC: Metropolitan police say ‘no investigation at this time’ into suspended presenter – latest updates

Force says detectives met with BBC to discuss allegations presenter paid teenager for sexual images Persephone Bridgman Baker, a partner at Carter-Ruck, has spoken on Sky News about the legal situation, reminding viewers why the name of the presenter has been kept from the public eye so far. She... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-07-10 14:37:56 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #latest updates #sky news #public eye #major publisher


USA Today is bringing back its bestseller list—with some improvements.

As most people reading this website are aware, the literary media has been in steady decline for the last two decades. So in December 2022, when USA Today announced it was putting its bestseller list “on hiatus”—internet parlance for “dead and gone forever”—most of us saw it as one more nail in... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-06-28 14:05:30 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #usa today #bringing back #bestseller list— #people reading #steady decline #bestseller list


Bookforum is back! After folding last year, the beloved lit mag is revived by the Nation

Six months after the beloved literary magazine Bookforum announced its December 2022 issue would be its last, the Nation announced its resurrection. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-06-24 00:21:58 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #literary magazine


‘It’s like all my dreams coming true’: inside the BBC’s electrifying new musical drama

From working with grime legends to tackling racism, author Candice Carty-Williams’s new show Champion is landmark TV. Its team talk Shola Ama, pengness – and the greatest group chat everIt’s just after noon in Birmingham and, in the hidden depths of a city centre nightclub, a singer is about to... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-06-23 12:00:37 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #hidden depths #deep breath #fictionalised version #award-winning author


Spiritual Journeys Tie Together New Memoirs

Forthcoming spiritual memoirs and biographies include tales of turns toward God and descriptions of religious rigidity. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-23 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Report: Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Backs the Hurowitz S&S Bid

Richard Hurowitz's reported bid for Simon & Schuster is said to be backed by the Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth manager Mabudala. The post Report: Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Backs the Hurowitz S&S Bid appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-06-22 17:01:36 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #post report #abu dhabi #richard hurowitz #simon schuster


Amazon's Kindle falls back to $80 in e-reader sale

The season of sitting outside in the sun and reading is upon us — and, fortunately, so is a sale on Kindle e-readers. Amazon is running a deal on its adult and kids Kindles, with the original model down from $100 to $80 — a 16 percent discount. At this price, the base model is just short of its... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-06-12 10:55:39 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #standard kindle #base model #300ppi display #battery life #good option #buying advice #follow @engadgetdeals #kindle


Librarians Strike Back Against Comics Bans

Comics and graphic novels are prime targets in the current battle to ban books at libraries across the country, and librarians who have championed the comics form find themselves on the front lines. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-09 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #graphic novels #ban books #front lines #libraries


We interrupt this broadcaster: why did Winston Churchill try to seize the BBC?

In 1926, with the General Strike looming and the right warning of a Bolshevik revolution, the BBC found itself in a dreadful dilemma. Writer Jack Thorne on why he turned this into ‘a love letter to people in authority’Jack Thorne is a furiously busy scriptwriter and, although he’s celebrated for... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-06-05 07:00:22 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #love letter #dark materials #national theatre #newest work #harry potter


Have a look back at every Pulitzer Prize for Nonfiction winner of the 21st Century.

This afternoon, at around 3PM (EST), from Columbia University in New York City, the winner of this year’s Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction will be announced. As well as a check for a cool $15,000 dollars (which feels a little low, tbh), the victor will gain entry to a very exclusive... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-05-08 14:30:42 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #nonfiction winner #21st century #3pm est #columbia university #general nonfiction #cool $15 #gain entry #pulitzer prize