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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Julia Bradbury quits BBC's Countryfile for ITV show

Presenter says she has been heavily involved in development of new five-part series about Britain's landscapeCountryfile presenter Julia Bradbury is quitting the BBC Sunday evening show and has signed up to join a rival ITV show.Bradbury has presented Countryfile for nearly five years, helping... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-03-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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David Walliams to star as BBC bags Agatha Christie drama deal

Corporation's contract with Christie estate will bring new series and documentaries coinciding with author's 125th anniversaryDavid Walliams will star in a new Agatha Christie adaptation on BBC1 under a new deal to bring some of the author's best-known works to the small screen in the 125th... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-02-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Living wage petition handed to Amazon

Demonstrators will descend on Amazon’s headquarters in London later today (28th February)... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-02-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Accidental Book and Movie Tie-In Brings Monumental Sales

Cara Putman didn’t plan on her new book sharing Amazon and Twitter space with George Clooney, but she and her publisher aren’t saying no. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-02-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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iBooks Bestsellers: Roth Back at Number One

The titular book in Veronica Roth's Divergent trilogy took the top spot on Apple's iBooks bestseller list for the week ended February 24. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-02-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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UK's creative industries 'must back regional and ethnic diversity'

IPPR report calls for advertising, film and TV to support businesses outside London and to help develop non-white talentThe UK's creative industries need to embrace regional and ethnic diversity if they are to play an improved role in helping the economy, warns a report from a leading... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-02-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Should More Top Authors Give Back to Indie Bookstores?

Love him or hate him, you can't fault James Patterson for his generosity, as he's giving some $1 million of his money back to independent bookstores. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-02-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BBC prepared to pay 'in excess of £15m' to build new EastEnders set

Corporation wants new facilities to drag soap out of 1980s into 21st century and more gentrified east London.The cost of building the new set for BBC1's EastEnders is likely to top £15m, a tender document for the sprawling lot in north London has revealed.The new facilities at the BBC's studios... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-02-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hands On: Nokia's Lumia Icon cuts the phablet down to size

Sanity has been restored to Nokia’s Lumia smartphone lineup with the release of the Nokia Icon. This Verizon exclusive pulls the best features from Nokia’s massive 6-inch phablets—the Lumia 1520 in particular—and tucks them behind a manageable, 5-inch OLED display.I purposefully seek out large... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2014-02-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Religion Update February 2014: Looking Back, Looking Ahead

Despite mixed fortunes in 2013 in a category that might be feeling digital disruption more than any other, publishers of Christian and inspirational fiction remain optimistic as they look to the coming year. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-02-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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John Murray signs BBC journalist debut

John Murray has acquired the debut novel from former BBC News journalist Terry Stiastny. Acts of... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-02-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon and Kobo tie for title of favorite ebook seller in survey

The survey was conducted by the site Good e-Reader among participants whom Good e-Reader estimated buy between 50 and 100 books a year. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-02-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Octopus signs BBC Radio 6 guide to music

An Octopus Publishing imprint is set to publish a book with BBC Radio 6 Music showcasing 500... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-01-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BBC faces damning criticism over £100m DMI fiasco in NAO report

• BBC admits it 'got this one wrong'• Executive board 'applied insufficient scrutiny'• 'Governance arrangements … were inadequate'Read the NAO report on the BBC's handling of the DMI projectThe BBC's handling of the £100m Digital Media Initiative fiasco has come in for further criticism, with a... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-01-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Former BBC technology chief to take legal action over DMI dismissal

Ex-employee accuses corporation of allowing 'inaccurate statements' to be made to MPs over failure of digital initiativeThe BBC chief technology officer dismissed over the failure of the Digital Media Initiative, the IT project scrapped last year at a cost of nearly £100m to licence fee payers,... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-01-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BBC whistleblower claims staff 'falsified' benefits of DMI project

Ex-employee, who warned Lord Patten about digital initiative in 2012, compares benefits estimates to Enron-style accountingRead the full NAO report on the BBC's handling of the DMI projectRead the written evidence submitted to the PAC for the DMI inquiryThe whistleblower on the failings of the... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-01-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BBC moves editor of Radio 1's Newsbeat after bullying allegations

Rod McKenzie, who denies the claims, is understood to have been given a final written warningThe editor of Radio 1's award-winning Newsbeat programme has been moved from his post following multiple complaints from staff about alleged bullying.Rod McKenzie, who denied the allegations, is... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-01-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Fox Is Bringing Metaphysics Back to the Masses With a Reboot of Cosmos

It’s an early January afternoon on the Upper West Side, just days after the Earth began heaving itself along on yet another elliptical voyage around the sun, and a polar vortex has stupefied New York with an interstellar chill. With about two hours of daylight left, sinuses are rimed with... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2014-01-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hodder pulls back on Keenan memoir

Hodder has said it has "decided not to further distribute…in its current form"... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-01-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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From page to screen and back again

Movie tie-ins for '12 Years a Slave,' 'Philomena,' 'The Wolf of Wall Street' and other films give their namesake books — including one from 1853 — a second life. The memoir "12 Years A Slave" was published in 1853, a year after Harriet Beecher Stowe's classic, "Uncle Tom's Cabin."     Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2014-01-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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