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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PPA Conference: Stylist editor reveals how free title competes in challenging market

It would be a big surprise if one of the major publishers were to follow Stylist magazine and launch a mainstream free women's title, according to Lisa Smosarski, editor of Stylist, who believes such a move would be a "big step". Continue reading at Media Week

[ Media Week | 2012-05-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Switched On: Competing by hook or by Nook

Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. Microsoft has a long history of supporting bitter rivals -- even those that have long publicly disparaged the company, offering funds to Nokia, Corel and, most famously, Apple. It also has a long history of... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2012-05-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Art Check: Harvey Pekar, Back From the Dead

For Harvey Pekar's Cleveland, Top Shelf and Zip Comics recruited artist Joseph Remnant, whose work recalls longtime Pekar collaborator R. Crumb, but with a lighter touch and a charm all its own. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-05-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Apple Fires Back at the Feds, Amazon

Apple responds to antitrust charges: "The launch of the iBookstore in 2010 fostered innovation and competition, breaking Amazon's monopolistic grip on the publishing industry." Continue reading at AllThingsD

[ AllThingsD | 2012-04-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Two US publishers turn backs on Amazon.com

At least two of the big six publishers in the US are refusing to renew contracts with Amazon.com... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-04-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Independents 'fight back' with London book market

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[ The Bookseller | 2012-04-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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James Bond novels come back to Random House

The lucrative James Bond novels return to Random House, their original publisher, through a new deal. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-03-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Collins collars Radio 4 "New Elizabethans" tie-in

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[ The Bookseller | 2012-03-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Berlucchi’s anti-DRM plea backed by Coates

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[ The Bookseller | 2012-03-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Luis J. Rodriguez wrestles his demons in 'It Calls You Back'

Luis J. Rodríguez ('Always Running') has a new memoir, 'It Calls You Back,' about his mistakes, and his father's.Luis J. Rodríguez has been called "a superhero in Chicano literature" for his steady output of poems, fiction and above all for "Always Running," his classic 1993 memoir about... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2012-03-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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McDermid backs value of publishers

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[ The Bookseller | 2012-03-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BBC Books acquires Hom and Huang

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[ The Bookseller | 2012-02-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Printed books fall £2.8m as kids go back to school

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[ The Bookseller | 2012-02-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bringing Synergy Back

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-02-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Raisin, Roberts and Joseph to judge BBC prize

Authors Ross Raisin, Michele Roberts and Anjali Joseph will take their place alongside BBC London... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-02-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Top Cow Looks Back to Go Forward

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-02-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Paravion Press: Hand-making Books from a Cave in Greece

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-02-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon's Kindle Ice Queen Is Back, Now With a Couple of Kids

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[ AdWeek | 2012-02-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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