- Robin Scott (BBC)
Robin Scott (24 October 1920 - 7 February 2000) was a BBC controller, the launch controller
BBC Radio 1 in 1967, and ofBBC2 television from 1969 to 1974.Early career
Born Robin Hugh Scutt, he was schooled at Bryanston and read modern languages at
Cambridge University before joining the intelligence corps. He was discharged through illness in 1942, and joined theBBC . While in the French Service, he commented on major events includingVE day andVJ day . During this time, he changed his name to Scott, as his French contacts found his original name difficult to say. Moving into television in the late 1950s, he produced programmes including "Miss World ", "Come Dancing ", and "It's a Knockout ". During this time, he wrote the song "Softly Softly", a British number one hit forRuby Murray . In 1958, he moved to the BBC Paris bureau, and was seconded to Trans-Europe Television between 1964 and 1966.Controller of Radio
He was appointed the Controller of the
Light Programme in March 1967, and devised a format for the corporation's new popular music programme. His vision deliberately echoed thepirate radio broadcasters that would be outlawed by the Marine Broadcast Offences Act in August 1967. This pop station, BBC Radio 1, launched on 30 September 1967, with a signature tune commissioned by Scott, "Theme One", recorded byGeorge Martin . He was also Controller ofBBC Radio 2 , the successor to the Light Programme.He was succeeded as Controller of Radio 2 and Radio 1 by
Douglas Muggeridge .Controller of BBC2
Robon Scott was appointed Controller of
BBC2 television in 1968, succeedingDavid Attenborough . During his five years in post, his aim was to secure 15% of the overall viewing audience by balancing highbrow and populist programming. To achieve this aim, he commissioned such memorable programmes as "Elizabeth R ", "The Pallisers ", an adaptation of "War and Peace ", and documentary series including "Alistair Cooke 's America" and Dr. Jacob Bronowski's "The Ascent of Man ".Later career
In 1974, Scott was made the head of the forward-planning department Development in Television, a remit that included the prospect of satellite broadcasting. He later became the Deputy Managing Director of Television, the second most-senior post in television.
After retiring from the BBC in October 1980, he was part of one an unsuccessful submission to broadcast breakfast television on
ITV . He subsequently joined the board ofLondon Weekend Television , and produced television versions of opera and ballet productions for the National Video Corporation.He was appointed
CBE in 1976.ources
* The Guardian newspaper, 9 February 2000, p22
* [http://www.radiorewind.co.uk/robin_scott_page.htm Radio Rewind]
* The Times newspaper, 9 February 2000, p23
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