Введение
Британский телевизионный продюсер и исполнительный директор
Alasdair David Gordon Milne (8 October 19308 January 2013) was a British television producer and executive. He had a long career at the BBC, where he was eventually promoted to Director General, and was described by The Independent as "one of the most original and talented programme makers to emerge during television's formative years". In his early career, Milne was a BBC producer and was involved in founding the current affairs series Tonight in 1957. Later, after a period outside the BBC, he became controller of BBC Scotland and BBC Television's director of programmes. He served as Director General of the BBC between July 1982 and January 1987, when he was forced to resign from his post by the BBC Governors following several difficult years for the BBC, which included sustained pressure from the Thatcher government about editorial decisions which had proved controversial. He would spend the first six years living with his maternal grandparents in Morningside, Edinburgh, until his father returned and they moved to Kent. He would go onto to study at Winchester College and New College, Oxford. He joined the BBC in September 1954 as a graduate trainee after his wife spotted a BBC advertisement. He was taken under the wing of Grace Wyndham Goldie who recruited, trained, guided and encouraged many well known BBC broadcasters and current affairs executives. Milne was one of the so called "Goldie Boys", a group of producers and presenters, which included Huw Wheldon, Robin Day, David Frost, Cliff Michelmore, Ian Trethowan and Richard Dimbleby. Milne was the first television producer to become Director General. His background was in current affairs and he was a founder producer of Tonight, and became the programme's editor in 1961. He also worked on programmes such as That Was the Week That Was, one of the most controversial programmes of the 1960s, and The Great War. He was instrumental in bringing the entire Shakespeare canon to television, as well as one of the BBC's most acute comedies, Yes Minister. He would also set up BBC Scotland, when as the appointed controller in January 1968, he decided to change the lettering on the front of the building from 'BBC' to 'BBC Scotland'. According to The Herald:<blockquote>"He campaigned for BBC Scotland to make programmes reflecting Scottish values and culture, believing in its obligation to support the Gaelic language"
As Director General, Milne was involved with a series of controversies with the British government. Contentious programme making included the Nationwide general election special with Margaret Thatcher in 1983, the coverage of the miners' strike of 1984–85, the Real Lives fracas, the Panorama libel action, the reporting of the U. S. bombing of Libya and the controversy surrounding the programme Secret Society which took place in light of MI5's vetting of BBC employees. On top of this, Milne had to defend the existence of the BBC to the Peacock Committee, which was considering the future of the BBC. Milne defended the television licence thus:
"The licence fee itself has some flaws of which we have been aware for many years, but whose virtues greatly outstrip its flaws. The licence fee is a form of hypothecated tax and, yes, it is regressive and burdens old age pensioners (who amount to one third of all licence fee holders and who are the heaviest users of the available service), it is compulsory and, paid as a single annual payment, amounts to a good deal of money. On the other hand, it does amount to the best bargain in Britain, a slogan which is truer than any single advertising claim I can think of: it is by far the cheapest form of paying for a high standard of broadcasting." The licence fee survived the negotiations, and the BBC made an expensive and failed attempt to enter satellite broadcasting. Perceived as being Margaret Thatcher's "hatchet man", he was accused of having been appointed because of her perception that the corporation was biased towards the left. In an unprecedented step, Hussey convinced the Board of Governors that a change of direction was needed, and they forced Milne's resignation. Milne wrote:
"Patricia Hodgson, the Secretary, asked me if I would go and see the chairman. I thought it odd that she addressed me by my Christian name; everybody else did, but for some reason she had never done so before. When I walked into Hussey's office, Barnett and he were both there. I remember the blinds were drawn against the sun which was brilliant that morning. Hussey's lip trembled as he said: 'I am afraid this is going to be a very unpleasant interview. We want you to leave immediately. It's a unanimous decision of the Board." Milne, who later described the governors as a "bunch of amateurs",
Аласдер Дэвид Гордон Милн (8 октября 1930 года – 8 января 2013 года) – британский телевизионный продюсер и исполнительный директор. Он провёл долгую карьеру на BBC, где в итоге был повышен до генерального директора и был описан The Independent как «один из самых оригинальных и талантливых создателей программ, появившихся в годы становления телевидения». В начале карьеры Милн был продюсером BBC и участвовал в создании серии программ «Tonight» в 1957 году. Позже, после периода вне BBC, он стал контролером BBC Scotland и директором программ BBC Television. Он занимал пост генерального директора BBC с июля 1982 года по январь 1987 года, когда был вынужден уйти в отставку по решению Совета управляющих BBC после нескольких сложных лет для BBC, включая постоянное давление со стороны правительства Тэтчер в отношении редакционных решений, вызывавших споры. Первые шесть лет он прожил с бабушкой и дедушкой по материнской линии в Морнингсайде, Эдинбурге, пока его отец не вернулся, и они переехали в Кент. Затем он учился в Винчестерском колледже и Нью-колледже Оксфорда. В сентябре 1954 года он присоединился к BBC в качестве стажера после того, как его жена увидела объявление о работе на BBC. Его взяла под опеку Грейс Уиндэм Голди, которая набирала, обучала, направляла и поддерживала многих известных телеведущих и руководителей текущих дел BBC. Милн был одним из так называемых «Goldie Boys» – группы продюсеров и ведущих, в которую входили Хью Уэлдон, Робин Дэй, Дэвид Фрост, Клифф Микельмор, Ян Третован и Ричард Димблби. Милн стал первым телевизионным продюсером, занявшим пост генерального директора. Его специализацией были текущие дела, он был одним из основателей программы «Tonight» и в 1961 году стал её редактором. Он также работал над такими программами, как «That Was the Week That Was» – одной из самых противоречивых программ 1960-х годов, и «The Great War». Он сыграл ключевую роль в переносе всего шекспировского канона на телевидение, а также в создании одной из самых остроумных комедий BBC – «Yes Minister». Он также основал BBC Scotland, и, будучи назначенным контролером в январе 1968 года, принял решение изменить надпись на фасаде здания с «BBC» на «BBC Scotland». По данным The Herald: «Он выступал за то, чтобы BBC Scotland создавала программы, отражающие шотландские ценности и культуру, веря в свою обязанность поддерживать гэльский язык».
Alasdair David Gordon Milne (8 October 19308 January 2013) was a British television producer and executive. He had a long career at the BBC, where he was eventually promoted to Director General, and was described by The Independent as "one of the most original and talented programme makers to emerge during television's formative years". In his early career, Milne was a BBC producer and was involved in founding the current affairs series Tonight in 1957. Later, after a period outside the BBC, he became controller of BBC Scotland and BBC Television's director of programmes. He served as Director General of the BBC between July 1982 and January 1987, when he was forced to resign from his post by the BBC Governors following several difficult years for the BBC, which included sustained pressure from the Thatcher government about editorial decisions which had proved controversial. He would spend the first six years living with his maternal grandparents in Morningside, Edinburgh, until his father returned and they moved to Kent. He would go onto to study at Winchester College and New College, Oxford. He joined the BBC in September 1954 as a graduate trainee after his wife spotted a BBC advertisement. He was taken under the wing of Grace Wyndham Goldie who recruited, trained, guided and encouraged many well known BBC broadcasters and current affairs executives. Milne was one of the so called "Goldie Boys", a group of producers and presenters, which included Huw Wheldon, Robin Day, David Frost, Cliff Michelmore, Ian Trethowan and Richard Dimbleby. Milne was the first television producer to become Director General. His background was in current affairs and he was a founder producer of Tonight, and became the programme's editor in 1961. He also worked on programmes such as That Was the Week That Was, one of the most controversial programmes of the 1960s, and The Great War. He was instrumental in bringing the entire Shakespeare canon to television, as well as one of the BBC's most acute comedies, Yes Minister. He would also set up BBC Scotland, when as the appointed controller in January 1968, he decided to change the lettering on the front of the building from 'BBC' to 'BBC Scotland'. According to The Herald:<blockquote>"He campaigned for BBC Scotland to make programmes reflecting Scottish values and culture, believing in its obligation to support the Gaelic language"
As Director General, Milne was involved with a series of controversies with the British government. Contentious programme making included the Nationwide general election special with Margaret Thatcher in 1983, the coverage of the miners' strike of 1984–85, the Real Lives fracas, the Panorama libel action, the reporting of the U. S. bombing of Libya and the controversy surrounding the programme Secret Society which took place in light of MI5's vetting of BBC employees. On top of this, Milne had to defend the existence of the BBC to the Peacock Committee, which was considering the future of the BBC. Milne defended the television licence thus:
"The licence fee itself has some flaws of which we have been aware for many years, but whose virtues greatly outstrip its flaws. The licence fee is a form of hypothecated tax and, yes, it is regressive and burdens old age pensioners (who amount to one third of all licence fee holders and who are the heaviest users of the available service), it is compulsory and, paid as a single annual payment, amounts to a good deal of money. On the other hand, it does amount to the best bargain in Britain, a slogan which is truer than any single advertising claim I can think of: it is by far the cheapest form of paying for a high standard of broadcasting." The licence fee survived the negotiations, and the BBC made an expensive and failed attempt to enter satellite broadcasting. Perceived as being Margaret Thatcher's "hatchet man", he was accused of having been appointed because of her perception that the corporation was biased towards the left. In an unprecedented step, Hussey convinced the Board of Governors that a change of direction was needed, and they forced Milne's resignation. Milne wrote:
"Patricia Hodgson, the Secretary, asked me if I would go and see the chairman. I thought it odd that she addressed me by my Christian name; everybody else did, but for some reason she had never done so before. When I walked into Hussey's office, Barnett and he were both there. I remember the blinds were drawn against the sun which was brilliant that morning. Hussey's lip trembled as he said: 'I am afraid this is going to be a very unpleasant interview. We want you to leave immediately. It's a unanimous decision of the Board." Milne, who later described the governors as a "bunch of amateurs",
В качестве генерального директора Милн был вовлечен в ряд споров с британским правительством. Среди спорных программ были специальный выпуск программы «Nationwide» с Маргарет Тэтчер в 1983 году, освещение забастовки шахтёров 1984–1985 годов, скандал вокруг программы «Real Lives», судебный иск о клевете в отношении программы «Panorama», освещение бомбардировки Ливии США и споры вокруг программы «Secret Society», возникшие в связи с проверкой сотрудников BBC МИ5. Кроме того, Милну пришлось защищать существование BBC перед Комитетом Пикока, который рассматривал будущее BBC. Милн защищал систему финансирования телевидения за счёт лицензионных сборов следующим образом: «Сама система лицензионных сборов имеет некоторые недостатки, о которых мы знали много лет, но достоинства которой значительно перевешивают эти недостатки. Лицензионный сбор – это целевой налог, и да, он регрессивен и обременяет пенсионеров (которые составляют треть всех владельцев лицензионных сборов и являются наиболее активными пользователями доступных услуг), он обязателен и, выплачиваемый единым ежегодным платежом, представляет собой значительную сумму денег. С другой стороны, это действительно лучшее предложение в Великобритании, лозунг, который правдивее любого рекламного заявления, которое я могу придумать: это, безусловно, самый дешевый способ оплаты высококачественного вещания». Система лицензионных сборов пережила переговоры, а BBC предприняла дорогостоящую и неудачную попытку выйти на спутниковое вещание. Его считали «оруженосцем» Маргарет Тэтчер и обвиняли в том, что его назначили из-за её убеждения в предвзятости корпорации в пользу левых. В беспрецедентном шаге Хасси убедил Совет управляющих в необходимости смены курса, и они вынудили Милна уйти в отставку. Милн писал: «Патриция Ходжсон, секретарь, попросила меня встретиться с председателем. Меня удивило, что она обратилась ко мне по имени, как все остальные, но почему-то она никогда раньше так не делала. Когда я вошёл в кабинет Хасси, там были Барнетт и он сам. Я помню, что шторы были зашторены от яркого утреннего солнца. Губы Хасси дрожали, когда он сказал: «Боюсь, это будет очень неприятный разговор. Мы хотим, чтобы вы ушли немедленно. Это единогласное решение Совета управляющих». Милн, который позже назвал членов Совета управляющих «шайкой дилетантов»,
Alasdair David Gordon Milne (8 October 19308 January 2013) was a British television producer and executive. He had a long career at the BBC, where he was eventually promoted to Director General, and was described by The Independent as "one of the most original and talented programme makers to emerge during television's formative years". In his early career, Milne was a BBC producer and was involved in founding the current affairs series Tonight in 1957. Later, after a period outside the BBC, he became controller of BBC Scotland and BBC Television's director of programmes. He served as Director General of the BBC between July 1982 and January 1987, when he was forced to resign from his post by the BBC Governors following several difficult years for the BBC, which included sustained pressure from the Thatcher government about editorial decisions which had proved controversial. He would spend the first six years living with his maternal grandparents in Morningside, Edinburgh, until his father returned and they moved to Kent. He would go onto to study at Winchester College and New College, Oxford. He joined the BBC in September 1954 as a graduate trainee after his wife spotted a BBC advertisement. He was taken under the wing of Grace Wyndham Goldie who recruited, trained, guided and encouraged many well known BBC broadcasters and current affairs executives. Milne was one of the so called "Goldie Boys", a group of producers and presenters, which included Huw Wheldon, Robin Day, David Frost, Cliff Michelmore, Ian Trethowan and Richard Dimbleby. Milne was the first television producer to become Director General. His background was in current affairs and he was a founder producer of Tonight, and became the programme's editor in 1961. He also worked on programmes such as That Was the Week That Was, one of the most controversial programmes of the 1960s, and The Great War. He was instrumental in bringing the entire Shakespeare canon to television, as well as one of the BBC's most acute comedies, Yes Minister. He would also set up BBC Scotland, when as the appointed controller in January 1968, he decided to change the lettering on the front of the building from 'BBC' to 'BBC Scotland'. According to The Herald:<blockquote>"He campaigned for BBC Scotland to make programmes reflecting Scottish values and culture, believing in its obligation to support the Gaelic language"
As Director General, Milne was involved with a series of controversies with the British government. Contentious programme making included the Nationwide general election special with Margaret Thatcher in 1983, the coverage of the miners' strike of 1984–85, the Real Lives fracas, the Panorama libel action, the reporting of the U. S. bombing of Libya and the controversy surrounding the programme Secret Society which took place in light of MI5's vetting of BBC employees. On top of this, Milne had to defend the existence of the BBC to the Peacock Committee, which was considering the future of the BBC. Milne defended the television licence thus:
"The licence fee itself has some flaws of which we have been aware for many years, but whose virtues greatly outstrip its flaws. The licence fee is a form of hypothecated tax and, yes, it is regressive and burdens old age pensioners (who amount to one third of all licence fee holders and who are the heaviest users of the available service), it is compulsory and, paid as a single annual payment, amounts to a good deal of money. On the other hand, it does amount to the best bargain in Britain, a slogan which is truer than any single advertising claim I can think of: it is by far the cheapest form of paying for a high standard of broadcasting." The licence fee survived the negotiations, and the BBC made an expensive and failed attempt to enter satellite broadcasting. Perceived as being Margaret Thatcher's "hatchet man", he was accused of having been appointed because of her perception that the corporation was biased towards the left. In an unprecedented step, Hussey convinced the Board of Governors that a change of direction was needed, and they forced Milne's resignation. Milne wrote:
"Patricia Hodgson, the Secretary, asked me if I would go and see the chairman. I thought it odd that she addressed me by my Christian name; everybody else did, but for some reason she had never done so before. When I walked into Hussey's office, Barnett and he were both there. I remember the blinds were drawn against the sun which was brilliant that morning. Hussey's lip trembled as he said: 'I am afraid this is going to be a very unpleasant interview. We want you to leave immediately. It's a unanimous decision of the Board." Milne, who later described the governors as a "bunch of amateurs",
Комментарии о Би-би-си после отставки
Милн был резко критичен по отношению к генеральному директору BBC Джону Бирту, которого он называл "Биртом, витающим в облаках". Милн назвал тезис Бирта о так называемой "склонности телевидения к непониманию" "чушью, если честно", и сказал: "[Бирт] – самый нелюдимый человек, которого я когда-либо встречал. Отвратительный человек". В октябре 2004 года появились сообщения, намекающие на то, что он предположил, что предполагаемое упрощение контента BBC отчасти связано с растущим числом женщин-руководителей: "Слишком много глупых, глупых, глупых кулинарных и садоводческих шоу. Я ничего не имею против женщин. Я работал с ними всю жизнь. Просто мне кажется, что последние четыре-пять лет телевещанием в основном руководили женщины, и они, похоже, не очень хорошо справлялись со своей работой". Позже Милн уточнил свою позицию: "На самом деле я сказал, что три человека, которые руководили телевещанием последние четыре-пять лет, как мне казалось, не проделали выдающуюся работу. Я бы сказал то же самое, будь то мыши или люди. Просто это оказались женщины, и "Таймс" меня подставила". В 2006 году на частном мероприятии в Королевском телевизионном обществе, когда Милна спросили о Мармадуке Хасси, уволившем его, он ответил: "Что я могу сказать о Хасси? Мало что". В своей карьере он больше всего гордился такими программами, как "Сегодня вечером", "Вот так прошла неделя" и историческим сериалом "Великая война". Он думал, что найдет себе другое занятие [после отставки в 1987 году], но этого не случилось. "Поэтому я решил провести лето на рыбалке, а зиму – на охоте в любимой Шотландии и завершить эту главу своей жизни", – сказал он.
Личная жизнь
В 1954 году Милн женился на Энн Рут Шейле Еве Кирстен Граукоб в Оксфорде. Граукоб, имевшая датские и ирландские корни, умерла 1 апреля 1992 года. У супругов было два сына, Руайрид и Сеумас, и дочь, Кирсти.
Смерть
Мильн умер 8 января 2013 года в возрасте 82 лет после серии инсультов. BBC отметила, что "период пребывания Милна на посту генерального директора был отмечен столкновениями с консервативным правительством Маргарет Тэтчер", добавив, что "он решительно отстаивал независимость BBC, и в этот период корпорация переживала творческий расцвет, ознаменованный запуском утреннего телевидения, программ Newsnight и EastEnders, а также трансляцией концерта Live Aid". The Independent отметила: "Аласадару Мильну суждено быть запомненным за жестокий характер своего увольнения с поста генерального директора BBC в 1987 году, во время кампании Маргарет Тэтчер по очистке корпорации от того, что она считала недисциплинированностью, расточительностью, безответственностью и антиконсерваторской предвзятостью". Отмечая его вклад, в статье говорится: "В 1962 году Милн и [Дональд] Баверсток приняли участие в еще одном новаторском эксперименте. Вместе с Недом Шеррином они создали программу "That Was The Week That Was" – первую попытку BBC создать регулярную политическую сатиру". О назначении Милна в BBC Variety отметила: "С момента назначения Милна генеральным директором в 1981 году ему пришлось бороться за защиту редакционной независимости. В то время Великобритания вела войну с Аргентиной, и сторонники правительства считали, что BBC должна поддерживать "свою" команду, а не освещать конфликт с нейтральной точки зрения".
Публикации
DG: Воспоминания британского вещателя, 1988.