5G TV's game - April 2019 - Royal Television Society
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April 2019
5G
TV’s
game
changer?
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Journal of The Royal Television Society
April 2019 l Volume 56/4
From the CEO
It’s been an especially to all the jurors for their hard work. story of mobile media technology.
stimulating few weeks I was fortunate to attend the Cardiff Also inside, Anne Dawson, the Soci-
at the Society. The Creative Cities Convention, where ety’s bursaries administrator, provides
glamorous RTS RTS Wales curated a terrific session in a revealing portrait of the experience
Programme Awards which Kirsty Wark interviewed ITV of being a mentor and mentee. This is
ceremony was an Studios’ Julian Bellamy. He delivered a an inspirational read.
amazing occasion. resounding message about how much Last, but not least, I’d like thank the
We had star power in abundance and creativity we are blessed with in our indefatigable Charles Byrne for his
29 well-deserved winners (full details nations and regions. achievements over two decades as
are in this issue). I am delighted that we have in this Chair of RTS Republic of Ireland.
There are so many people to thank issue both a report from the conven- Sadly, Charles is standing down. The
for delivering this fantastic evening, tion and an interview with BBC direc- good news is that he will still be
starting with our brilliant host, Shappi tor of news Fran Unsworth, who is a involved in the Society’s activities.
Khorsandi. I’m very grateful for the truly remarkable leader.
contribution on the night of the one Our cover story is Kate Bulkley’s
and only David Liddiment. perceptive piece on the potential that
Thanks also go to Wayne Garvie, 5G offers the television sector. This is
Chair of the Programme Awards, and a fascinating aspect of the unfolding Theresa Wise
Contents
7 Gary Gibbon’s TV Diary
Gary Gibbon discovers that rational argument and good
manners still exist at a Westminster mired in Brexit 22 Everyone gains from a helping hand
Anne Dawson talks to three RTS bursary students and
their media guides about the mutual benefits of mentoring
8 ‘5G will change TV for ever’
From revolutionising the transmission of live events to
consuming content on the move, 5G represents a step
change in TV, predicts Kate Bulkley
26 Our Friend in Scotland
Steven Ladurantaye finds at least some things are
common to work in his native Toronto and his new job
in Glasgow
11 News takes centre stage
Tara Conlan meets the unflappable director of BBC News,
Fran Unsworth, as she prepares for further challenges 27 Masterclass in creativity
If you want to write and sell a successful comedy, there
are no shortcuts, reports Steve Clarke
14 History on a human scale
Caroline Frost learns how the creator of Sky Atlantic’s
Chernobyl set out to tell the disaster’s story from the
perspective of the people caught up in it
30 Black to the future
Matthew Bell learns how ITV2’s award-winning
Timewasters blends jokes, jazz and time travel to tackle
big themes such as racism
17 Make TV sustainable
Stephanie Farmer takes notes as Chris Packham calls on
TV producers to change their ways and follow Albert 32 Act local, think global
Huge global commercial opportunities exist for TV talent
outside London, Julian Bellamy tells the Creative Cities
Convention in Cardiff. Huw Rossiter reports
18 BBC and ITV join the fray
As the competition grows more intense, Gideon Spanier
assesses the prospects for newcomer BritBox
34 RTS Programme Awards 2019
Hosted by Shappi Khorsandi, the awards were presented
on 19 March at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London,
20 Comedy of the dispossessed
Actor Toby Jones debuts as a TV writer, with BBC Two’s
Don’t Forget the Driver. He tells Ben Dowell what it was
like to co-write and star in his own show
in partnership with Audio Network. The winners and
nominees over eight pages
Cover: Citi GPS
Editor Production, design, advertising Royal Television Society Subscription rates Printing Legal notice
Steve Clarke Gordon Jamieson 3 Dorset Rise UK £115 ISSN 0308-454X © Royal Television Society 2019.
smclarke_333@hotmail.com gordon.jamieson.01@gmail.com London EC4Y 8EN Overseas (surface) £146.11 Printer: FE Burman The views expressed in Television
News editor and writer Sub-editor T: 020 7822 2810 Overseas (airmail) £172.22 20 Crimscott Street are not necessarily those of the RTS.
Matthew Bell Sarah Bancroft E: info@rts.org.uk Enquiries: publication@rts.org.uk London SE1 5TP Registered Charity 313 728
bell127@btinternet.com smbancroft@me.com W: www.rts.org.uk
Television www.rts.org.uk April 2019 3
Apply now for
the 2019 Shiers
Trust Award
The Trust can make a
grant of up to £4,000
towards publishing
work on any aspect
of TV history
Grants will be given to assist in the
completion of new or unfinished
projects, work or literature specific
DEADLINE EXTENDED to the objectives of the Trust.
‘Literature’ is defined as including
TO 31 AUGUST 2019 audio-visual media such as DVDs
and websites. It is essential that
applicants read all the conditions
Do you need
and criteria, which can be found
online at the address below.
George Shiers, a distinguished
US television historian, was a
long-standing member of the RTS.
£4,000
The Shiers Trust grant is now in its
19th year.
Application procedure
Applications are now invited and
should be submitted to the Trus-
for a history of tees by Friday 31 August 2019 on
the official a
pplication form.
television project? www.rts.org.uk/
shiers-trust-award
8
RTS NEWS Your guide to
upcoming events.
Book online at
www.rts.org.uk
RTS CONFERENCE Friday 29 November Venue: The Old Fruitmarket,
National events 18-20 September RTS Midlands Awards 2019 Candleriggs, Glasgow G1 1NQ
RTS Cambridge Venue: TBC ■ April Chamberlain
RTS SCREENING Convention 2019 ■ Jayne Greene 07792 776585 ■ scotlandchair@rts.org.uk
Thursday 25 April Venue: King’s College CB2 1ST ■ RTSMidlands@rts.org.uk
Our Planet screening and Q&A SOUTHERN
See Netflix’s Our Planet, followed STEVE HEWLETT MEMORIAL NORTH EAST AND THE BORDER April, date TBC
by a Q&A. Organised jointly by LECTURE 2019 ■ Jill Graham Meet the Professionals
the RTS and Wildscreen. Speak- Tuesday 24 September ■ jill.graham@blueyonder.co.uk Venue: Bournemouth University,
ers: Sophie Lanfear, producer; Speaker Mark Thompson precise venue TBC
Jamie McPherson, camera oper- Venue: University of Westminster, NORTH WEST ■ Stephanie Farmer
ator; Keith Scholey, series pro- London W1W 7BY Thursday 25 April ■ SFarmer@bournemouth.ac.uk
ducer; and Olly Scholey, assistant A celebration and screening
producer. 6:30pm for 6:45pm RTS MASTERCLASSES of 63 Up THAMES VALLEY
Venue: The Auditorium, Tuesday 5 November and The Up series began in 1964 ■ Tony Orme
30 Euston Square, London Wednesday 6 November at Granada TV and is made in ■ RTSThamesValley@rts.org.uk
NW1 2FB RTS Student Masterclasses MediaCity by Shiver. Speakers:
Venue: IET, 2 Savoy Place, director Michael Apted, execu- WALES
RTS EARLY EVENING EVENT London WC2R 0BL tive producer Claire Lewis and ■ Hywel Wiliam 07980 007841
Tuesday 14 May key contributor Tony Walker. ■ HWiliam@rts.org.uk
Promoting well-being and Hosted by Lucy Meacock.
mental health in the TV industry Local events 6:30pm WEST OF ENGLAND
During Mental Health Week, this Venue: Compass Room, Lowry Thursday 2 May
event will focus on the free- DEVON AND CORNWALL Theatre, Salford Quays M50 3AZ Our Planet – creating a social
lance-centric TV workforce. ■ Jane Hudson Monday 29 April media campaign
Chair: Caroline Frost, entertain- ■ RTSDevonandCornwall@rts. Dorothy Byrne: the future of Masterclass on the social media
ment editor, HuffPost UK. Speak- org.uk investigative news journalism campaign around Netflix’s Our
ers: Richard Bentley, creative Dorothy Byrne is head of news Planet series. Speakers: Jon Clay,
director, Postcard Productions; EAST and current affairs, Channel 4. director and producer, Silver-
Julia Lamb, media engagement Sunday 28 April 6:30pm-9:30pm back Films; Dan Huertas, direc-
and awards manager, Mind; Alex Winterlong screening and Q&A Venue: DPL at Salford University, tor and producer, Silverback
Pumfrey, CEO, The Film and TV Q&A with writer/director David MediaCity UK, Orange Tower, Films; Amy Anderson, director
Charity; and additional speaker Jackson in conversation with Salford Quays M50 2HE and producer, WWF; Host: Lynn
TBC. 6:30pm for 6:45pm Fiona Ryder. Screening at 7:30pm ■ Rachel Pinkney 07966 230639 Barlow, Chair, RTS West of Eng-
Venue: TBC Venue: Arts Picturehouse, ■ RPinkney@rts.org.uk land. 6:30pm
38-39 St Andrew’s Street, Venue: Cinema 3, Watershed,
RTS FUTURES Cambridge CB2 3AR NORTHERN IRELAND Canon’s Road, Bristol BS1 5TX
Wednesday 15 May ■ Nikki O’Donnell ■ John Mitchell Tuesday 14 May
Investigative journalism ■ nikki.odonnell@bbc.co.uk ■ mitch.mvbroadcast@ Copyright in productions
6:45pm for 7:00pm btinternet.com Workshop with Abbas Media
Venue: RocketSpace, 40 Isling ISLE OF MAN Law, hosted by Nigel Abbas.
ton High Street, London N1 8EQ ■ Michael Wilson REPUBLIC OF IRELAND Tickets: £30+VAT for Bristol
■ michael.wilson@isleofmedia.org ■ Charles Byrne (353) 87251 3092 Media, RTS and Square Club
RTS AGM ■ byrnecd@iol.ie members. 3:30pm-5:30pm
Tuesday 25 June LONDON Venue: The Square Club, 15 Ber
All RTS members welcome. 6pm Wednesday 5 June SCOTLAND keley Square, Bristol BS8 1HB
Venue: RTS, 7th floor, Dorset Rise, Summer quiz 2019 Wednesday 24 April ■ Belinda Biggam
London EC4Y 8EN Hosted by Harriet Brain. Build Student Television Awards 2019 ■ belindabiggam@hotmail.com
a team of up to eight people. The awards are supported by
RTS AWARDS 6:30pm for 7:00pm STV, which will film the awards YORKSHIRE
Friday 28 June Venue: TBC ceremony and show the event Friday 14 June
RTS Student Television ■ Daniel Cherowbrier and the winning films on its RTS Yorkshire Centre Awards
Awards 2019 ■ daniel@cherowbrier.co.uk digital platform. 6:00pm Ceremony: 7:00pm
Sponsored by Motion Venue: Argyle Street Arches, Venue: The Queens Hotel, City
Content Group MIDLANDS 253 Argyle Street, Glasgow G2 8DL Square, Leeds LS1 1PJ
Venue: BFI Southbank, Belvedere Monday 7 October Wednesday 12 June ■ Lisa Holdsworth 07790 145280
Road, London SE1 8XT RTS Midlands Careers Fair RTS Scotland Television ■ lisa@allonewordproductions.
Venue: TBC Awards 2019 co.uk
Television www.rts.org.uk April 2019 5
RTS YOUNG TECHNOLOGIST 2019
SPONSORED BY
Nominations now open
Applicants for the RTS Young Technologist Award can be from any
sector of the TV and related industries
The judges will be looking for an application that demonstrates how:
l The applicant has already made an impact in this field
l The receipt of the award would enhance the applicant’s understanding
of the ever-changing role of technology in television and related fields
l The applicant proposes to share this enhanced understanding with
others, both within the RTS and beyond
The prize is a full conference place at IBC, together with costs of travel
to IBC and accommodation for the duration of the conference
Application forms and judging criteria are at:
rts.org.uk/award/rts-young-technologist-2019
Deadline: Completed forms must be returned to Jo Sampson
(JSampson@rts.org.uk) by 5pm on 13 May 2019
Finalists will be interviewed on the afternoon of 3 July 2019
TV diary
Gary Gibbon discovers
that rational argument and
good manners still exist at
Westminster, despite the
Brexit car crash
P
arliament is “a sick green to improve our chances of ■ Is it the online revolution that is
house” right now. getting MPs as live guests. The dem- driving us into a more brittle polit-
That’s not a com- onstrators watch output live on their ical discourse and entrenched posi-
ment on the politics mobiles, so they know when to raise tions? One spin-off of the digital
of the place but a the volume. zeitgeist, for me, is that I get to record
diagnosis by Philippa It’s so loud now that we are all a weekly podcast to chew on ques-
Whitford MP, the wearing those microphones that look tions like that (Politics: Where Next?).
Commons’ most senior medical figure. like you’ve got a giant wart on the side This week, it meant that I sat down
The SNP politician has a long career as of your face. with two experts in the field. Jamie
a cancer surgeon behind her, and MPs The “Madonna mikes” block out a Susskind, author of Future Politics,
aware of her medical background lot of the background noise, which worries that every element of our
have been bending her ear to tell her probably makes those who are live politics is going to be challenged by
of their anxiety issues. presenting or commentating look advances in technology.
Whitford says sleepless nights and even more ridiculous as we lean in Giuliano da Empoli has written The
persistent stress are rampant and she’s and strain to hear each other or hold Engineers of Chaos, about the populist
had MPs telling her of their inability to on to our line of thought. Svengalis who have masterminded the
process information as a result. new technologies and pressed them to
And there’s little sign of things ■ As I was walking past one demon- the causes of Trump, the Italian Five
lightening up any time soon. Sir Keir strator in front of Parliament, Star Movement and many others.
Starmer told me he was about to recently, he shouted some abuse Might anti-populists, I asked, one
drive his family to the airport for at me. The bit I caught and which day press these amazing new tech-
what was meant to be a holiday for is repeatable was something about nologies to different causes – or are
them all. He would now be dropping going off “to do your fake news”. algorithms and social media destined
them off and heading back to West- I carried on walking, then stopped to be the playthings of political forces
minster instead. and decided to go back and to engage. that chime with the darker side of
I asked him if he could think of any- human nature?
■ The demonstrators who wave thing I’d done that merited that insult? Both say it is possible for the oppo-
flags, shout and sing behind the I asked him if he’d encourage his nents of populism to wrest control of
broadcasters’ podiums on College children to shout abuse in the street? these social levers. But both sounded
Green in Westminster do not seem I asked him what ever happened to like they thought the populist upris-
to be taking a holiday. British inhibitions? He didn’t really ing had quite a bit longer to run
They were joined recently by attempt a defence of his abuse and before that happens.
Alastair Campbell playing Ode to Joy said he was sorry if he’d caused
on the bagpipes. Channel 4 News is offence. We shook hands and I Gary Gibbon is political editor of Chan-
regularly presented live from the walked on. nel 4 News.
Television www.rts.org.uk April 2019 7
Technology
From revolutionising
the transmission of live
events to consuming
content on the move,
5G represents a step
change in TV, predicts
Kate Bulkley
Wizards Unite
‘5G will change
TV for ever’
C
hicago and Minneapo- well and truly on. Despite some con- more immersive and personalised
lis may not seem like cerns about the cost of constructing storytelling.
the homes of cutting- 5G networks, media companies are It also promises to deliver step
edge technology but, beginning to place bets that 5G mobile changes in the time and cost involved
on 3 April, they services will be a game changer. in preparing for, and transmitting, live
became the world’s “The 5G talk has now turned into coverage, from breaking news to sport.
first two cities with commercial 5G task forces and a notable step up in Moreover, 5G will free up more time
mobile services serving 5G-enabled appreciating the monetisable opportu- for media consumption on the move
smartphones. nities,” says one senior executive at a as the same next-generation mobile
The service was launched by US global media company. technology will be integral to driver-
carrier Verizon, keen to beat several The principle benefit of 5G technol- less cars.
Korean rivals to the bragging rights for ogy is the faster delivery of mobile At a recent Enders Deloitte confer-
commercialising 5G first, if only by a content and an end to the headache of ence, the CEO of EE, Marc Allera, threw
few hours. buffering files when on the move. But down the gauntlet to the audience: he
All the world-first posturing aside, speed is not the whole story. Crucially predicted that “a converged network
and after several years of trials and tests, for content companies, 5G will allow with 5G at its heart will change TV
the race to roll out 5G commercially is the development of new forms of for ever”.
8
In Allera’s vision, the future is not
just about getting more content deliv- ‘WE SEE 5G themselves from rivals. Allera put a
name to the EE content plan: “We want
ered faster to smartphones, but about CHANGING to be super aggregators of content”.
delivering more personalised and
interactive content. This includes aug- EVERYTHING Last month, Disney launched a new
mobile content service in Japan on
mented reality (AR) and virtual reality ABOUT HOW DoCoMo, a telco with 77 million sub-
(VR) plus “loads of things that we can’t
give consumers now over legacy MEDIA IS scribers. All of Japan’s mobile operators
are set to roll out 5G later this year.
broadcast networks”, he said. PRODUCED AND DoCoMo hopes to stand out from its
EE plans to commercialise 5G in
60 of the UK’s busiest cities over the
CONSUMED’ biggest local competitors, SoftBank
and KDDI, both of which already offer
next few months. Vodafone, Three and Netflix. The Disney-DoCoMo deal will
O2 have also announced 2019 5G roll- feature the latest releases from four
out plans. vehicles could generally become Disney studios – Walt Disney Studios,
But there is one potential problem: unnecessary at live events. Reporters Marvel Studios, Pixar and Lucasfilm.
the partial or complete ban on the use already use smartphones to report Viacom also sees mobile distribution
of Huawei telecommunications net- from remote areas and breaking-news as a key area of distribution diversifi-
work equipment due to western secu- events: 5G will enhance their ability to cation. It is especially keen to see “real
rity concerns about using the Chinese file live. traction” internationally, where it
company’s kit. “Sports broadcasts of live streams are already offers its content to 5 million
If implemented, this ban could slow often multiple tens of seconds behind mobile subscribers.
the UK 5G rollout by 18 to 24 months the live feed,” explains Tony Maroulis, Last year, Viacom International Media
and cost the UK economy as much as research director at Ampere Analysis. Networks signed a wide-ranging deal
£6.8bn, according to a new report from “So, 5G presents some opportunities with the telco Telefónica for its TV
Assembly Research, commissioned by there.” Once 5G networks are deployed channels, some of its streaming apps
industry body Mobile UK. to a “mainstream degree”, this will and VoD content across its Latin Amer-
Despite potential delays, Allera pre- enable “greater personalisation and ican footprint. It also has mobile distri-
dicted that a “fully converged IP net- engagement for video consumption, bution deals in Sweden with Telenor
work” in the UK should be up and further shifting viewing from a joint TV for its Paramount+ streaming service.
running sometime in the next three to experience to an individual one”. In March, Viacom signed an agree-
five years. The next-generation net- But he cautions that “a lot of the ment with BT Group’s mobile unit, EE,
work will allow customers to access applications are still at a ‘proof of con- to launch the first-ever MTV direct-
the speed of 5G both at home and on cept’ rather than an ‘actually solve a to-consumer subscription VoD stream
the move, providing a “seamless, fast problem’ stage”. ing app, MTV Play.
and reliable internet experience”. Mobile distribution is already a key Then, earlier this month, the com-
The promise of 5G is immense: the strategic priority for most big media pany signed a major programme deal
next-generation wireless technology companies – 5G only adds to the with T-Mobile in the US to offer a
will be up to 100 times faster than the appeal. In the UK, services such as Net content package of Viacom brands
current 4G standard for consumers. It flix and YouTube are already among the to its 80 million mobile customers.
will be possible to download a digital most popular applications for mobile Viacom sees its newly acquired ad-
movie in just 10 seconds at speeds of customers. Access to these services supported VoD service, Pluto TV, as a
300Mb/s. Over 4G, this same download requires no set-top box or TV screen. value-added app for mobile networks.
takes three to four minutes at 20Mb/s. Viacom and Disney are among the Viacom President and CEO Bob Bak-
Even faster speeds, theoretically big media players that have already ish believes that signing deals now will
reaching 10Gb/s on standard hardware, leaned into mobile distribution. They accelerate the transition to “next-
mean that 5G is also perfectly suited see mobile as not only another monet- generation platforms”, including those
for delivering AR and VR. Removing isation channel for their content but running on 5G. This could help Viacom
buffering issues on mobile handsets also as a way to compete more effec- tap into new audiences who might never
opens up all sorts of creative opportu- tively with Netflix and other over- have watched traditional TV. Speaking at
nities for content creators, especially in the-top streamers. the CES conference in Las Vegas in Janu-
live sports and gaming, both of which Mobile telecoms operators, for their ary, Bakish was bullish about the poten-
require real-time access to rapidly part, are keen to add more exclusive tial for mobile and 5G, saying that
changing data. content to their services to differentiate “mobile distribution really is the cata-
No wonder, then, that Disney’s lyst that will turn this whole ‘decline of
StudioLab partnered with Verizon in television’ argument on its head”.
January to explore the possibilities of 5G ‘MOBILE This could be especially true among
for media and entertainment. “We see
5G changing everything about how DISTRIBUTION younger demographics, who are not
watching traditional TV in traditional
media is produced and consumed,” Walt IS THE CATALYST ways. For Viacom, with its younger-
Disney Studios chief technology officer
Jamie Voris told Variety in January.
THAT WILL skewing brands such as MTV, Nickel
odeon and Comedy Central, it is
5G networks bring some obvious [REINVIGORATE] crucial to be where the audiences are.
opportunities for content production
and transmission: outside broadcast
TELEVISION’ Mobile is therefore a big opportunity.
The financial returns on mobile �
Television www.rts.org.uk April 2019 9
5G will transform sports broadcasting
� content deals are “similar to, [and] in
some cases actually better than, what ‘MOBILE [WILL trend, according Ovum’s “5G eco-
nomics of entertainment report”.
we see on the pay-TV side”, says David BECOME] A By 2026, there will be more media
Lynn, President and CEO of Viacom
International Media Networks. PRIMARY VIDEO consumption over 5G networks than
over 4G. Ovum says that will be
EE’s Allera says that 5G will also ENTERTAINMENT worth an extra $765bn by 2028 – by
help to blur the lines between gaming
and video story telling – it “will DISTRIBUTION which time, media and entertainment
companies will be competing to win
change everything for everyone” and CHANNEL’ a share of a near-$3tr cumulative
especially for entertainment because wireless revenue opportunity. And
“you’re going to go from watching nearly half of this ($1.3tr) will be ena-
content to being immersed in the experiences alone will generate a bled by 5G networks, predicts Ovum.
content of the games that you play”. total of $140bn from 2021 to 2028. Self-driving cars – whose auton-
Niantic, the company behind The immersive and new media omy will be underpinned by 5G com-
mobile AR game phenomenon applications – some of which remain munications – will offer passengers
Pokémon Go, is set to release a new at the speculative stage – are forecast more time to consume media.
multiplayer game using AR late this to generate more than $67bn annually “The last vestige of video-free con-
year, Wizards Unite, based on the Harry by 2028. That sum equals the value of sumption is the automobile,” said
Potter franchise. the entire global mobile media market Viacom’s Bakish at CES. “Those of us
The game will capitalise on the low (including video, music, and games) in media and entertainment have to
latency of 5G and new computing for 2017. think about how to transition from
technologies that mean gamers no “The video space is ripe for innova- being living-room companies to
longer need to be tethered to a games tion with the transition to 5G,” says Ed being everywhere companies, both in
console. Barton of Ovum. “Rather than supple- the kind of content we produce and
Also launching later this year is menting viewing experiences native in how we deliver it.”
Google Stadia, a Cloud-based games to other screens, mobile is set to come Given the increasingly competitive
streaming service that promises games into its own as a primary video enter- landscape for both telcos and media
in 4K ultra-high definition. When 5G tainment distribution channel.” companies, 5G offers enticing oppor-
rolls out, Google says it will be able to The growth of video consumed on tunities for providers and consumers
support 8K definition and even higher. mobile has been astonishing in 4G looking for the next step change in
Ovum forecasts that AR and VR – 5G is only going to continue that consumption and creativity. n
10News takes
centre stage
BBC
W
hen I ask the Boaden stepped aside during a review
BBC’s director BBC of the Jimmy Savile affair.
of news, Fran Observing previous corporation
Unsworth, if the Tara Conlan meets crises, such as Savile and the Hutton
first year in her Inquiry, at close quarters had helped
new role has Fran Unsworth, the Unsworth to “build up a certain resil-
lived up to her expectations, she gives
a hollow laugh.
unflappable director ience”. She says this enabled her to
deal with being in the glare of the
“I always knew it was going to be a of BBC News, as public spotlight last year.
challenging job, let’s put it like that,” “I think that it helps to have been
she admits. “But quite how challenging she prepares for around a long time. I’ve been through
it turned out to be – pretty quickly
into it – I possibly hadn’t anticipated.
further challenges quite a few crises in the BBC… not
always at the centre of them, but I’ve
“It was pretty tough for the first six her male colleagues. Unsworth, who seen them. Savile [was] the worst,
months, truthfully – actually, for the was responsible for Gracie’s contract, really: when you lose the Director-
whole of last year – dealing with apologised to her for “loose” language, General, it’s a big deal, when the
some of the managerial issues over which “led to some kind of misun- grown-ups have been lopped off. It
gender pay. I think we’ll get to a bet- derstanding”, and was forced to defend feels a bit like Brexit… everyone thinks
ter place with that… it’s probably the indefensible when quizzed by MPs the grown-ups have lost control. That’s
something that had to happen but, over BBC pay. very destabilising for organisations.”
nonetheless, it was a bit bruising. Six months later, Sir Cliff Richard With negotiations continuing over
“And, then, of course – we may as won his privacy case against the BBC. how much the BBC will finally pay
well take all the difficult bits head on The corporation had broken the news Richard (£210,000 in damages plus
– [there was] the Cliff Richard trial.” – using a helicopter to film it – that £850,000 agreed legal costs, and the
Unsworth was promoted from police were searching the singer’s singer is asking for more), there is a
director of the World Service Group Berkshire home over historical limit to what Unsworth can say but
to her new role in January 2018. Her sex allegations. she concludes: “That was a difficult
promotion coincided with an escala- At the time, Unsworth was under- period… hopefully, most of those things
tion of the gender pay row. study to her predecessor, James Har- are now, as they say, in the rearview
China editor Carrie Gracie resigned ding. She had also been acting mirror and we can get on with… the
in protest over being paid less than director of news in 2013, when Helen issues [affecting] the future of news.” �
Television www.rts.org.uk April 2019 11� But more bruising encounters are corporation via work experience at BBC
on the horizon. Following the axing of Bristol through a friend of her boss.
political series This Week and the She worked on Radio 1’s Newsbeat and
merger of Radio 4’s The World Tonight Radio 4’s The World at One and PM, before
with the World Service’s Newshour becoming head of political program
(which “caused a bit of a kerfuffle”), mes, then head of newsgathering.
she reveals with sadness “that this is As hers was not the Oxbridge-
only the start of it”. BBC News has to educated trainee route taken by many
save £80m as part of the of her predecessors, her
pan-BBC target of rise to the top was more
£800m-worth of cuts. ‘PEOPLE difficult. “It took a bit
“We’ve done half of it;
we’ve got to find another ARE SEEING longer, I think, because
if you do those [trainee]
£40m,” she says. “Not all
in this year, but we
US AS LESS schemes, you go straight
into newsrooms,
might do it all in this IMPARTIAL whereas it took me a
year – we’re not sure.
Certainly, a big chunk of
THAN WE few years to prove I was
‘worthy’ of going into a
it will hit the budget by USED TO BE, newsroom because
April 2020.
“I think [viewers] will SO THAT’S A there was a bit of, ‘Well,
you’ve got no training,
see it this time. We are
looking at our whole
PROBLEM’ have you?’ But you learn
on the job.”
operating model: is there She adds: “It has its
anything we can do… moments, but it’s a priv-
through further efficiency… [through] ilege to do this job because it’s… one of
more sharing of material across the the most important... in journalism.” She
board? But that’s always a difficult thing acknowledges that, with a salary of
to achieve in the BBC, because we’ve £340,000, “I’m paid extremely well”.
got a lot of services – they all like to do She seems remarkably unflappable.
their own thing. Her glass, corner office at New Broad-
“Actually, when we look across the casting House looks out on to the news- At work, she tries to chair one or two
piece, we think we could make the room. It also has a view of the road, she of the Monday to Friday 9:00am news
material go further across outlets. informs me, where a bomb disposal meetings to keep in touch with the out-
We’ll have something on that by June. squad once blew up a suspect package. put. Her in-tray includes Ofcom’s cur-
I think there will be further programme The news chief uses less jargon than rent review of BBC News. This is, among
announcements, too, probably. We’re some of her colleagues. Her appoint- other things, examining how the BBC
not sure what they are yet… none of ment to the top job was welcomed by helps people “make up their minds”.
them have been signed off.” many staff. As a former colleague says, Impartiality is a red-hot issue. Lat-
Brexit is all-consuming domestically “Fran is one of those people who just terly, Jacob Rees-Mogg MP branded
– and she pays tribute to the BBC gets on with the job. She’s not one of Mishal Husain’s questioning of his pro-
journalists covering it – but it is not those Oxbridge-educated men who motion of a video of a German far-right
expensive, as the story is mostly play the game; she is extremely able leader as “the Today programme’s leftie
located in Westminster and Brussels. and a safe pair of hands.” approach” (of which Unsworth says: “I
“Obviously, if we get into a general Some felt she should have got the think it was a fair question on Mishal’s
election, that’s a different matter. That’s role before, when the former Times part”). Some of her own staff took to
going to cost and we’ll be thinking editor James Harding was appointed. social media to lambast Question Time’s
hard, corporately, about how we’re However, she praises him for his focus decision to air a question about the
going to fund it,” says the brightly on digital expansion. morality of five-year-old children
dressed Unsworth, who tells me she When asked how she deals with the learning about LGBT+ issues in school.
originally wanted to be an actress. stresses of managing such a huge, and The BBC’s Charter says it should
Born in 1957 and from North Staf- public, global news machine, Unsworth “provide duly accurate and impartial
fordshire, she has been at the BBC her says simply: “Well, there’s a team and news [and] current affairs” while
whole career, and says, “no one’s ever they each have their responsibility.” “championing freedom of expression”.
asked” her to go elsewhere. “I think She feels that it is easier to cope with So, is the BBC forever damned if it
I’ve been invited to throw my hat in for a high-profile job if you have friends does and damned if it doesn’t?
a few things… but, actually, they’ve and family who are “quite understand- “Yeah!” she says with a snort. “Our
been abroad.” ing” and supportive when evenings or trust scores are still the highest but,
Educated at St Dominic’s High holidays are ruined by phone calls. She nonetheless, people are seeing us as
School for Girls in Stoke-on-Trent, she does “make spare time… I go to the less impartial than we used to be, so
studied drama at Manchester Univer- theatre, I meet my friends”. She is a that’s a problem that we feel we have
sity but did not get into drama school, regular at the National Theatre and to address.
so worked in publishing in London. Royal Shakespeare Company and “Truthfully, this might be a product
She subsequently joined the loves Alan Bennett and David Hare. of the world in which we live, a more
12‘OUR SOCIAL
MEDIA
GUIDELINES
REMIND OUR
STAFF WHAT
THEY SIGN
UP TO WHEN
THEY JOIN
THE BBC’
BBC
polarised world. It is probably the case dog Unsworth. Although around 85% weekly audience is 346 million and
that, if people don’t see their views of equal-pay cases raised have been she believes the BBC is on course to hit
reflected, they assume a bias, and that’s resolved, the Equality and Human its target of a global audience of half a
a problem for us. We really need to get Rights Commission said in March that billion by its centenary in 2022.
on the front foot and explain – as we it was formally investigating the BBC Internationally, she sees her main
do, actually – that you will hear things about the issue. rivals as the other state-funded broad-
on the BBC that you, personally, don’t “[The gap] has come down but, of casters, some of whom “don’t really
agree with.” course, it was never actually that high!” have the same commitment to free-
She adds: “We are living in quite she says with a rueful laugh. “There dom of expression and human rights
difficult times, and… certain subjects were some anomalies at the top. That that we do”. She celebrates the impact
become a kind of lightning rod. They was the problem.” made by Africa Eye, winner of an RTS
do change a bit from week to week… She concedes that she does not Television Journalism Award.
there’s Brexit, then there’s transgender know if she was ever a victim of pay Another of the BBC’s five 2019 RTS
rights and then LGBT+ rights. It’s ‘what inequality herself. Her pay has been awards went to Chris Cook at Newsnight.
is the subject of the day that people disclosed for around 10 years, so can Unsworth considers the BBC Two
feel very strongly about?’ be compared with male colleagues: flagship to be “on fine form… doubling
“But I am quite clear that we are “Prior to that… who knows?” its audience” under new editor Esme
universally funded: everyone pays, “One of the reasons” for the gap, she Wren. She applauds the arrival of
everyone has an expectation of seeing reckons, “is that local managers were Emma Barnett at the programme: “It is
their views represented.… [However], making pay decisions without refer- great to have this array of really good
we’re not going to give a platform to ence to what was going on in other strong women. It’s about appointing
people’s views that are factually wrong divisions. the best people to the job and it’s about
without challenging them. “We are disclosing people in bands not making assumptions, which I think
“Some of our own staff sometimes so they can see more clearly where were made in the past, that women
don’t like that… and they are saying so they are. I think the next phase is that somehow had less authority.
quite vocally, which is why I’ve seen fit they will see the male/female split. “If you look at the number of our
to issue our social media guidelines “With these bands, now it makes it on-air correspondents and editors, an
and remind our staff what they sign up much easier to have these negotiations awful lot of them are still men – and
to when they join the BBC.” Those with people because, it’s like, that’s the they are brilliant men. This isn’t a
guidelines have been updated by BBC deal: if you don’t like it, sorry, there’s ‘We’re shoving out all the men’ by any
News editorial director Kamal Ahmed nothing we can do.” means. But I think we are also recog-
and were emailed recently to staff. On the grander scale, there are posi- nising that there are brilliant women
The gender pay issue continues to tives. The BBC’s global news services’ who are worthy of getting key jobs.” n
Television www.rts.org.uk April 2019 13History on a
human scale
‘I
wanted to make a drama unlike hours of the five-hour drama is an
Drama anything else, because Chernobyl absorbing, overwhelming experience.
was unlike anything else. I wanted It brings to mind blockbuster sci-fi on
it to be as unique as the event a Christopher Nolan scale – except
Caroline Frost learns itself.” That was the ambitious goal that Mazin’s story is all horribly true.
how the creator of Sky set by writer and producer Craig The budget is all over the screen,
Mazin for his epic mini-series about the from the pedigree cast – Harris, Stellan
Atlantic’s Chernobyl Soviet power plant that caught fire on Skarsgård, Emily Watson, Jessie Buckley
set out to tell the 26 April 1986, triggering the most disas-
trous nuclear accident in history. And
– and explosion scenes filmed at a sister
reactor in Lithuania, to the recreation
disaster’s story from Mazin has succeeded. of Pripyat, the town, now in Ukraine,
While one of the show’s stars, Jared where so many of the plant workers
the perspective of the Harris, compares it tentatively to The lived and where children were still
people caught up in it China Syndrome and other disaster thrill-
ers, he adds: “There’s the Godzilla myth
playing outside days after the
catastrophe.
in there, too, but I think that Craig has The huge production is the benefi-
crossed lots of different genres.” ciary of Sky’s partnership with HBO.
Sure enough, watching the first two Mazin says he was amazed that he was
14suits dealing with half-information,
‘IT WAS DELIBERATELY and following orders. They weren’t
moustache-twirling villains. Gorba
NON-HOLLYWOOD’ chev was afraid; they all were.”
One of the biggest challenges of
bringing the story to screen has been
the enduring arguments over the final
death toll; estimates range between the
Soviet official figure of 31 up to a 2007
Russian publication that puts it nearer
the million mark.
Kate Brown, professor of science,
technology and society at MIT and
author of Manual for Survival: A Chernobyl
Guide to the Future, believes it was the
cause of 150,000 deaths in Ukraine over
30 years. She explains: “The biggest
misconception is that it was an accident
that happened in one place in the past
with a clear beginning, middle and end.”
While she welcomes a drama that
brings the story to young people who
weren’t around when the reactor blew,
her caveat is that “emphasising the
drama of the event – firemen, helicop-
ter pilots – works like a broom to
sweep away the larger tragedy still
unfolding.… It’s not just a TV drama.
We all, in many ways, live in the
shadow of the mushroom cloud.”
Adam Higginbotham, author of Mid-
night in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the
World’s Greatest Nuclear Disaster, is equally
dismissive of both the tiny figures and
the massive ones. “There is an awful
lot of scaremongering about this, and
it sells an awful lot of papers, but the
scientific evidence doesn’t support it.
It’s much more important to concen-
trate on the fact that hundreds of
thousands of people had their lives
completely overturned by the accident.”
Chernobyl
Sky
Craig Mazin agrees that there is just
no way to marry the competing figures
allowed to do so much: “We started a documentary account by a man and narratives. Instead, he offers them
with HBO, but it became clear that this directly involved in the cleaning of all at the end of the series, and, in
was bigger than any one network, so the roof.” addition, has created a podcast to
we reached out to Sky and it rescued Mazin is confident that he has accompany the series. He uses this to
us. We were based in London, and our steered clear of any enduring Russian “talk about what I changed and why;
prep was in Lithuania. We also shot in disinformation about the accident, what was real, what wasn’t. I hold
Latvia and a little bit in Ukraine. It’s a which was hushed up at the time by myself accountable to truth and fact,
story about Europe. We only had two the Soviet government: “There is some because it’s incredibly important.”
Americans involved.” Soviet nostalgia, but Russians – and, He points out, however, that his aim
Moved to research the accident after certainly, Ukrainians – are aware that is not to provide viewers with home-
reading an article in the New York Times, Chernobyl hurt them. There was a work. “It’s my job to make people feel
Mazin ended up dedicating years to government that caused this, but it no something through drama. I want to
creating the project, wading through longer exists. make people feel a true, empathic
academic papers by historians and “Instead, I have sensed from the experience with the human beings
scientists, as well as more emotional people there a general desire that we who went through this. Telling their
first-person accounts brought together not be over the top and do the usual stories is one of the great joys of this.”
in the book Voices from Chernobyl. American thing of making the Soviets His star Jared Harris, who plays Valery
He remembers: “I even came across into cartoons. They were banal men in Legasov, a Soviet scientist charged �
Television www.rts.org.uk April 2019 15The city of Pripyat today
� with investigating the scale of the capable of doing what Chernobyl did. of going along with the lie, and watch
disaster, much to the dissatisfaction of There are great benefits to nuclear what happens, to people’s bodies, to
his Politburo superiors, agrees that the power. This is not an anti-nuclear people they love, their governments.
success of the drama is dependent on story. I am sympathetic to their con- I want them to see what happens to
us caring for the individuals involved. cerns about preconceptions, but the planet.”
“Because of the scale of it, we didn’t there’s nothing I can do within the Stellan Skarsgård adds: “A system
want the Disney version. The story is show itself, which is about the worst that considers itself perfect is prone
big enough without needing in any possible situation.” to start hiding truths that aren’t com-
way to be sensationalised,” he says. This approach is supported by Hig- fortable, and that is always lethal. It
“Instead, it was all about the produc- ginbotham. “People use Chernobyl as could be a Soviet system or a religion,
tion design, the clothes, the cars… a means of portraying nuclear energy but anything that considers itself
every detail. It was deliberately as a Pandora’s box that should never perfect is dangerous.’
non-Hollywood, no glamour. It was have been opened. I think it’s impor- Ultimately, however, it is for the
deliberately understated, as was the tant to understand that this was an people of Pripyat and the disaster’s
truth of the time.” event that could only have happened immediate victims, survivors and their
Higginbotham comments: “It’s in the time and location it did, after loved ones that Mazin feels the most
important to understand what the an era of stagnation in the Soviet responsibility. “We’re just beginning to
people of Pripyat lost through the Union, [with] a reactor that was badly show it to people now. I was very
explosion. It was a wonderful place to designed and deeply unstable. gratified – at the first screening, a
live, and people who lived there and “This is really a classic story of man- gentleman came up to me and said,
worked at the plant were young and kind’s hubris, overconfidence in tech- ‘It was like I was there again.’
ambitious and excited to be involved in nology, human ambition, overreaching “I was so pleased because we’ve
something that represented the future cowardice and bravery, stupidity and come at it from a place of great respect.
of the Soviet Union, the future of the cover-up – it has a timeless resonance I have no respect for the Soviet govern
technology they were working with. on all sorts of levels.” ment, but I have boundless respect for
“It was overshadowed by what Inevitably, Mazin and his cast see the people who lived there, because
happened subsequently, but many political parallels with the world the life of Soviet citizens was hard.
still have pride in what they were today. “I want viewers to question our “The sacrifices they made were
doing. They would all say we should relationship with the truth,” says the extraordinary, throughout the
continue to work with nuclear power, producer. “I want people to start 20th century, and I would like them
we just have to be careful with what thinking more critically. to know that everybody who worked
we’re handling.” “I want them to ask who benefits on this production wanted to pay
Mazin is determined not to make from certain narratives and agendas. tribute to them, their cultures and
any comments against nuclear power There is a global war on the truth communities.” n
with this series. “There is no nuclear – we’re in the middle of it right now.
power plant functioning in the West I want people to experience the cost Chernobyl airs on Sky Atlantic on 7 May.
16Make TV
sustainable
Naturewatch
Chris Packham
C
hris Packham brought transformation of the film and televi-
his passion and knowl- Production sion industry,” said Annie East, pro-
edge to two RTS South- gramme leader for the BA Television
ern events at
Bournemouth Univer-
Stephanie Farmer takes Production course at Bournemouth
University.
sity in early March, notes as Chris Packham In the evening, Packham was inter-
highlighting the need for greater viewed by RTS Southern committee
environmental sustainability in pro- calls on TV producers to member Gordon Cooper, in front of
gramme production.
In the afternoon, the TV presenter
change their ways and an audience of more than 200 mem-
bers of the public.
and naturalist spoke to media students follow Albert Packham, who was diagnosed with
about sustainable TV production. In the Asperger’s as an adult, spoke about
evening, he talked candidly about his working in media production. We not fitting in at school, because he
life and TV career – and how he copes need a more sustainable approach to struggled to make friends and under-
with the effects of Asperger syndrome. the planet and you can’t make pro- stand how to socialise with his peers.
The Southampton-born presenter grammes about saving the planet if The natural world became his passion
of BBC Two’s award-winning Spring- you’re contributing to the problem,” and refuge.
watch, Autumnwatch and Winterwatch said Packham, who encouraged the Packham also revealed that an
programmes is also a nature photog- students to harness their youth and argument in the street with a TV pro-
rapher, programme-maker and out- energy to the environmental cause. ducer about the producer’s poor
spoken campaigner for wildlife. Bournemouth University is one of parking led to his first job in TV on
He argued that production teams the founding partners of the new BBC children’s series The Really Wild
are becoming more aware of the need Albert educational initiative, which Show in 1986.
to work sustainably, but that there is aims to develop teaching materials to Cooper guided the conversation
still much to be done. Packham help reduce the carbon footprint of through Packham’s life, including the
showed the audience a pile of paper the next generation of film-makers. influence Asperger’s has had on his
scripts from a recent Springwatch and Students from Solent University TV career and personal relationships.
is urging the series to go paperless. and the Arts University Bournemouth At times moving and funny – but
The production – which has Albert also attended the event. “Chris really always brutally honest and impas-
certification – does recycle, car share brought alive the need to encourage sioned – the naturalist called for more
and use local crews where possible. sustainable awareness in our work to be done to save our natural world.
The Albert certification scheme aims and personal lives and this will be “As I got older, I decided to get up
to introduce greener ways of working continued with the partnership that earlier every day so I can do more and
to film and TV production. we have founded with Bafta/Albert, try to make a difference. If someone
He said he had been “pushing for which will enable staff and students says ‘no’ to me, it’s like fuel for me to
[sustainability] for as long as I’ve been to contribute towards the try to do more,” he said. n
Television www.rts.org.uk April 2019 17BBC and ITV
join the fray
SVoD
As the competition grows more intense, Gideon Spanier
assesses the prospects for newcomer BritBox
‘I
t seems only a few short years and a £5.99-a-month starting price. and that consumers are willing to pay
ago that the BBC and ITV were Other new and established players are for multiple services, with “43% of all
thought of as the titans of suddenly jumping on the SVoD band- online homes interested in subscribing
British media. But all of us in wagon. Apple announced plans for to a new service that features British
the UK’s traditional media Apple TV+ in March, and Disney, which content”. And that increases to 50% in
solar system are getting recently completed its acquisition of homes that have Netflix. “We are not a
smaller and smaller in the Apple, Ama- Fox to boost its content firepower, will substitute for Netflix,” she argues, “we
zon and Netflix universe.” Thus said launch Disney+ later this year. are complementary to Netflix.”
Lord Hall, Director-General of the BBC, Comcast’s Sky already operates a ITV and the BBC gave few details
in March, as he unveiled the corpora- streaming service, Now TV, which costs when they announced BritBox in Feb-
tion’s plans for its new financial year. from £7.99 a month, and Viacom ruary, because they had only struck an
“We need to find new ways to adapt initial agreement. It will be built on the
to the changing needs of our audiences, same tech as ITV’s online service, ITV
and we need to be able to do it in real ENDERS RECKONS Hub, and will not carry advertising.
time to keep pace with our global
competitors,” he continued. BRITBOX MIGHT There is no word on a launch date or
pricing, although they promised it
Hall’s candid admission in the face INITIALLY would provide “good value”.
of the US streaming giants’ dramatic
rise provides the rationale for BritBox. ATTRACT 500,000 McCall says: “The consumer proposi-
tion is good. It is going to be curated. It
This joint venture between the BBC
and ITV will launch an online sub-
SUBSCRIBERS is going to be displayed properly. It’s
going to be promoted. We will be build-
scription video-on-demand (SVoD) ing a lot of interesting data around what
streaming service for British program people do and what they don’t like.”
mes later this year. launched MTV Play, an SVoD mobile However, the joint venture has lim-
For many in British broadcasting, the app with a £3.99 price tag, in February. ited financial firepower compared with
long-awaited announcement was Discovery and the BBC have also the US tech giants. ITV has committed
10 years overdue. In a now-infamous announced a global, natural history to make a net investment of £25m in
decision in 2009, the Competition SVoD streaming service, following the 2019, £40m in 2020 and less in the
Commission blocked a proposal by the break-up of UKTV, which they following years. The BBC has not dis-
BBC, ITV and Channel 4 to create what co-owned. This service will not be closed its investment, other than to say
would have been a pioneering video- available in the UK and Ireland. that “no licence-fee funding will be
on-demand service. So, BritBox will be entering an used to pay for the service”.
Fast forward to 2019, and Netflix, increasingly crowded UK marketplace The broadcasters say BritBox will be
which launched in Britain only in 2012 at a time when, arguably, distinctive “the biggest collection of British content
and costs from £5.99 a month, domi- British content is under threat from available on any streaming service”,
nates SVoD streaming, with close to global media and technology giants. with “thousands of hours” of “both very
10 million UK subscribers. “BritBox will be the home for the best recent and older archive series” span-
Its global investment in high-end, of British creativity, celebrating the ning drama, comedy and factual titles,
original drama and documentaries, best of the past, the best of today and plus some original commissions. That
such as The Crown and Black Mirror: investing in new British originated programmes from UK public service
Bandersnatch, combined with third- content in the future,” promises ITV’s broadcasters are among the most-
party archive content, has fuelled binge CEO, Carolyn McCall. watched on-demand content on Sky
viewing. Amazon Prime Video is also a She insists that research shows there and Virgin augurs well, suggests McCall.
growing force, with 5 million UK users is demand for a British SVoD service Enders Analysis believes that “there
18You can also read
