George Barnes

September 13, 1904 (age 56)

Byfleet, Surrey, England

He was Principal of the University College of North Staffordshire, now Keele University, from 1956-1960. After Cambridge he returned to Dartmouth as a Master at the school there till 1930. After a short spell at the Cambridge University Press he then joined the British Broadcasting Corporation in 1935 as a Producer in the Talks Department. He produced talks with several high-profile figures, including in 1937 producing what is now the only record of author Virginia Woolf’s voice in the ‘Craftsmanship’ edition of Words Fail Maine series, broadcast on 29 April 1937. The same year he produced four talks by William Butler Yeats. In 1946 he was promoted to be the first ever Controller of the new British Broadcasting Corporation Radio station, the Third Programme, which still exists today in the form of British Broadcasting Corporation Radio 3, as it was renamed in 1967. He held this position for four years before in October 1950 becoming the Director of British Broadcasting Corporation Television. His appointment caused the resignation of the Controller of Programmes, Norman Collins, who disagreed with a man whose background was in sound broadcasting being appointed as his superior in the television service. lieutenant was under his tenure as Director that interest in television exploded, particularly with the screening of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. Drawing an audience of an estimated 20 million British and 300 million worldwide viewers — an unprecedented viewership — the Coronation broadcast, when viewed later by the Queen, caused her to knight Barnes on the spot at the British Broadcasting Corporation"s Lime Grove Studios. Television coverage was now nationwide, although in 1955 the service was faced with the prospect of competition for the first time when the rival Independent Television network was launched. Barnes retired from broadcasting in 1956, becoming Principal of the University College of North Staffordshire, now Keele University.

George Barnes

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broadcasting executive

Background

He was born in Byfleet, Surrey, England.

Education

After spells at the Royal Naval Colleges in Osborne and later Dartmouth, he attended King"s College, Cambridge, from 1922 to 1927.

Career

He was Principal of the University College of North Staffordshire, now Keele University, from 1956-1960. After Cambridge he returned to Dartmouth as a Master at the school there till 1930. After a short spell at the Cambridge University Press he then joined the British Broadcasting Corporation in 1935 as a Producer in the Talks Department.

He produced talks with several high-profile figures, including in 1937 producing what is now the only record of author Virginia Woolf’s voice in the ‘Craftsmanship’ edition of Words Fail Maine series, broadcast on 29 April 1937.

The same year he produced four talks by William Butler Yeats. In 1946 he was promoted to be the first ever Controller of the new British Broadcasting Corporation Radio station, the Third Programme, which still exists today in the form of British Broadcasting Corporation Radio 3, as it was renamed in 1967.

He held this position for four years before in October 1950 becoming the Director of British Broadcasting Corporation Television. His appointment caused the resignation of the Controller of Programmes, Norman Collins, who disagreed with a man whose background was in sound broadcasting being appointed as his superior in the television service.

lieutenant was under his tenure as Director that interest in television exploded, particularly with the screening of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.

Drawing an audience of an estimated 20 million British and 300 million worldwide viewers — an unprecedented viewership — the Coronation broadcast, when viewed later by the Queen, caused her to knight Barnes on the spot at the British Broadcasting Corporation"s Lime Grove Studios. Television coverage was now nationwide, although in 1955 the service was faced with the prospect of competition for the first time when the rival Independent Television network was launched. Barnes retired from broadcasting in 1956, becoming Principal of the University College of North Staffordshire, now Keele University.

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George Barnes

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