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Barbara Slater announces her retirement from the BBC after 40 years

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A career in BBC Sport has been an absolute passion, never just a job. Since joining in 1983 I’ve been privileged to have had such amazing opportunities and the delight of working with such talented colleagues and partners.

— Barbara Slater

In the week of her 40th anniversary working at the BBC, the first female Director of BBC Sport, Barbara Slater, has today announced that she will be retiring from the BBC in spring next year.

As one of the most respected figures in the broadcasting industry, Barbara has transformed BBC Sport during her 14 years in the role. She has changed attitudes and increased the profile and interest of women’s sport, cemented the BBC as the most popular sports broadcaster in the UK and delivered extraordinary growth and evolution of BBC Sport’s digital services. In addition, Barbara brought the FA Cup and cricket back to BBC television and has overseen the production of many Crown Jewel sporting events which includes 14 Men’s and Women’s Football World Cups and European Championships, 7 summer and Winter Olympic Games, including London 2012 plus Wimbledon, the Six Nations and Match of the Day and she has future-proofed live sport on the BBC with a long-term rights legacy in place.

A former International gymnast and Olympian, Barbara joined the BBC in 1983 as a trainee assistant producer in the Natural History Unit before moving into BBC Sport, specialising in outside broadcasts and overseeing the production of a range of sports including tennis and golf. After promotions to roles including Head of Production and then Head of General Sports, Barbara was appointed to Director of Sport in April 2009.

Barbara was Awarded the OBE in 2014 for services to sport broadcasting and other awards include the Women in TV and film Inspirational Women prize in 2012 following the BBC’s successful broadcast of the London Olympics - the biggest TV event in British broadcasting history.

Barbara Slater says: “It was this week 40 years ago that I first walked through the doors at Broadcasting House. A career in BBC Sport has been an absolute passion, never just a job. Since joining in 1983 I’ve been privileged to have had such amazing opportunities and the delight of working with such talented colleagues and partners. There are a huge number of people to thank, and so many magical memories to reflect upon.

From being in the director’s chair for occasions like Pete Sampras’ 7th Wimbledon triumph, to leading the move to Salford, seeing the extraordinary growth of our digital services and new talent excel. I also hope that in showcasing the brilliance of women’s sport the BBC has played its part in changing attitudes, increasing its profile and inspiring the next generation. I must also make special mention of the Olympic Games having been a competitor in 1976 and then leading the sport teams covering a home Games in 2012. It was a monumental achievement for the BBC and everyone involved, as the UK hosted a sensational Olympics in London. I will be following the BBC’s coverage of Paris next summer - this time as a proud sports fan.”

Tim Davie, Director-General, says: “Barbara has had an extraordinary career at the BBC - a pioneer, innovator and outstanding leader - she has kept the BBC at the forefront of sport for a generation. I wish her well. She will leave the BBC with a tremendous legacy.”

Charlotte Moore, Chief Content officer, says: “Barbara has had an extraordinary career at the BBC and leaves a legacy few will ever be able to replicate. She is a much-respected leader, a real trailblazer for women in the industry who can proudly say she has inspired the next generation.

Barbara has been at the helm for some of the most memorable sporting moments and brought the nation together in their millions. She has tirelessly driven BBC Sport forward in the face of an ever-competitive landscape. She is a passionate advocate of listed events and free-to-air sport and her commitment to increasing the profile of women’s sport in this country has been unrelenting.

Barbara leaves BBC Sport in fantastic health with major rights deals agreed with Wimbledon up to and including 2027, the UEFA Men’s football European Championships in 2028, the Olympics up to 2032, Champions League and a bold strategy in place for how we bring these incredible sporting moments to audiences across TV, Sounds, iPlayer and the website. I will really miss working with her but wish her all the best for whatever the future holds.”

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Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer announced in parliament in the past few minutes that the annual fee will rise by around £10.50 ($12.50) to £169.50, below the previous £14.50 increase that was tied to a higher rate of inflation. The licence fee has been frozen for the past two years, leading to difficult decisions for the BBC, and the government had initially said it would return to rising with CPI inflation from 2024.

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Big Christmas Eve for BBC

BBC sweeps the board with nine of the top ten shows on Christmas Day in 2023

BBC’s Strictly special was the most popular show on Christmas Day in 2023 with 5.3 million viewers (excluding The King’s Christmas broadcast).

BBC dominated the ratings with nine out of the top ten most watched shows as audiences chose the BBC across the day for a spectacular range of new episodes of their favourite shows, and the figures will grow as viewers catch up on iPlayer.

BBC One was by far the biggest channel on the day, over double the next-biggest competitor with over 27% of broadcast viewing. It saw its highest share since 2019 (Gavin & Stacey), and was also higher than any other year since 2010. BBC One was also bigger than the whole SVOD market combined on Christmas Day on TV.

Charlotte Moore, BBC’s Chief Content Officer says : “Bringing people together at Christmas matters to audiences and securing nine of the top ten shows demonstrates how much they value the BBC’s Christmas Day line-up. We entertained viewers in their millions on Christmas Day with a range of quality programmes you really can’t find anywhere else to wrap up an outstanding year of creative content on the BBC.”

TOP 10
1 The King’s Christmas Broadcast BBC One 5.9
2 Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special BBC One 5.3
3 Doctor Who BBC One 4.7
4 Ghosts Christmas Special BBC One 4.4
5 Call the Midwife BBC One 4.4
6 Michael McIntyre’s Christmas Wheel BBC One 4.2
7 EastEnders BBC One 3.6
8 Toy Story 4 BBC One 3.5
9 The 1% Club ITV 3.4
10 Tabby McTat BBC One 3.3

(millions)

It was also BBC One’s strongest Christmas Eve broadcast share in a decade (since 2013).

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the BBC has a new website design….

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BBC Primetime has debuted on SABC3 in South Africa as a programme block.

BBC Entertainment, previously BBC Prime, closed down at the end of March. This was its final moments in Portugal:

And a different slide on Dutch TV providers:

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The BBC will air a new Match of the Day-style programme next season after winning the rights to show Champions League highlights.

TNT Sports will remain the home of the Champions League, showing live games throughout the season, but the BBC have acquired rights to show highlights over the next three years.

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I Kissed A Boy to return to the BBC for a second series

Dannii will be returning to the Masseria for an epic summer of love that promises more joy, more untold stories and more drama than ever before.

Pop goddess Dannii Minogue is back to play Cupid once again when the UK’s first ever gay dating show returns to BBC Three and iPlayer.

The BBC has announced that I Kissed A Boy - where the path to true love is never straight – will return for a second series. Produced by Twofour, hosted by Pop Icon Dannii Minogue and voiced by Layton Williams, it’s the party you do not want to miss. Loud, proud…and it all starts with a kiss.

Last year BBC Three launched the UK’s first gay dating show to a fantastic reception. This year the celebration of queer love continued with the huge success of I Kissed a Girl. Now Dannii will be returning to the Masseria for an epic summer of love that promises more joy, more untold stories and more drama than ever before.

The format sees 10 singles, who are matched up, meet for the first time… with a kiss. No small talk. No swiping on apps. Just one kiss to test out their chemistry straight away. Will it be a polite peck? Or a passionate snog? And ultimately, will that first kiss lead to love?

I Kissed A Boy serves joy, entertainment and a sparkling soundtrack full of gay anthems. It’s the ground-breaking show that celebrates the queer community and invites all viewers to join the party.

Dannii Minogue says “I am so excited that I’ll be back in Italy to play cupid. I can’t wait to meet the next cast when the Masseria doors open… There are so many diverse and important stories yet to tell. And be sure that I’ll have the party started for a wonderful summer of love”.

Nasfim Haque, Head of Content for BBC Three says; “I am thrilled to have this innovative, ground-breaking format return to BBC Three. I Kissed A Boy’s success is testament to the channel’s unwavering dedication to producing content that both entertains and educates”.

David Brindley, Executive Producer for Twofour says; “We couldn’t be more thrilled that the BBC will be returning to I Kissed A Boy. The ‘I Kissed A…’ world is a joyful, uplifting, and entertaining new take on the reality genre, and the entire team at Twofour - who are so passionate about making this show - can’t wait to see what this next series holds, aside from Dannii’s second-to-none fashion choices, they’re guaranteed…"

I Kissed A Boy has garnered widespread acclaim for its unique storytelling and commitment to diversity and LGBTQ+ representation. Series 1 won Screen Moment Of The Year at the prestigious Pink News Awards as well as Best Multichannel Programme at the Broadcast Awards.

The first series captured the hearts of audiences across the UK. Attitude Magazine described it as “a refreshing addition to the dating canon” and The Tab said “it’s drama-filled, unfiltered dating show us gays have always deserved”. Variety described the series as a “reality gamechanger” and The Guardian defined it as “relatable” and “historic”.

BBC Three continues to break new ground with the channel’s commitment to producing high-quality, inclusive and thought-provoking content that reflects the realities of today, ensuring it remains dedicated to delivering fresh, engaging and inclusive award-winning programming.

Casting for the new series is now underway. Applicants can apply via the BBC Take Part Page or via the programme’s application form.

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BBC and PBS join forces for the return of Walking with Dinosaurs

Twenty-five years after it first stomped across our TV screens, the iconic Walking with Dinosaurs is returning in a major new BBC Studios production for BBC and PBS, co-produced with ZDF and France Télévisions. Currently in production and arriving in 2025, this new six-part series will take viewers on a unique journey back through time, revealing the incredible life stories of these long-lost giants.

In an exciting reimagining of one of the BBC’s best loved factual shows, each episode of Walking with Dinosaurs will tell the dramatic story of an individual dinosaur whose remains are currently being unearthed by the world’s leading dinosaur hunters. Thanks to cutting-edge science, experts can reveal how these prehistoric creatures lived, hunted, fought and died more accurately than ever before. As the dinosaur’s bones emerge from the ground, the series will bring these prehistoric stories to life with state-of-the-art visual effects – making each episode a gripping dinosaur drama based on the very latest evidence.

Across the six episodes, audiences will meet a range of spectacular dinosaur species in an array of prehistoric landscapes. These include a Spinosaurus – the largest carnivorous dinosaur to ever walk the earth – roaming the rivers of ancient Morocco; a youthful Triceratops battling a ravenous T. rex in North America; and a lonely giant Lusotitan risking it all for a love in Portugal.

There’s never been a better time to travel back to the prehistoric. We’re living through a golden age of palaeontology that is transforming our understanding of dinosaurs. Around 50 new species are being identified every year, and science is revealing extraordinary new details about dinosaur biology and behaviour. Across the globe, hundreds of dinosaur experts are currently scouring the wilds for new dig sites, and this series has exclusive access to some of the very best.

Jack Bootle BBC Head of Commissioning, Specialist Factual said: “A whole new generation of viewers is about to fall in love with Walking With Dinosaurs. The original series was one of the most exciting factual shows of all time, and this reinvention builds on that amazing legacy. Each episode is underpinned by the very latest science but is also filled with drama – making this a series for both dino lovers and people who just want to be told a great story.”

“Our human fascination with dinosaurs has remained steadfast, and we are excited to bring PBS audiences this reimagined perspective on these dynamic creatures, combining engaging narratives, backed by the latest science,” said Sylvia Bugg, PBS Chief Programming Executive and General Manager, General Audience Programming. “As production on this series is in early stages, we look forward to sharing more over the coming year through first-look previews and educational resources, giving audiences a deeper understanding of the dinosaurs’ existence."

Andrew Cohen, Head of BBC Studios Science Unit said: “There is no bigger science series than Walking with Dinosaurs and we are incredibly excited to be bringing this much-loved brand to a whole new generation of audiences around the world. It’s the ultimate dinosaur show, where you’ll be hiding behind the sofa one moment and having your mind blown the next. The prehistoric world meets premium documentary production, like never before.”

Walking with Dinosaurs 6x60 was commissioned for BBC One and iPlayer by Jack Bootle, Head of Commissioning, Specialist Factual. Bill Gardner is Editorial Consultant for PBS. Diana El-Osta is the Executive in Charge for PBS. It is a BBC Studios Science Unit Production co-produced with ZDF and France Télévisions for BBC and PBS. The Executive Producers are Andrew Cohen and Helen Thomas; the Showrunner is Kirsty Wilson; the Producer/Directors are Stephen Cooter; Tom Hewitson and Owen Gower; and the Line Producers are Max Brunold and Libby Hand. The BBC Commissioning Editor is Tom Coveney.

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Wasn’t sure the best place to post this, given it’s about the ANZ studios.

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The letter to Tim Davie and Charlotte Moore came after Qasim Sheikh was forced to apologize due to his sharing a post that included an image of Rishi Sunak and other world leaders sporting Adolf Hitler moustaches.

The 119 Jewish directors, producers, screenwriters, suppliers and contractors across the TV and film industry, almost half of whom chose to remain anonymous, urged an explanation from the BBC head honchos as to why Sheikh was allowed to commentate on yesterday’s (Tuesday) England vs Scotland cricket world cup match.

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Scotland’s dramatic Euro 2024 exit attracts 10 million viewers on BBC One

Scotland’s 1-0 gut-wrenching defeat to Hungary drew in over half of the nation’s TV viewers on Sunday evening as the BBC brought people together to watch BBC Sport’s coverage of Scotland’s last-minute 1-0 defeat, sealing their elimination from Euro 2024.

A peak audience of 10 million people watched the BBC’s coverage of Scotland v Hungary on BBC One. The match was also streamed 3.4 million times across BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website and app and there was an average match audience of 8.4 million which resulted in a 52.1% share.

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