Alan Yentob receives acknowledgment
He merits recognition in the tributes.
And obituaries from those who knew him well. His passing has granted him the same clarity he brought to his TV biographies of other exceptional individuals.
Now that he is no longer with us, we can see the void he leaves behind. British culture has lost a significant advocate, and the BBC has lost one of its key founders.
His efforts were not consistently recognized during his lifetime as they have been since he passed away. I recall Yentob presenting the Charles Wheeler lecture back in 2015, where he passionately defended both the BBC license fee and public service broadcasting. Boris Johnson was present in the crowd and posed the initial query: “Who else would be capable of producing something so remarkable, groundbreaking, and artistically vital as…” A smile crossed Yentob’s face, possibly anticipating a mention of Kenneth Clark’s work.
Civilisation
or David Attenborough discussing the natural world. Johnson completed his sentence with a smirk… “as
Breaking Bad
?”
The angry crowd had gathered at the entrance, ready to crush the BBC’s dominance. However, Yentob remained resolute, undeterred by his latest arts program.
Imagine
demonstrated his complete mastery of television through honesty and inquisitiveness.
If I were to consider two BBC personalities who are inclined to bypass trendy clichés in favor of excellence, I’d choose Melvyn Bragg and Alan Yentob. It turns out that public service broadcasting principles have proven remarkably effective commercially; knowledge remains the draw in the podcast landscape. Clearly, there’s a hunger among audiences for educational content.
Read Next:
Homages expressed for Alan Yentob following the death of the ‘innovative’ broadcaster at 78 years old.
Alan Yentob possessed a strong belief in the common welfare, which sometimes made him appear somewhat naive. He placed his trust in influential individuals such as Camila Batmanghelidjh, the head of Kids Company, despite this not being entirely prudent. Initially, when she faced criticism, he attempted to rally backing for her among those who had once praised her publicly. However, he felt deeply hurt when many of these supporters distanced themselves.
In a damning high court ruling, both she and the trustees—Yentob included—were criticized severely. However, with the passage of time and particularly following her passing, her ethical brilliance overshadowed issues related to accountability shortcomings. Overall, she had significantly more positive impacts than negative ones. Yentob maintained his faith in her unwaveringly. His loyalty extended to institutions and friendships alike.
Yentob didn’t fully align with the BBC’s committed path towards inclusion. He had an urban outlook and held a deep appreciation for the fine arts. I attempted to bring more art programs into the mix.
Today
The program faced resistance from entrenched opposition within institutions. Athletes considered elite aren’t seen as such by the BBC in the way they fear, whereas the arts seem to worry some at the corporation—unless we’re talking about events like Glastonbury. Despite this, the Proms stands as the BBC’s flagship cultural endeavor.
For the BBC to thrive amidst intense commercial rivalry, it must remain true to its public service mandate. Honoring one of their most significant advocates could take the form of boosting their arts funding initiative. This concept might aptly be termed the Yentob legacy.
Sarah Sands was previously an editor for BBC Radio 4’s program.
Today
programme
