Michael Peacock
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Michael Peacock (born 1929) was a British television executive, who from 1963 until the spring of 1965 was the first ever Controller of BBC Two, the Corporation's second television channel.
After graduating with a degree in sociology from the prestigious London School of Economics, Michael Peacock joined BBC Television in 1952 as a trainee producer, working in the Television Talks Department based at Alexandra Palace which moved to the Lime Grove Studios the following year. In 1955 he become the producer of the Corporation's first weekly current affairs programme Panorama at the age of just twenty-five. Under his editorship the programme became hugely popular, and it was he who masterminded what is still its most remembered story, a world famous April Fool's Day 'Joke' which fooled many viewers into believing that spaghetti grew on trees.
In 1959 he was promoted to Editor of Television News, and continued to produce coverage of special events such as the General Election of 1959. He remained into this post until 1963, when he was appointed to be the first Controller of BBC Two, which he launched in 1964.
During the first year of BBC-2 he oversaw the screening of some notable successes such as the highly esteemed documentary series The Great War, Match of the Day and the sitcom series The Likely Lads, but audiences for the new channel were very small. In 1965, he was moved across to be Controller of the more mainstream BBC One, to which it was felt his talents would be more suited. This makes Peacock one of only three people (the others being Alan Yentob and Michael Jackson) ever to have been Controller of both BBC One and BBC Two.
Under Peacock, BBC One became a channel at the peak of one of its most successful eras. However, his stay in control was only to be a little longer than his tenure at BBC Two. This was because in 1967 he was head-hunted to be the first Managing Director of London Weekend Television, which he launched in 1968. However, his time at LWT was frustrated by union problems and ratings which were below expectations. He was fired by the company in 1969 and ten senior programme staff resigned with him.
He has since been MD of Warner Bros TV Ltd in London, followed by 2 years (1974-76) in Burbank, California as Exec. VP Warner Bros TV Inc. He was a founding partner in Video Arts with John Cleese, Antony Jay and Peter Robinson. He was Chief Exec. of Video Arts TV, and later of Dumbarton Films until 1989.
He helped to found Manchester's Picadilly Radio in 1974, and became Deputy Chairman in 1987. He was Chairman of Unique Broadcasting Co. from 1989, and of UBC Media Group plc from 2000- 2005.
| Preceded by: Donald Baverstock |
Controller of BBC One 1965-1967 |
Succeeded by: Paul Fox |
| Preceded by: New position |
Controller of BBC Two 1964-1965 |
Succeeded by: David Attenborough |
