Former Beeb boss blames women for reality TV

A former BBC director general has blamed female influence on the dumbing down of British TV.

17:16 08 October 2004

A former BBC director general has blamed female influence for the dumbing down of British TV.

Alasdair Milne, who headed up the BBC for a five-year period between 1982 and 1987, told The Times newspaper that in his opinion, women have dominated the Beeb over the last half decade and that as a result the schedule has been filled with too many lifestyle shows.

According to a statement issued by the BBC soon after Mr Milne's comments, neither the organisation, nor its present chairman Michael Grade, share his views.

It is highly unlikely that any of the women who hold executive positions with the BBC agree either. High-powered female execs include BBC One controller Lorraine Heggessey; Jane Tranter, head of drama commissioning and Jane Lush, head of entertainment commissioning.

Mr Milne told The Times: "It just seems to me that the television service has largely been run by women for the last four to five years and they don't seem to have done a great job of work.

"There was no innovation; constant makeovers and far too many cookery and gardening programmes. Dumb, dumb, dumb," he said. "I think the BBC has to pull its socks up quite considerably."