‘New Broom’ For British Commercial Television

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28435, 15 November 1957, Page 21

‘New Broom’ For British Commercial Television

(Special Correspondent N.Z.F.A.)

LONDON, November 13.

“I don’t regard myself as a fury arriving with a new broom,” Sir Ivone Kirkpatrick, erstwhile diplomat and expert on German affairs, told his first press conference after being appointed chairman of the Independent Television Authority. .... In spite of his disclaimer there are many who can- forsee Sir Ivone Kirkpatrick—even if he does it quietly in the background—wielding no small broom. His selection was a surprise to many people. His replacement of Sir Kenneth Clark, chairman of the Arts Council, makes a sharp contrast of personality and experience. He takes over his job, aged 60, nine months after retiring as permanent under-secretary at the Foreign Office. It will bring him £3OOO a year in addition to his Foreign Office pension of £2BOO.

He faces a critical period of consolidation when commercial television looks forward to completing its first national network and perhaps asking for another one.

In contrast with the former chairman on his appointment, Sir Ivone Kirkpatrick does not possess a television set. He has not yet been drawn into giving a downright opinion on what he thinks of commercial television—“it is difficult to analyse the proportion of good or bad unless you are a professional critic.” he says—but he had confessed he does not care much for quiz programmes, crooners, skiffle or commercials. He loves a good play—“but I

assure you I never seek to impose my tastes on anyone else.” Sir Ivone Kirkpatrick says he will go quietly at first. Independent Television was bringing in viewers so it must be on the right track.

Sir Ivone Kirkpatrick is small in stature, dapper, lively and invigorated by a vivid, slightly cynical sense of humour. His colleagues say even at f he Foreign Office he was singularly free from red tape and protocol and was always ready to see the other fellow’s point of view. - At Whitehall no-one was quicker at making up his mind. His minutes were terse and to the point. On one occasion at least, a minute was composed or one word and two initials —

“Waffle. 1.K.” He plays tennis and rides to hounds. Any spare time he has he spends on a mixed farm in his native Kildare, where he fattens sheep and cattle.

When World War I came, Sir Ivone Kirkpatrick was 17 and by the end of it he had seen a good deal of fighting. He was mentioned twice in dispatches, won the Belgian Croix de Guerre and was badly wounded at Gallipoli. In 1919, still only 22, he entered the Foreign Office and for the next 14 years learned about life, diplomacy and politics in Rio, Rome and London. Then in 1933, as first secretary to the British Embassy in Germany, he began an association with that country which was to make him Britain’s leading expert in German affairs. He was in Berlin through the years of the Nazi climb to power and in 193 went to Godesberg as interpreter between Hitler and Chamberlain. When Rudolf Hess made his wartime parachute landing in Scotland, Sir Ivone Kirkpatrick was called in to confirm his identity.

It was during the war years in England that Sir Ivone Kirkpatrick had his first experience of broadcasting. For a period he controlled the 8.8.C.’s European service and it was he who was responsible for instituting the V campaign—the Beethoven musical signal—and establishing the 8.8.C.’s reputation among the people of occupied Europe. In all, Sir Ivone Kirkpatrick can be expected to bring an entirely new mind to the problems of the commercial television service. Much is expected from his appointment.