Robin Hugh Scutt (24 October 1920 – 7 February 2000), better known as Robin Scott, was a British broadcasting executive. He was the launch controller of

BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and Contemporary hit radio, current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including ...

and

BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the List of most-listened-to radio programs, most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 14 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the sta ...

in 1967, and the controller of

BBC2 BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's second flagship channel, and it covers a wide range of subject matter, incorporating genres such as comedy, drama and ...

television from 1969 to 1974.

Early career

Born Robin Hugh Scutt, he was educated at

Bryanston School Bryanston School is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English Private schools in the United Kingdom, private boarding school, boarding and day school for pupils aged 13–18) located next to the village of Bryanston, and near the ...

and read modern languages at

Jesus College, Cambridge Jesus College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Jesus College was established in 1496 on the site of the twelfth-century Benedictine nunnery of St Radegund's Priory, Cambridge, St ...

, before joining the Intelligence Corps. He was discharged through illness in 1942, and joined the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

. While in the BBC's French Service he commented on major events, including

VE Day Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945; it marked the official surrender of all German military operations ...

and VJ Day. During this time he changed his name to Scott, because his French contacts found his original name difficult to say. He moved into television in the late 1950s, and produced programmes including ''

Miss World Miss World is the oldest existing international beauty pageant. It was created in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley in 1951. Since his death in 2000, Morley's widow, Julia Morley, has co-chaired the pageant. Along with Miss Universe, Mi ...

'', '' Come Dancing'' and '' It's a Knockout''. During this time he wrote the song " Softly, Softly", a British number one hit for Ruby Murray. Scott moved to the BBC Paris bureau in 1958, and was seconded to Trans-Europe Television between 1964 and 1966.

Controller of Radio

He was appointed Controller of the Light Programme in March 1967, and devised a format for the corporation's new popular music station. His vision deliberately echoed the

pirate radio Pirate radio is a radio station that broadcasts without a valid license, whether an invalid license or no license at all. In some cases, radio stations are considered legal where the signal is transmitted, but illegal where the signals are rec ...

broadcasters that would be outlawed by the Marine Broadcast Offences Act in August 1967. The new pop station,

, launched on 30 September 1967, with a signature tune commissioned by Scott, ''Theme One'', recorded by

George Martin Sir George Henry Martin (3 January 1926 – 8 March 2016) was an English record producer, arranger, composer, conductor, and musician. He was commonly referred to as the "fifth Beatle" because of his extensive involvement in each of the Beatle ...

. He was also Controller of

, the successor to the Light Programme. He was succeeded as Controller of Radio 2 and Radio 1 by Douglas Muggeridge.

Controller of BBC2

Scott was appointed Controller of

television in 1968, succeeding

David Attenborough Sir David Frederick Attenborough (; born 8 May 1926) is an English broadcaster, biologist, natural historian and writer. He is best known for writing and presenting, in conjunction with the BBC Studios Natural History Unit, the nine nature d ...

. During his five years in the post, his aim was to secure 15% of the overall viewing audience by balancing highbrow and populist programming. To achieve this aim, he commissioned such memorable programmes as '' Elizabeth R'', '' The Pallisers'', an adaptation of ''

War and Peace ''War and Peace'' (; pre-reform Russian: ; ) is a literary work by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy. Set during the Napoleonic Wars, the work comprises both a fictional narrative and chapters in which Tolstoy discusses history and philosophy. An ...

'', and documentary series including ''

Alistair Cooke Alistair Cooke, Order of the British Empire, KBE (né Alfred Cooke; 20 November 1908 – 30 March 2004) was a British-American writer whose work as a journalist, television personality and radio broadcaster was done primarily in the Unite ...

's America'' and Dr. Jacob Bronowski's ''

The Ascent of Man ''The Ascent of Man'' is a 13-part British documentary television series produced by the BBC and Time-Life Films first broadcast in 1973. It was written and presented by Polish-British mathematician and historian of science Jacob Bronowsk ...

''.

Later career

In 1974, Scott was made the head of the forward-planning department Development in Television, a remit that included the prospect of satellite broadcasting. He later became the Deputy Managing Director of Television, the second-most senior post in television. After he retired from the BBC in October 1980, he was part of an unsuccessful submission to broadcast breakfast television on ITV. He subsequently joined the board of

London Weekend Television London Weekend Television (LWT; now part of the non-franchised ITV London region) was the ITV (TV network), ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties at weekends, broadcasting from Fridays at 5.15 pm (7:00&nbs ...

, and produced television versions of opera and ballet productions for the National Video Corporation. He was appointed CBE in 1976.

Sources

* The Guardian newspaper, 9 February 2000, p22
Radio Rewind
* The Times newspaper, 9 February 2000, p23 {{DEFAULTSORT:Scott, Robin 1920 births 2000 deaths BBC executives BBC Two controllers BBC Radio 1 controllers BBC Radio 2 controllers Commanders of the Order of the British Empire People educated at Bryanston School Alumni of Jesus College, Cambridge