John Frost, the last person to carry the official title of Regional Television Manager (RTM) for BBC Newcastle, died peacefully in his sleep at home in Tangmere, Chichester, on Sunday November 6th. He was also Chairman of the Royal Television Society North East & The Border Centre, and instigator (along with Roger Burgess) of our first Awards Ceremony 25 years ago. Our Young Persons’ Media events also had his strong support.
He was instrumental in getting an archive of BBC and Tyne Tees material archives at the University of Teesside, and was involved with establishing Bede's World in Jarrow. He was on the governing council of Northumbria University, and a ‘friend’ of the Aviation Museum in Tangmere.
We have received these tributes.
From long-term friend and colleague, Garth Jeffery:
He moved from Southampton in the late seventies having previously been with the BBC in Norwich and was the Regional Television Manager (RTM) for BBC Newcastle in the eighties. He was instrumental in the move of the BBC from New Bridge Street to Fenham in 1986/7. I know he had many meetings with local council representatives and worked closely with my former colleague Jim Christie to carry out the move.
He was in effect the last RTM of Newcastle because the job title changed in the mid eighties when the region changed to BBC North East, with Bill Greaves as Head of Broadcasting based in Leeds. John retired in 1986 and later moved to Tangmere, and was succeeded by Mike Read as Head of Television.
This had been a good time for the BBC in Newcastle, as Look North had won an RTS Award as Best Regional News Magazine Programme (especially commending Mike Neville). At that time the series on Alfred Wainwright and The Allotment Show also formed part of a significant feature output from Newcastle.
It was when I returned to the BBC in Newcastle in the early 1990s that he persuaded me to join the Royal Television Society. It transpired that he wished to persuade me to put BBC Resources into supporting the Regional Awards ceremony, then held at the Civic Centre in Newcastle.
He was always kind and considerate, but rightly expected the ceremony to be carried out efficiently and with no technical failures! Each year I provided as many BBC resources as I could muster and I knew he was grateful for the support given by myself and the resource staff at BBC Newcastle.
As well as a respected colleague he was a good friend to both my wife and me, and we always enjoyed meeting up with John and Joy at various RTS events.
GARTH JEFFERY
Present North East & The Border Centre Chairman, Graeme Thompson, wrote:
John was a hugely popular and influential figure within the BBC and the Royal Television Society. He and Roger Burgess effectively created the regional awards format, which celebrate its 25th anniversary in February 2012. John and his wife Joy were welcome VIP guests at the event following John's retirement to Sussex.
John's energy and enthusiasm for the BBC in the North East — which he ran with great success — spilled over into his commitment to the RTS. His leadership in both organisations touched the lives of countless colleagues in our industry — many of whom will have cause to reflect on the role John played in advancing their careers.
Aside from his impact on this region through innovations such as the televising of the Great North Run, he will be remembered as a true gentleman. John's personal charm, wealth of experience and passion for television will be greatly missed by those of us who were lucky enough to have known him. He will be very much in our thoughts when we stage our anniversary awards at The Sage, Gateshead in the New Year.
GRAEME THOMPSON
Freelance Graeme Aldous remembers John’s career support:
My first experience of BBC Television was in the late 60s in a region far from the North East… and I wasn’t happy with it. Everyone, from the programme director to the make up artist, the vision mixer to the gram operator, was always trying to prove that it was their contribution alone that was the most vital in getting the programme on air. As a result I stayed with ‘friendly wireless’ for the next decade.
But then I was given an attachment from BBC Radio Cleveland (now BBC Tees) as a researcher for Roger Burgess’ North Country programme… and found that John Frost’s ship was a far happier one. I know I’m not the only person to remark on how friendly BBC TV Newcastle was (and still is). Everyone was keen to welcome, help and advise a newcomer, to the extent that my view of TV changed completely, and I stretched out my attachment well beyond its designated period.
During this time I pitched a programme idea to John — he picked it up with enthusiasm, and introduced me to Senior Producer John Mapplebeck. I researched and scripted the programme, and had even done some filming, when perennially cash-strapped Local Radio realised that one of their producer/presenters was spending more time in Newcastle than Middlesbrough. The plug was pulled on the attachment, and I went back to phone-ins… but the TV programme was taken up by Richard Else, and won a ‘Best Factual’ Award at the first North East & The Border Centre awards event — another tribute to John’s ability to spot a good idea and encourage new talent to achieve it.
Once I’d joined the RTS Committee, John also worked to assist my (now freelance) career by inviting me to join him on the Sponsorship Sub-committee that encouraged local businesses and organisations to support the Awards. I did manage to get one new sponsor on board, but that was largely because of past personal contacts with the company — generally I was a bit out of my comfort zone negotiating with finance directors, and in the end I asked John to let me leave the sub-committee. He agreed, but explained that he’d invited me to join because he thought it would introduce me to influential people who could be useful in my new freelance career. Again, a helpful and supportive gentleman colleague.
GRAEME ALDOUS
John Mapplebeck with John & Joy Frost at the 2008 Award Ceremony
John Mapplebeck was Senior Producer at BBC Newcastle when John was RTM
When we mourn for John Frost we also mourn for the BBC culture that he exemplified. He and I came from different traditions and often broadcast on different wavelengths. Yet no matter how at odds he might have been with some of the programmes I produced on his watch, he was unfailingly supportive. He would not, of course, tolerate shoddy, biased or prejudiced programming, but once convinced of a documentary’s honesty and integrity he would defend it against all comers.
He had a passionate belief in public service broadcasting — not a phrase that trips happily from the tongue of most of the Corporation’s managers these days — and an equally passionate commitment to regional television. Nowhere was this more apparent than in his work on behalf of the Royal Television Society’s North East and Border Centre which he was instrumental in fashioning into one of the few independent media centres outside of London.
He was a decent, honourable man. But, above all, he was cheerful and generous, a man whom it was a pleasure to know.
JOHN MAPPLEBECK
From Lesley Oakden:
As Producer (and co-Producer) of the RTS Awards for the last 15 years, I was always honoured when John searched me out at the end of every Awards presentation (yes — every year he managed to find me!) to compliment the team behind the Awards. I knew that he started the whole ball rolling in 1987 and it was important that he valued our continued development and high standards.
LESLEY OAKDEN
From Peter Moth:
John and I worked together for many years, in friendly rivalry from our respective camps in the BBC and ITV. John's genial personality and sense of what really mattered enabled the traditional rivalries to be set aside when the real interests of Regional Broadcasting were at stake. We both shared that passion.
His support for, and Chairmanship of, the RTS in the North East helped to build the RTS in the region into one of the foremost branches in the UK and made it the envy of many other regions.
It was always a pleasure to engage with him — his smile was infectious and his informal manner sometimes hid a sharp mind and a scrupulous attention to detail… but not for long.
He was a gentleman, with a profound personal faith which coloured all his personal dealings. He was a good colleague and a loyal friend.
PETER MOTH
From Olwyn Hocking:
John made such an impact on the television world in our region and so many people individually that his legacy is still strongly felt. He stretched people and organisations by combining cheerful encouragement with the swift follow-up of a hefty push to aim higher. He wouldn't forget those ambitious targets and didn't dilly-dally on checking that you hadn't either.
He played the lead role in creating two wonderful annual regional events for television practitioners and young people in the Annual Awards and what is now the Young People's Media Festival. Lower key, but still invaluable, was his nudge for us to establish an RTS Archive, now based at the Discovery Museum in Newcastle.
His continued interest and support after his retirement took him back to his family in the south was greatly appreciated; he was truly driven by awareness that we only achieve memorable moments on screen by a huge investment of time and caring into the people behind it. Big heart, canny operator — lovely to have known him.
OLWYN HOCKING
John Frost (left) with RTS colleagues David Williams, Olwyn Hocking and Tony Gaw
For many years, David Williams organised the annual celebration of the work of the region's young people:
John Frost was really the instigator of the Young People's Video Festival since it was his request to me to explore its possibility. It was one of the many things that he created in the North East and Border branch of our excellent Society. His council was always good; not always easy to fulfil, but always good. It was so fine to see him at the Awards events and he was always regretful if his or Joy's health factors made it impossible to be there.
He was a member of special generation of broadcasters. Alas, they are gradually leaving us.
DAVID WILLIAMS
Jim Graham (who preceded John as RTM NE & Cumbria) writes:
Hope you might find room for a few words on our old friend, John. It must have been about 1981 when I heard I was to join BBC's London HQ, which meant leaving the North East — a huge wrench because of the friendships there, the talent, the warmth. I met John Frost with a sense of relief that the station would be in the hands of a thorough professional, who would share and nurture its commitment to a very special region. That is how it turned out. We met at many an RTS occasion over the years, the greying hair, cheery smile. He played his part in every way. We will remember that, and trust there is comfort for his family in the esteem in which he is held.
JIM GRAHAM
From John Bird, Editor of Look North during John Frost's time as RTM:
I will always remember John for his many kindnesses and will never forget his help and friendship over the years. He was someone I will always think of as both mentor and mate.
His kindness could best be demonstrated when I spent six weeks standing in for Terry Dobson in Southampton at a difficult time in which Michael Harman had just left as Editor News and had not then been replaced. John went out of his way to help me throughout that difficult time, both professionally and with friendship. He made sure I didn't get lonely and was always there with a helping hand when it was needed. I'll never forget that thoughtfullness.
This friendship continued when he came to Newcastle, always giving me the support I needed. However my wife's first meeting with John was memorable. She was in Reception at Old B.H. when John came in spitting blood with a few choice expletives. Jim Christie, Head of Engineering and his deputy Jim Richardson,along with myself had prepared a special welcome for him. We had wired his TV to receive within the live Look North programme an 'X-rated' insert. NOT I hasten to add going out to viewers, but only to his set. I'm afraid our little joke did not go down well. Even though we explained it had not been seen by the outside world, John felt it could have been accidentally transmitted, and he certainly made Jim and me very aware that he was (as Queen Victoria would have put it) "not amused". My wife just stood there not knowing what to make of it all. However she also soon became good friends of both him and his wife Joy. The incident was soon forgotten and John quickly became one of the Newcastle B.H. 'family'.
As a footnote I'm sure that those who ever travelled with John when he was driving will always remember their journey!!!
He will always be remembered and never forgotten.
JOHN BIRD
Roger Burgess writes:
John arrived in Newcastle in 1981 to take up his new job as Regional Television Manager. His arrival coincided with the party I held at Washington Arts Centre to celebrate my 25 years with the BBC, and I invited him along. I think it must have been that unexpected welcome to the North East that endeared me to him because I felt ever after that John had a soft spot for me. Or, more likely, he had this effect on everybody.
He was an excellent boss. Together we planned the annual Make It In Business Awards presented by Tony Baker and sponsored jointly with the Journal, the Northern Echo and Durham University Business School. It was his idea, but he made sure I took the credit.
We also met when I was the regional chairman of the Royal Television Society. At that stage the RTS in this region was only coasting along – until John became a member and suggested the idea of an annual awards ceremony. Again John started the ball rolling but gave me most of the credit.
I produced all the early ceremonies, starting in a small way in the upstairs cinema at the Tyneside Cinema and graduating over the years to the Civic Centre and then to the Federation Brewery ballroom in Gateshead. When the ceremony moved again, to The Sage, Gateshead, I felt it had outgrown me: I was always a purely regional guy. I preferred the homely fun of the Tyneside Cinema!
John came up the BBC ranks from being a radio studio manager as I did. Maybe he noticed that I too lacked the experience of being a print journalist which most of our colleagues had in the 1980’s. Anyway, I always felt that John admired my talents far more highly than I deserved.
ROGER BURGESS
Keith Clement was an ex-BBC colleague, and long-time friend of John. This is the tribute speech that he made at John's funeral on November 17th:
I first met John Frost in 1960 and we remained firm friends ever since. We met up with John and Joy as often as possible, sharing in many family celebrations, even though we lived a long way apart for many years. Our visit to the Hampton Court Flower Show was an annual treat where we bought more cups of coffee than we did plants. To meet and to chat was all we wanted. When I was asked to say a few words about John I did something John would have enjoyed... I typed his name into Google. Of course I was offered over six million possibilities — well, I suppose it is not that uncommon a name. So I added the word ‘producer’ — the description of himself he most valued. That immediately narrowed it down to a mere one million, seven hundred thousand. But even so my search for our John Frost, our unique John Frederick Frost, was over because there he was, near the top, listed as the producer in 1976 of a television programme entitled ‘Spitfire – 40 years On’, a programme of which he was rightly proud and one that has been repeated more than once.
That programme was made when he was at his peak as a producer in Southampton, but his broadcasting career started thirty years earlier. He worked in audience research and in radio for over ten years before arriving in Norwich in 1960 with his wife Joy and baby Peter. He and I worked together on the nightly local television news which had just started. It was where John learnt his trade – directing and editing film and putting out the programme. It was not always easy to find good stories. This was sleepy Norfolk. The lead story on a good day might be the sugar beet harvest. More often than not it was a minor accident in Kings Lynn – not many hurt. You had to work hard and use your imagination to produce a good programme when there wasn’t much news. John threw himself into the task with his trademark enthusiasm, always full of ideas and constantly turning a sow's ear into a silk purse. But he became impatient to get away from News. He started to expand into half hour feature programmes which led to his move to Southampton where he became Editor, Features. He was ideally suited to the job, producing excellent programmes himself and teaching many others to do the same.
In 1981 he was appointed Regional Television Manager for BBC North East and Cumbria, based in Newcastle. In the last few days many people from there have remarked that John ran a very happy ship. Typical is this tribute from former colleague, Olwyn Hocking – ‘John made such an impact on the television world in our region and so many people individually that his legacy is still strongly felt. He was truly driven by awareness that we only achieve memorable moments on screen by a huge investment of time and caring into the people behind it. He was a canny operator with a big heart ’.
As well as being responsible for the television output for the Region, John had to manage over five years the move into a new broadcasting centre, a £10 million development. He did it with great skill and no fuss. It turned out that he was to be the last such Manager as in 1987 there was a restructuring of the English regions. John retired from the BBC after forty years service. That is a record very rarely achieved these days.
John had always had a strong sense of social duty and he now had the time. His retirement was never going to be a quiet, idle one. His restless nature and his boundless energy led him into a variety of enterprises. He acted as media consultant and producer for Tyne and Wear Development Corporation, and organised large sponsorship events such as the Tall Ships Race. He was the Chairman of the Royal Television Society’s North East Centre and created the largest RTS Awards Ceremony outside London, which is still going strong today. In 1992 he thoroughly deserved being made a Fellow of the Society. He became a Governor (and, later, Deputy Chairman) of the Newcastle Polytechnic, and when it became the University of Northumbria he chaired the Finance Committee. Professor Laing Barden, the first Vice Chancellor, has talked to me about John’s common sense and humour, describing him as a ‘live wire’, lively enough to award him an Honorary Fellowship.
John’s strong personal faith and his fascination with history combined to attract him towards a museum in Jarrow which celebrated the birthplace of the Anglo Saxon monk and scholar, the Venerable Bede. He was fond of the area anyway as his mother had originally come from South Shields. The museum was being developed, but it needed money. John had lots of ideas for that and he made use of his large network of contacts in the Region, persuading people to help with exhibitions and events. He and his team raised half a million pounds to turn the site into today’s major tourist attraction, Bede’s World. Professor Dame Rosemary Cramp, the leading archaeologist with the Trust, described John to me as a life-enhancing force. And even after moving south to Tangmere he stayed a trustee for another three years.
John certainly knew about the value of money and what it could do if properly directed. And he was always generous with his own; always the first to buy a round or pick up a bill. He was a difficult chap to treat. Many a time I thought I had succeeded in buying him lunch only to find he had crept round the back and bought me pudding and coffee, or done a deal with the waitress. In the end, to stop any unseemly squabbling over the credit cards, we had an unspoken arrangement, splitting any bill down the middle.
John believed in the NHS, and liked to get involved, from his membership of the North East Ambulance Trust to (more recently) being a Friend of the Tangmere Medical Centre. In the last decade he had to call upon the NHS far too often himself, but he could never be a passive patient. He knew every detail of his medication, the proper names of the drugs and how they were spelt, what they contained, what the side effects might be. He wanted to know everything that was going on with his treatment. When he went to see a consultant it was a toss-up who learnt the most. For John it was definitely a two way process.
Above all else, John was always quick to praise other people’s achievements, to encourage you to do better, very rarely mentioning his own success. I don’t think I ever heard him say an ill word about anyone and, believe me, in the world of broadcasting that is very rare. He would have been 82 next month. John was always a loving and attentive and supportive husband, father and grandfather and (of course) together with his wonderful close knit family, we mourn his going. But we also today celebrate his life and all he meant to us. If you had doubts about anything you were doing you always felt better having talked to John. We will have to manage without him now and we will all be the poorer for it.
KEITH S.CLEMENT
From Lawrence Caple, former CEO Northumbria Ambulance Service
As a non-media former colleague of John Frost I wish to add my my personal thoughts and express my sadness at his recent passing. I first knew John during his latter years at the Pink Palace in Newcastle and always found him courteous, warm and friendly and always the consummate professional. One of nature's "gentle men" in the fullest sense of the words.
John joined the then Northumbria Ambulance Service NHS Trust in the early 1990's as a non-executive director and brought with him a wealth of knowledge and experience to our public service organisation, often mired in political controversy. His advice and support was always welcome and I shall always be grateful for having the privilege of knowing and working with someone of his integrity and calibre.
LAURIE CAPLE
We send our condolences to Joy and family, and would welcome further tributes to John — please contact the NETB Webmaster.