Tony
Bastable: Biography in Broadcasting
Tony
Bastable benefits from nearly forty years experience at the sharp end(s)
of the broadcast business. It was in the early 'sixties, while editing a
local newspaper, that he spotted an ad for a tv news reporter at one of
the
UK
’s
larger regional stations – Southern TV in
Southampton
.
He applied – and didn’t get the job! They said he was too young! But
the station did offer him the
job of presenter on their children’s magazine programme. Within
eighteen months he was working at the national network station, ATV, as
presenter of, firstly, children's, then sports magazine shows. He also
presented a large number of schools programmes at this time.
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Magpie |
In
1968, the newly formed Thames Television asked him to be one of the
three original presenters of the mould-breaking magazine programme MAGPIE.
He did this for four years before moving on to become the programme’s
producer. (Interestingly, this show was so popular that he is still
recognised in the street from time to time and asked “are you the man
from Magpie?” This is
nearly thirty years after he last presented it!)
Throughout
this period he also wrote, produced and/or presented numerous one-off
programmes on particular subjects, as well as presenting and
commentating for a wide variety of outside broadcasts and sporting
events. By way of example, he wrote and presented 1776,
ITV’s celebration of the American bi-centenary, hosted the
controversial PROBLEMS?
late-night personal relations series, and wrote the commentaries for the
award-winning
ENGLISH
GARDEN
historical series, presented by Sir John Geilgud.
Subsequently he presented MONEY-GO-ROUND,
the consumer protection series, which ran for nine years (and made him
something of a minor expert in consumer law), and was co-host of DRIVE-IN, and its follow-on WHEELS,
motoring shows which together ran for well over a decade. In MIND
OVER MATTER, which he devised and presented with the late Dr. Kit
Pedler, British television saw the first ever scientific
investigation of paranormal phenomena. He had the unusual distinction of
being both Editor and Presenter of Thames TV's DATABASE
through its four series and performed the same functions for its
Channel 4 sister programme FOR
COMPUTER BUFFS. In COULD DO
BETTER? he tackled educational controversies and in PEOPLE
RULE, local politics. Additionally, he has worked in radio on and
off over the years, usually as a panellist. His total tally of broadcast
programmes in both media must now number in excess of four thousand.
His expertise lies in an ability to master the facts of a story
very quickly, then communicate those facts in a lucid, comprehensible
and enthusiastic way to non-experts, whether acting in the capacity of
writer, director or presenter, or in any combination of those roles.
Most of his broadcast output has been transmitted live, and he has
considerable experience of live presentation on the conference stage.
This expertise has been particularly fruitful in recent years. Since he
started out in independent production some years back, Tony has enjoyed
on-going relationships with clients as diverse as The National Bus
Company, the Royal Navy (for whom he acted as anchorman for their
award-winning internal magazine programme VIEWPOINT
RN for over ten years), the Department of Transport, the Institute
of Advanced Motorists at the larger end, to individual commissions from
other clients – the East Sussex National Golf Club, or the Royal
Armoured Corps, for instance. He usually works closely with producer
Greg Younger who has wide experience in theatre, feature films and
television and who, for many years, produced promotional, training,
safety films and commercials for clients such as British Caledonian
Airways and the British Airports Authority amongst others.
But
his biggest client has been, and remains, The Ford Motor Company,
particularly Ford of Europe Inc, for whom he has written and directed
new vehicle launch and promotional films for many years.
Like
his broadcast output, his corporate or ‘non-broadcast’ productions
must now run into thousands. He has directed in all styles, from drama
and comedy to computer graphics, from motion-control camera through
hand-held documentary. The only item not on his list is a
dan
ce
sequence, but he’s still hoping!
He describes himself as a very 'hands-on' operator, deeply
involved in a production at all stages. It is by no means unusual for
him to devise the programme, write it, direct it, provide the voice or
presentation for it, and finally edit it himself to offline level. From
the very beginning he realised that it was only by having an
understanding of how every element actually works (even the bits he doesn't do - like the photography or sound
recording) that the best results are achieved.
He is also a published author, with two books for young people to
his credit, has written the book and lyrics for a musical, the libretto
for an oratorio, and numerous other items. He is currently working on a
thriller set in a regional television station and developing the pilot
for what he calls a 'nostalgia' series.
In his spare time he likes books, old movies, especially musicals,
cricket (he has recently qualified as an umpire), and messing about with
his classic Morgan sports car.
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