Frank Gillard

Gillard was born in Tiverton in Devon and attended Wellington School, Somerset. He gained a bachelor's degree from St Luke's College, Exeter (now part of the University of Exeter). He then taught in a private school.

In 1936 he became a part-time broadcaster and in 1941 joined the BBC full-time. He became a war correspondent attached to Southern Command and witnessed the Dieppe Raid. In 1942 he went to North Africa to report on the campaign of the Eighth Army under Montgomery. He then reported on the Sicilian and Italian campaigns before returning to the UK ready for the D-day landings. He made memorable reports, often under fire, throughout this period, including eyewitness accounts of the Battle for Caen.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/video_and_audio/8085936.stm BBC News]{{cite book|last1=Hawkins|first1=Desmond|last2=Boyd|first2=Donald, eds.|title=BBC War Report: A Record of Dispatches Broadcast by the BBC's War Correspondents With the Allied Expeditionary Force, 6 June 1944 - 5 May 1945|date=1946|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=London|pages=142–143}}

When Howard Marshall, the Director of the War Reporting Unit, was recalled Gillard took his place. He followed the campaign to the end reporting on the meeting of US and Soviet troops in 1945.

From 1945 to 1963 Gillard worked in the BBC's western region, becoming its director in 1955. In 1964 he was made Director of Radio with a seat on the BBC's Board of Management. He saw the need to fill the gap left by the demise of pirate radio for 'pop' music. To do this he reorganised the BBC's radio into four stations, Radios 1, 2, 3 & 4. He also discontinued Children's Hour and shut the BBC's Features Department.{{Cite book|title=Life on Air: A History of Radio Four|first=David|last=Hendy|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=9780199248810|year=2007|pages=38–39}} In 1967 he also created the first local radio stations. Gillard retired in 1969.

Gillard remained active throughout his retirement helping both Australian and American public service broadcasters. He was one of several people whose input led to the creation of Masterpiece Theatre.{{cite web|url=http://www.current.org/drama/drama9707mastth.html|access-date=2011-03-11|title=How should public TV follow up the Forsyte Saga success?|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110518163525/http://www.current.org/drama/drama9707mastth.html|archive-date=18 May 2011|df=dmy-all}}

He also initiated a living history project to capture a record of the earliest days of the BBC.

The BBC named their local radio awards the Frank Gillard Awards. He was awarded an OBE in 1946.{{London Gazette |issue=37624|date=21 June 1946|page=1|supp=2|title=To be Additional Officers of the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire:— Francis George GILLARD, British Broadcasting Corporation}} and a CBE in 1961.{{London Gazette |issue=42370|date=11 June 1961|page=4153|supp=1|title=To be Ordinary Commanders of the Civil Division of the said Most Excellent Order: Francis George GILLARD, Esq., O.B.E., Controller, West Region, British Broadcasting Corporation}}

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Category:1908 births

Category:1998 deaths

Category:Alumni of the University of Exeter

Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire

Category:BBC people

Category:British radio journalists

Category:People from Tiverton, Devon

Category:British war correspondents

Category:War correspondents of World War II

Category:People educated at Wellington School, Somerset

Category:Articles containing video clips

Category:Mass media people from Devon