Category: Â鶹Éç
Date: 31.01.2006
Printable version
Keith Samuel, former Â鶹Éç Head of Television Publicity and Chief Press Officer, has died aged 66.
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Michael Grade, the current Â鶹Éç Chairman, worked with Keith in Â鶹Éç Television.
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Michael said today: "Keith was a dear friend and most valued colleague when I was working in the Television Service back in the Eighties.
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"He kept me out of a lot trouble, and was a model Chief Press Officer. I tried everything, including bribery, to recruit him to Channel 4 when I left, but he remained so loyal to the institution to which he had dedicated most of his working life.
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"He was a lovely, lovely man."
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Donald Steel, the Â鶹Éç's current Head of Press, said:
"We are deeply saddened at this news. Keith was a giant of television publicity.
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"He will be remembered first and foremost as a champion of programme makers and channel controllers and, above all, the viewers.
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"He was a wonderful man who cared deeply about the Â鶹Éç and all it stood for. Our thoughts are with his family at this sad time."
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Keith Samuel retired in October 1998 as Â鶹Éç Broadcast's Controller of Press & Publicity and Deputy Director of Communications, after a 43 year career in the media - the last 26 years spent at the Â鶹Éç.
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He joined the Â鶹Éç as a television publicity officer in 1972 after working as a print journalist in his home town Brighton and after a 12 year spell with the ITV company Southern Television, in Southampton.
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At Southern he worked first as a presentation scriptwriter and producer and contributed to entertainment and current affairs programmes before becoming the company's Press Officer.
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In 1985 he took charge of Â鶹Éç Television's press and publicity and public relations and on the creation of Â鶹Éç Broadcast in 1996 he became the professional head of the integrated press and publicity teams representing Â鶹Éç Television, Radio, Education, Regional Broadcasting and the new digital channels.
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Keith's other passion was music. As a jazz trombonist he broadcast on the Â鶹Éç on network and local radio on several occasions.
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Keith Samuel was born on 11 October 1939 and died yesterday (Monday 30 January 2006).
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He was married with two children.
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