Bragg: Nurture young talent

By Jake Kanter

Melvyn Bragg was honoured for his contribution to broadcasting last night and called on the industry to nurture young talent.

The BBC Radio 4 In Our Time host was presented with the annual Media Society Award at a ceremony in London and received glowing tributes from high profile industry figures.

The award celebrated Bragg’s “unique and distinguished” career and past recipients include Sir David Frost, David Dimbleby and Sir Michael Parkinson.

Broadcasters, writers and artists lined up to commend Bragg for his work on In Our Time and his 32 years as host of The South Bank Show, which was axed by ITV last year.

Outgoing Radio 4 controller, Mark Damazer said In Our Time is “one programme that best expresses what a public service can achieve” and was a “masthead for the entire station”.

Former culture secretary Chris Smith said Bragg had “enriched lives with intelligence, integrity and a wonderful passion for culture”.

Bragg accepted the award with modesty, deciding to return the tributes he received and herald a new generation of broadcasters.

“There is no fall off of energy and talent coming into the [broadcast] industry,” he said. “We have a responsibility to pass it [our skills and understanding] on.”