The Committee
Left to right: Stephen Kanocz, Alan Bilyard, Bud Evans, Tom Rivers, Martin Cox, George Gimber, Hugh Sheppard, Nicholas Whines, (seated) Brenda Horsfield, David Allen, & Anne Hanford.
The committee is elected annually at the AGM and comprises eleven members from whom the officers of the association are selected:
| Martin Cox (Chairman) | Tom Rivers |
| Alan Bilyard (Hon Treasurer) | Anne Hanford |
| Nicholas Whines (Membership Secretary) | Brenda Horsfield |
| Hugh Sheppard (Minutes Secretary) | Bud Evans |
| George Gimber (Website) | David Allen |
| Stephen Kanocz (BECTU & NUJ liaison) |
The committee meets on the second Tuesday of each month and approximately twice a year with BBC management and the management of the BBC Pension Fund. Members also attend meetings of the Occupational Pensions Association. The committee has regular liaison with the Pensioner Elected Trustee, Geoff Jones.
Committee Biographies
Martin Cox (Chairman)
After several years in market research and opinion polling, Martin joined BBC Radio as a current affairs producer in 1968. He specialised in politics and elections, but also worked on the earliest editions of You and Yours and the first radio phone -in Its Your Line. He moved to Today in 1974 and endured more night shifts than he cares to remember. Appalling hours, great camaraderie.
He became Editor of Radio 4's PM programme in 1982 and of the World at One in 1987. There was then a spell as Managing Editor, which included organising Gulf FM (or Scud FM, as it was irreverently known) during the first Gulf War in 1991. The lessons were useful when he became part of the small team which created and launched Radio 5 Live and recruited its staff and presenters.
Martin left the BBC in 1998. Since then he has held various positions in the voluntary sector. But mostly he has had fun. That means neglecting the garden and spending a lot of time in theatres. concert-halls and galleries.
He has three children and three grandchildren. He is married to Margaret Budy, herself a former BBC Editor. They live in London and drink frequent toasts to the health of the pension fund.
Alan Bilyard (Hon Treasurer)
Alan joined the BBC’s Finance Division in 1955 which was the start of a 44 year career with the BBC. In 1965 he moved on to the fledgling "Television Enterprises", now known as BBC WORLDWIDE, as Business Manager and progressed to become Head of BBC Records during its golden age from 1976 to 1983 when many theme tunes and comedy hits occurred. Alan then joined BBC WORLD SERVICE as Head of BBC Transcription Service responsible for the distribution of BBC radio programmes around the world. He returned to BBC WORLDWIDE in 1990 as Business Affairs Director and in 1995 moved on to Head of Commercial Rights dealing with talent rights and fees for the ever increasing commercial exploitation of BBC programmes. Alan retired in 1999 but continues to be involved in the broadcasting industry as a freelance media rights advisor as well as the Hon. Treasurer of BBCPA.
Alan’s interests include gardening, travel, sport, literature and music in all its forms.
Nicholas Whines (Membership Secretary)
Nick Whines joined BBC School Radio in 1972 to produce history programmes for the 9-12 age group. He also developed "In the News" a live current affairs series for primary schools which received a Sony Award in 1984.
The following year he transferred to School Television, where he continued to make historical programmes. His recreation of a Victorian school won a BAFTA in 1989. By this time he had returned to School Radio as Head of Department, which he reorganised to become Schools, Youth and Children's Programmes Radio in time for the start of Radio 5, the short lived Sports and Education Channel. In 1991 he returned to School TV. A high point was producing and directing the ten-part drama series Spywatch, a story of evacuees set during World War II. Nick was retired in 1997 at the age of 50 but Spywatch has continued to be repeated almost every year since then.
Nick joined the BBCPA committee in 2005 as Membership Secretary. In 2008 he authored 'Life after the BBC'. Recently he was involved in the successful campaign to have a green plaque commemorating School Radio installed on 1 Portland Place.
Nick lives in Hampshire with his wife, Corinna Furse. He is a keen gardener, a parish councillor and secretary of the local village hall.
Hugh Sheppard (Minutes Secretary)
Hugh Sheppard joined the BBC in 1958 and spent the first of his several career moves as a cameraman in the hey-day of black & white television. Joining Presentation in 1965, he directed the Networks (all 2 of them), weather and international operations, in which he was blooded on the World Cup of 1966. Later, he brought in the BBC Weather Symbols that still survive on the internet.
Having spent most weekends with foreign commentators at football matches, Wimbledon and the Grand National etc. he became the first Head of the International TV Unit in 1980, working for the EBU on the Moscow and Los Angeles Olympic Games. He was outlawed to the colonies in 1987 as the Director for Australasia until taking early retirement in Sydney in 1993.
Tom Rivers
Tom left the BBC in 1995 after 13 years in the copyright department of Legal Adviser’s Division. He was head of the department from 1990 to 1995. He became a member of the committee of the BBC Pensioners’ Association in 1999 and served as secretary for three years from 2000 to 2003 and as chairman from 2003 to 2007.
Before becoming a solicitor in 1979, Tom worked in book publishing. Since leaving the BBC, he has worked as a consultant on copyright issues, particularly as they relate to broadcasting.
Anne Hanford
Retired from BBC Information & Archives in 1996 after 35 years service, subsequently consultant on media archives. Member of BBC Pensioners’ Association Committee since 2004.
Professional activities: Fellow of the Royal Television Society, member of History and Archives Specialist Group since 1985, Chairman of the Group 1992 - 2002. Member of the International Federation of Television Archives since 1976, Chairman 1982-1992. Member of Lord Chancellor’s Advisory Council on National Records and Archives 1999-2005.
Personal details: married with three sons, two of whom work in television. Interests include house in France, sailing, travel, reading, music.
Bud Evans
Bud had a career in journalism of 50 years, first with newspapers in Somerset and Kent before joining BBC local radio in 1971 as a news producer for the opening of Radio Derby. In 1977 he became news editor at Radio Brighton. He had attachments at Radio London, the experimental broadcasting of Parliament, Radio Training and Today. In 1980 Bud was appointed to Today as producer, then senior producer. He took early retirement in 1992 to develop freelance interests. He co-produced documentaries for Radio 2; ran radio training courses for local authorities and others; and was a tutor in journalism at Highbury College, Portsmouth. From 2001, his interests have included golf, gardening and gadding about. He became a BBCPA committee member in 2009.
David Allen
Joined the BBC in 1969 as an Assistant producer/director. He became producer and then executive producer of a range of programmes until fully retiring in 2001. As a programme maker, he was editor of the BBC Computer Literacy Project 1982-1986. He received seven awards (including the New York Film Festival, Sony Innovation awards, RTS Judges Award and Times Technology Programme of the Year two years running. When David retired he was executive producer in Production Modernisation. He currently making documentaries for BBC R&D and for Historic Royal Palaces. He is married, with two children, one grandchild. Interests include music, especially choral singing (chairman BBC Symphony Chorus 1992-1998), theatre, photography, architecture, travel, current affairs, cycling. Member of the committee since 2002.
George Gimber (Website)
He joined the BBC In 1995 after a long career within the Manufacturing sector, that included RCA (Solid-State), and a significant time working on Command & Control Submarine systems for the MoD/Royal Navy. Whilst working for Corporate Internal Communication's Ariel Office he developed web pages for the BBC's fledgling intranet (Gateway) site which was officially launched in 1996. He became the first Webmaster for this internal BBC service.
After a three month period working on an Intranet site for the BBC Legal Advisors Division in 1998 he moved to BBC Broadcast & Presentation as part of a team providing 24/7 operational support for the bbc.co.uk web site. His role continued after BBC Broadcast was sold off, and the company subsequently renamed Red Bee Media. He retired in 1998.
His many interests include Photography, is an active branch member of CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale), and also a member of the RSPB and life member of the Woodland Trust.
