Vernon Grant - Media Man

VERNON GRANT - MY CV

2011-04-14T08:54:00.019+02:00

TV Producer Writer & Journalist Website Content Producer & Media Relations Manager

Television Production

I have 30 years hands on experience as a Producer, Series Producer, Director, Scriptwriter and Interviewer for many of the major UK broadcasters.

A vast array of programming including sport, documentaries, news, current affairs and entertainment. I have worked as a member of production teams and, as Series Producer, led production teams large and small.

Online

I have been writing content for a variety of websites and blogs for ten years. Chief subjects being Sport, sports betting, travel, food and the country of Spain. I also offer my services as Media Relations Manager and Social Networking Manager.

Writing

I have been the scriptwriter on a large number of television programmes and can write good, clean, crisp copy quickly. Having written for many breaking news programmes, including Sky News, I know the importance of writing accurate copy in fast turnaround situations such as TV or online sports betting content.

I have written for Fleet Street newspapers and many magazines. Those subjects include sport and travel.

PRESENT DAY AMBITIONS

Today I want to work in a role that would benefit from my vast and varied experience.

I believe I have the skills, experience and knowledge that would assist any company with its online editorial content, video production requirements for broadcast or for a website. I am also very experienced at social networking and using the likes of Twitter to promote product and businesses.

It’s a fresh start, a new career and a forward thinking company or individual that I am looking for. One that would appreciate what I can offer and maximise it for all it is worth.

If you want to raise your online profile and communicate better with your followers or listeners; see what I can do for you using media new and old.

RECENT BACKGROUND 2004 – 2010

My vast, varied and colourful career continues to move on.

For the past 5 years I have been writing for websites & blogs in addition to publishing books.

I also write for a number of magazines and newspapers in the UK and Spain.

I am a very experienced writer on sport, online gaming, travel, food, the media and the country of Spain.

I write daily, on a freelance basis, about Spanish food on behalf of The Tapas Lunch Company via their blog www.spanishfoodworld.co.uk and on locations and attractions in Spain for www.spain-holiday.com

In the world of new media, I have created and manage a wide range and large number of blogs and websites using SEO and social media sites to boost traffic.

My primary blog, www.wordofsport.blogspot.com deals with sport and online gaming. Principally horse racing and football.

I know how to create, update and write for informative websites, including those using wordpress, and blogs.

Via www.twitter.com/lecrin and www.twitter.com/wordsport I have been first in breaking many stories on the internet. That is largely due to my vast and varied contacts book.

I have moved with the times when it comes to online technology. I am totally up to speed when it comes to social networking and using it to maximise coverage of stories.

MY TV HISTORY

January-June 2003

SERIES PRODUCER - Carlton TV

Working for Independent Production Company, Rock Hammer Productions. “The Last Word”, a late night topical discussion show broadcast by Carlton. I managed the production team, content, and choosing various presenters. I was also the gallery producer.

December 2002

PRODUCER (live) – Sky News

Freelance Producer/Journalist at Sky News, including sport.

February - June 2002

PRODUCER/DIRECTOR - Twin Pines Ltd

Freelance Producer/Director of two 30 minute programmes from the Cannes Film Festival for tx in New Zealand, Australia and Hong Kong.

I operated a PD150 and also interviewed many of the actors and directors, including Michael Moore.

August 1998 – 2001

PRODUCER - Sky & Sky Sports News

When Sky Sports News began, they asked me to manage the far less experienced team. In short, I helped Sky Sports News get on air and become as popular as it now is.

I also produced the live weekly sports reviews show ‘7 Days in Sport’ and three series of the ‘Sky Sports Book Show.’ This saw me produce, direct and interview many films with the authors of sports books.

January - April 1998

PRODUCER (live) – GMTV, including sport.

August 1997 to December 1997

PRODUCER (live) – C4 “Under the Moon”

Producing the live two and a half-hour, interactive Channel 4 sports show. Live studio discussion and interactive telephone calls from the viewers in addition to pre-recorded taped items. Involved plenty of “on the hoof” writing and production decisions.

February 1996 until August 1997

SPORT - HEAD OF PRODUCTION - Watershed Pictures Television.

Managing a production team, production schedule and budgets. I employed researchers & producers working to me. Producing and directing sports output.

This saw me head production of a large slate of programmes and sell thru’ videos on football and motor racing. Inevitably I interviewed a multitude of sports stars in this role.

1991 -1995 FREELANCE PRODUCER

During these first four years as a freelancer I produced and directed numerous television programmes, corporate videos and sell thru’ output.

TV shows included ‘Kilroy’ (live) for BBC 1.

In October 1995 I developed from scratch, researched and was producer of an investigative documentary for the Channel 4 series ‘Dispatches’. Entitled 'Accident Waiting to Happen' the highly praised documentary went undercover to investigate safety at football grounds around the U.K.

1988-1991

PRODUCER – Yorkshire Television.

Entertainment department. Producing networked entertainment programmes for ITV from the department that produced “Through the Keyhole” and “Parkinson: One to One.”

Overall responsibility for managing programme output, budgets and production teams. Booking artists and negotiating appearance fees.

Programmes included "The John Lennon Memorial Concert”, "Telethon" (live), "Rock School", and from 1988 until 1991, Series Producer of "The James Whale Radio Show" (live) for the ITV network.

1980 -1987

RESEARCHER, ASSOCIATE PRODUCER & PRODUCER

Sports programming – Yorkshire Television. I produced live coverage of football matches and horse racing from various courses, including York.

Hours and hours of (live) programming including news and current affairs output. I acted as Senior Researcher, Associate Producer or Producer on numerous local and networked ITV Documentaries. I also worked on children's programming and countless afternoon magazine & chat shows.

Special projects that I produced and managed from start through to TX included documentaries covering the trial of the Yorkshire Ripper and the Justice Popplewell inquiry into the Bradford City stadium fire.

1976 -1980

SPORTS JOURNALIST

United Newspapers, Fleet Street, London.

Coverage of all major UK sports events including Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships, all major Football competitions both at home and in Europe, and the major cricket and golf tournaments. As a sports writer I covered European Cup Finals, FA Cup Finals and many more important football games.

CONTACT ME

Direct message me via www.twitter.com/lecrin

or e-mail verninspain@gmail.com

IAN BOLT - PRODUCER, DIRECTOR, FRIEND

2011-01-03T23:09:00.005+01:00

I wouldn't be writing this blog were it not for a man called Ian Bolt. For I would not have enjoyed the career in TV I have were it not for Ian Bolt. And, but for him, I would still be writing using a quill pen and parchment!

Unlike me, he was a man ahead of his time.

Every day I am remembering my mate Ian who died with the year 2011 just a few days old. And Ian leaving all of us who he influenced at the far too young age of 66.

Ian won a BAFTA for The Book Tower, presented by Tom Baker. He made 3-2-1 work, no easy task, believe me. He had 18 million folk watching 'Through the Keyhole' on Friday nights.

He could spot a comedy star of the future in seconds. Hence he gave early TV appearances to so many stars including Steve Coogan. He worked with giants such as Les Dawson. He aired the last interview with the late, great Marc Bolan. And he got me and others into trouble when he created, and had us produce, the late night James Whale Radio Show, live on ITV 1998-2001.

A vast career. A great man. Best of all he was great with young people. His days teaching students at Leeds Uni all about TV were possibly the happiest working days of his all too short life.

When people put down TV of yesteryear they forget the talent that worked not just on TV but, especially, behind the scenes.

Ian Bolt was the best producer or director i ever had the privilege to work with and for.

I shall never forget him. The laughs. How he inspired me to produce better and better TV. The late nights and early mornings. Most of all that laugh. I am gutted that i will not hear that laugh again.

Thank you Ian.

Here's some You Tube highlights of just a few of the shows Ian made.

http://is.gd/k2vVl d http://is.gd/k2wh0 and the show he had me produce that got us all in lots of bother http://bit.ly/i51nsG

YORKSHIRE RIPPER - BAD NOT MAD

2010-08-31T13:31:00.003+02:00

Originally posted on July 16th 2010

I was on news producer duty the night Peter Sutcliffe, aka the Yorkshire Ripper, was caught. I took the call from a source in the South Yorkshire police force that told us they had got him. My employers, Yorkshire Television, had been covering his shocking crimes for years.

Upon receiving the call from Sheffield i called my boss. "Lock the doors" he said. "If we know then it will not be long before ITN know and we aren't having that lot from London breaking this story."

Security locked the doors and i can still see the frustration on the face of the ITN correspondent.

So it was that, late at night, we broke the story that police in Sheffield believed they had arrested a man who was the Yorkshire Ripper.

It was when the policeman told me the name of the man that a "a bit of good coppering" had captured that i came over cold.

I lived in Bingley, home of Peter Sutcliffe. I was married to a close family friend of the Sutcliffe's. My then wife had been with Peter only days before the arrest. His sisters were my wife's best friends. They had attended a party to celebrate our engagement.

Not only did i have the pressure of handling the biggest story to break in Yorkshire, i knew i would have to tell my wife, and Peter's sisters, news they would find unbelievable. I wanted to forewarn the latter that it would not be long before the press landed on their doorstep on a massive scale. And so they did.

Today the High Court told Sutcliffe that he would never be released. The right decision. You had to live in Yorkshire to understand the impact of his actions.

I want to let you in on how he conned medics, the old bailey, barristers, numerous psychotherapists and even Jimmy Savile into believing he was mad.

I attended every day of his trial at the old bailey. A mainstay of his defence, as used by his legal representatives, was that Sutcliffe heard voices from God. They came, Sutcllife maintained, from the head of a large stone figure that adorned one of the graves he looked after when he worked at Bingley cemetery. These voices from God were said to be proof that he was mad, not bad.

Trouble is he knew that these so called voices were the girl who would later become my wife and the voices of his own sisters. Not when they were adults, you understand, but years earlier when he worked at the graveyard and when the girls were teenagers.

"Peter... Peter" they used to moan down a pipe which, when stood by a certain grave, had the effect of the voice apparently emitting from the mouth of a large statue. It was a bit of fun between sisters and their brother. It was not the voice of God - and Peter knew that.

Of course, you can always find legal representatives who will defend someone no matter how ghastly the crimes of the person they are defending. How these barristers and solicitors sleep at night i shall never know.

I was as surprised as anyone that the Yorkshire Ripper turned out to be Peter Sutcliffe. I have spoken on many occasions with one of his regular visitors, Jimmy Savile. My Fix it himself has dined and chatted with Sutcliffe numerous times at the mental hospital Broadmoor. Savile once proudly showed me the portrait Peter had painted of Jimmy.

In my opinion Sutcliffe should not be in Broadmoor because he never was or has been mentally ill. He should be locked away in solitary confinement in the harshest prison the UK has left to offer. If such an establishment still exists. That Sutcliffe lives in conditions much better than many a pensioner in the UK is plain wrong.

Take note. Today the High Court said Sutcliffe could be moved to a less secure establishment than the confines of the psychiatric hospital Broadmoor. It was stated that the symptoms of his so called schizophrenia had dissipated to a point whereby the level of his illness should be tested in "conditions of less security." In other words, Sutcliffe could be moving to a less secure prison or hospital near you. Let us hope he is not moved to an open prison.

Surely, if medics and the High Court agree he is not ill, he should be moved to a prison proper. Not a less secure establishment.

So my message to all is not to be complacent. To look behind today's headline story which will say that Sutcliffe will never be released. Keep the pressure on the authorities to ensure this horrific man is kept far away from the general public. And don't believe the psychiatrist Dr. Kevin Murray when he says that Sutcliffe, or Peter Coonan as he is now known, poses a "low risk of offending."

Those of us old enough to recall the terror he created owe it to the memories of the innocent women he so savagely murdered, and to the relatives left behind, to make sure he never gets out.

BRADFORD CITY FIRE

2010-08-31T13:24:00.003+02:00

Originally posted elsewhere May 11th 2010

25 years ago today i took a telephone call. A TV colleague asked me to rush to a football ground that was just a couple of miles from my home in Bingley, West Yorkshire. I was off duty that weekend and not working for either Yorkshire Television sport or the regional news programme, 'Calendar.'

I could have gone to Valley Parade that day and, as i so often did, sit on the TV gantry with friend, colleague and football commentator John Helm. I chose not to for reasons i can no longer recall. I knew that my then brother in law was at the game with his children. And, having been a sports researcher and producer at Yorkshire TV for five years; i knew the players and management of both teams that day. Bradford City and Lincoln City.

You have to remember that in 1985 there were no mobile telephones. News filming was on film. Coverage of the game itself was on old '2 inch' videotape.

My colleague told me to turn my TV on. He didn't need to. I was already watching as the national ITV news cut live to the Yorkshire TV pictures. I heard the words of John Helm and i knew the situation at Valley Parade was serious. That was before the flames destroyed the wooden stand. A stand i knew so well.

I shall always recall the words of John Helm as one victim of the fire walked from the stand and in front of the terraces. The man was smiling and seemed to be OK. He was not.

In the coming weeks I learned more about spontaneous combustion than i ever wished to know. John Helm was so sensitive in his commentary that day. His words: "Oh the poor man, the poor man" have stayed with me ever since. In these pre-9/11 days, live TV commentary on a disaster such as this could only be compared with the famous commentary of the Hinderburg disaster in 1937.

John went to commentate on a football match. On a day of celebration as Bradford City had already been promoted. It should have been a pleasant day at the office. Instead it became the stuff of nightmares. Literally.

I shall never forget what i saw at the back of the main stand at Valley Parade that day. Believe me, i wish i could. I threw away all the clothes that i wore that day. I could not live with the smell of my clothing.

I shall never forget the bravery of the fire crews. The incredible efforts of the paramedics. The heroics displayed by members of the public who saved, or tried to save, others.

In the days, weeks and months after the Bradford City fire i got to know well many of the survivors. I was with them as they underwent medical treatment. Skin graft after skin graft.

The work i saw at hospitals such as St. Lukes and the General Infirmary made me realise that my work in TV was so utterly irrelevant. Surgeon David Sharpe was rightly honoured for his remarkable and pioneering work that made such a difference to the lives of those who got out of the fire.

But it was the work of the nurses, auxillary nurses, assistants and doctors that left me in awe. They were seeing the same horrific injuries as I was. Only they knew what to do. I didn't.

I demanded from my bosses that i sat through every day of the subsequent inquiry into the fire. Justice Oliver Popplewell did a wonderful job. Along with Justice Taylor, who reported into the subsequent disaster at Hillsborough, Judge Popplewell did much to drag football in the UK into the 20th century.

But for the actions of those two men football supporters would still be herded into grounds that are inherently unsafe. The lessons of Bradford City were not learned immediately, as my next blog post will recall. But, eventually, football got the message.

Namely that the deaths of 56 people in Bradford on May 11th 1985 should not be in vain.

Broadcaster Gabby Logan (nee Yorath) was their that day as a teenager. Her dad, the former Leeds Utd player Terry, was part of the Bradford City management team. Through her present day work on television and radio, Gabby does her utmost to ensure this particular tragedy is not forgotten. I shall do likewise.

In the days after the Bradford City fire i met a mother and her one remaining child. Three generations of the Fletcher family died that day. I think what happened to that family touched me more than any other. At the memorial service i had to be on a crane high above the burnt out stadium. I sang along with the likes of Abide with Me and You'll Never Walk Alone. Along with the cameraman, i wept buckets.

In memory of all those at Bradford City that day, and the burns unit that did such brilliant work then. Today it continues to make great strides when it comes to treating burns, urgent plastic surgery and reconstruction. The work they do changes lives. I have donated to the following appeal organised by the man who was then an 11 year old child. Martin Fletcher is all grown up now and running to raise funds for the burns unit. Please, do your bit to make sure the 56 are not forgotten. Donate any amount, large or small, via http://bit.ly/9XUp4W

RADIO MICS - ENEMY OF THE INDISCREET

2010-08-31T13:22:00.002+02:00

Originally posted elsewhere April 24th 2010

The Prime Minister and I have something in common. No, I am not a bully. No, I am not useless. No, I have not taken the UK into financial oblivion. However, we have both fallen foul of radio microphones.

Today Gordon Brown forgot he was wearing a radio mic when he called a pensioner "bigoted." Ironically it was Labour party officials who wanted him to wear a microphone as he met the public. In itself that was a crazy decision.

It's easy to forget you are wearing a radio mic. They are so small. Attached to a lapel, increasingly lightweight, many a person has forgotten they are wearing one.

As a TV producer I never had to wear one, though as an interviewer I have done so on many occasions. However, it was in my role as producer that I fell foul of a radio mic. I was caught speaking unkindly about a certain performer on an ITV show being recorded at Yorkshire Television studios in Leeds. A friend, colleague and presenter of said show was wearing his radio microphone and i was stood in studio next to him. We both made accurate, if rude, comments about a certain 'star' (no names mentioned). My comments were heard by all in the production gallery and the camera crew who were wearing headphones. Though not, thankfully, by the star performer. I'd like to say it was the first and last time i made that mistake. But it wasn't. On another occasion a presenter covered his microphone to prevent the worst bits of my latest sarcastic rant, directed at an inept boss, being heard by others. Too late! It was heard by one and all on set, including the target of my less than complimentary comments. Ouch! I simply did a Gordon. I forgot i was in the presence of a radio microphone.

I have seen the same Brown gaff made by senior and famous TV presenters. Some corking insults made about guests they have just interviewed. I have been in the company of politicians such as John Prescott when they have forgotten that they are wearing a microphone and launched into a verbal tirade about someone.

In the 80's i remember making a soccer school series of films where Jack Charlton tried to turn a few scrawny kids into promising footballers. Jack was always fond of the f word. He went for a pee whilst still wearing his radio microphone. The comments he made about the kids, combined with the noise of his bodily motions, was a TV gem at the time. Most people remember Jack Charlton running around Wembley with the World Cup in 1966. I shall always remember him fondly in a public toilet in a public park in some freezing cold part of northern England.

In those days if such audio got anywhere it was only on the funnies Christmas tape compiled by editors and only watched by those working at that particular TV company. Today those clips would be on You Tube immediately.

The Prime Minister even criticised the broadcasters for transmitting the words he uttered in his car. He likes to blame others. His party officials wanted him to wear a microphone. From that moment on anything he says is the public domain. Get real Gordon.

The Prime Minister should not have been wearing a radio microphone. Those advising him to do so were wrong and they should have been there when he got in the car to make sure he removed the microphone. Peter Mandleson will be seething and will no doubt have sacked someone immediately. With the Labour party there is always an escapegoat.

As for Gordon Brown. He's finished. Brought down not by David Cameron or Nick Clegg. Nor by a worldwide financial crisis and a domestic recession. No.

He was brought down by a 66 year old pensioner called Gillian Duffy. And that old enemy of the indiscreet - a radio microphone.