Category: 91Èȱ¬
Date: 31.01.2006
Printable version
Keith Samuel, former 91Èȱ¬ Head of Television Publicity and Chief Press Officer, has died aged 66.
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Michael Grade, the current 91Èȱ¬ Chairman, worked with Keith in 91Èȱ¬ 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 91Èȱ¬'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 91Èȱ¬ 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 91Èȱ¬ 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 91Èȱ¬.
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He joined the 91Èȱ¬ 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 91Èȱ¬ Television's press and publicity and public relations and on the creation of 91Èȱ¬ Broadcast in 1996 he became the professional head of the integrated press and publicity teams representing 91Èȱ¬ 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 91Èȱ¬ 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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