A former Managing Director of BBC Network Radio and producer of Light Entertainment for Radio Sir David Hatch has died. Sir David had been suffering from a long illness and was 68 years old. He joined BBC Radio in 1964 as an actor and writer for I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again.
Sir David made his name performing alongside John Cleese and the Goodies team in the early Sixties with the Cambridge Footlights revue
In 1965, he was appointed as Radio Light Entertainment producer, devising and producing programmes such as Week Ending, Just A Minute and the radio versions of Doctor In The House and What Ho! Jeeves.
During his career at the BBC, David was Director of Radio Programmes, Controller of Radios 2 and 4 respectively, Head of Radio Light Entertainment, Radio Network Editor in Manchester and Executive Producer of Programme Development.
In 1987 he became Managing Director of Network Radio and in January 1993 was appointed Adviser to the Director-General. He was knighted in 2004.
Jenny Abramsky, Director of BBC Audio and Music, said: "Sir David Hatch was one of the greats of BBC Radio. He was a performer, a leader and an inspirer of people. He led the radio Light Entertainment department with verve and joy.
"He was a terrific Controller of both Radio 2 and Radio 4 and as Managing Director of BBC Radio he modernised and ensured that radio thrived in an increasingly competitive world. No one in BBC Radio has ever had such a wide ranging and successful career."
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