u3a

Shaftesbury & Gillingham

Alex Leger – “Life On The Licence Fee –Challenges and Change at the BBC”

Event type: Meeting
Date: 1st May 2025
Time: 10:00 am
Venue: The New Remembrance Hall
Organiser:

Luck played its part when Alex joined the Blue Peter programme in 1975.  The presenters were John Noakes , Peter Purves and Lesley Judd.  He describes pivotal events in broadcasting and memorable encounters with an erupting volcano, gorillas in Uganda and a life-threatening storm at sea. These and other events like John Noakes climbing Nelson’s Column secured his position as a producer for 36 years. Others caused a stir like LuLu the baby elephant who ran amok and created probably the funniest moment in Blue Peter history.

Alex Leger, Television Producer, Director and Cameraman. He has had a lot of fun and anxiety – in equal proportions – spending the BBC licence fee making television programmes. He worked on the front line of television programme production from 1975 to 2011 and has filmed many horrors and on a lighter note has flown with the Red Arrows and – in the course of duty – parachuted from a balloon and RAF Hercules transport aircraft. Over 36 years he has witnessed first hand how the BBC changed as technology forced it along different paths.  He started public speaking in 2012 engagements including national conferences, literary festivals, cruise ships and local groups.