Ken Stephinson was an English television director and producer. He began working for Tyne-Tees Television in 1958, and later worked at BBC Manchester. While working for the BBC, he produced the first series of Great Railway Journeys , which included the first occasion of Michael Palin presenting a travel programme. He died from cancer in November 2012, at the age of 79.
Stephinson's passion for film began when he started a job as a cinema projectionist after completing his National Service in the Royal Air Force. In 1958, he began working in the film-handling department of the recently established Tyne-Tees Television. He then trained as an editor, and moved to being a director towards the end of the 1960s. [1]
Working with Syd Waddell, Stephinson pioneered the use of background music in news broadcasts. [1] The first time they did this was for a piece on the Durham Miners' Gala. Part of the broadcast combined footage of Prime Minister Harold Wilson enjoying a miners' band, with a backing track of "Dancing in the Street" by Martha and the Vandellas. This incident almost resulted in them losing their jobs, as a result of complaints from the Labour Party and the Independent Broadcasting Authority. Support from colleagues led to Tyne-Tees Television giving them permission to use music in this way in the future, as long as they avoided "serious news subjects". [2] His last job for Tyne-Tees Television was a documentary shot in and around Sunderland on the day that Sunderland AFC won the 1973 FA Cup Final, entitled "Meanwhile, Back in Sunderland".
After a stint at "Nationwide" for the BBC covering the North of England, He later was assigned to the BBC studios in Manchester. [2] He became the head of light entertainment at BBC Manchester, overseeing the production of programmes such as It's a Knockout . [3] While working at BBC Manchester, Stephinson also produced the first series of Great Railway Journeys . He persuaded Michael Palin to present one episode, after hearing him confess on radio that he had an "obsession" with railways. [2] This was the first of many travel programmes that Palin presented. Stephinson also developed a friendship with Russell Harty, which developed after Stephinson began producing Harty's chat show. [3]
After leaving the BBC, Stephinson established an independent production company, which produced several programmes, including episodes of Songs of Praise [3]
Stephinson was born in Sunderland, later moving to Manchester while working for the BBC. [1] In 1978, he settled in Saddleworth, occupying the former Saddleworth railway station building. [4] He was married twice, the second time to Marjorie Lofthouse, a fellow broadcaster, who he first met while attending a local drama club. [2] He had two children from his first marriage, Jacqui and Joanne, and two grandsons Samedi and Alphin at the point of his death from lymphoma cancer in November 2012, aged 79. [1]