Rowan Ayers
Rowan Ayers (16 June 1922 – 5 January 2008) was a television producer and poet. He was best known as producer of BBC's Line-Up [1] and Late Night Line-Up in the 1960s. He was the originator of BBCs influential late night rock music show Old Grey Whistle Test and the long-running Points of View. He was also responsible for the BBC's Open Door. Born in Essex, Ayers began his career as a journalist on Fleet Street as an editor for Radio Times before moving to television. After several years with the BBC, in 1974 he moved to Australia where he joined the national Channel 9 network.[2]
Rowan Ayers was the father of Kevin Ayers, a founder member of Soft Machine and a very keen Merlin Rocket sailor in the 1960s. Rowan Ayers launched Abbey Road, the Beatles' last recorded album, on his show Late Night Line-Up to rapturous applause in late 1969.
Publications include
- Aspects in Adolescence. Being the moods of a young man London, A. H. Stockwell (1940) Poetry[3]
- Australian Film, Television & Radio School Guide to Video Production (llen & Unwin (Jun 1990) - 272 Pages - ISBN 0-04-442165-6)
- Guide to Video Production Allen & Unwin (Feb 1992) - 280 Pages - ISBN 0-642-16895-4)
References
External links
- Rowan Ayers at the Internet Movie Database
- The Times obituary
- Australian interview (starts about midway through the file)