The Broadcasting Press Guild (BPG) is a British association of journalists dedicated to the topic of general media issues.
13-641: The Guild was established in 1974 as a breakaway of The Critics' Circle and celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2024. Its membership includes more than 100 staff and freelance journalists who write and broadcast about TV, radio, streaming and the media for UK national newspapers, specialist journals and online outlets. One of the Guild's most recognized activities is the hosting of luncheons where leading industry figures are engaged in dialogue. The Guild has entertained most BBC director-generals and chairs and government ministers responsible for broadcasting along with
26-607: A professional body , professional organization , or professional society ) is a group that usually seeks to further a particular profession , the interests of individuals and organisations engaged in that profession, and the public interest . In the United States, such an association is typically a nonprofit business league for tax purposes. In the UK, they may take a variety of legal forms. The roles of professional associations have been variously defined: "A group of people in
39-469: A corporate cover-up. Speakers sometimes make news during the annual BPG Awards ceremony. In 2016, the former Doctor Who boss Russell T Davies criticised the lack of gay characters on TV. At a BPG lunch in 2024, Gary Lineker discussed his Goalhanger podcast productions and the controversy over his Twitter pronouncements. To mark its 50th anniversary in 2024, the Guild invited its members to choose their Top 50 Landmark TV Programmes. The top spot went to
52-457: A learned occupation who are entrusted with maintaining control or oversight of the legitimate practice of the occupation;" also a body acting "to safeguard the public interest;" organizations which "represent the interest of the professional practitioners," and so "act to maintain their own privileged and powerful position as a controlling body." Professional associations are ill defined although often have commonality in purpose and activities. In
65-443: A profession or group of professions and protect the use of professional titles" and professional bodies that "are independent membership organisations that oversee the activities of a particular profession and represent the interests of [their] members" and which "may offer registration or certification of unregulated occupations on a voluntary basis." Many professional bodies are involved in accrediting degrees, defining and examining
78-1071: A wide range of top executives from TV and radio channels in the UK and overseas. Previous lunch speakers include Sally Wainwright , Peter Fincham , David Abraham , Charlotte Moore , John Whittingdale , Chris Patten , Jeremy Hunt , Greg Dyke , Kevin Lygo , Carolyn McCall , Michael Grade , Martin Sorrell , Mark Thompson and Gary Lineker . The BPG’s Best Actress winners include Diana Rigg , Eileen Atkins , Helen Mirren , Peggy Ashcroft , Gillian Anderson , Vanessa Redgrave , Maxine Peake , Anne-Marie Duff , Zoe Wanamaker , Gina McKee , Julie Walters , Olivia Colman and Juliet Stevenson . The BPG Best Actor award has been presented to Alec Guinness , Albert Finney , Kenneth Branagh , Colin Firth , Charles Dance , Robert Hardy , Jim Broadbent , Christopher Ecclestone , Benedict Cumberbatch , Ben Whishaw and Dominic West among others. Complete list of all
91-681: The Critics' Circle Film Awards to acknowledge special achievements in the cinema. In 1989 the Drama section organized the first of its Critics' Circle Theatre Awards ceremonies. Presentation of Dance awards commenced in 2002, followed from 2011 with annual awards by the Music and the Visual Arts and Architecture sections. The Music Section of The Critics’ Circle comprises 90 of the country’s most respected critics and music journalists. Membership of
104-610: The NBC comedy series Parks and Recreation . In a 2012 luncheon, Lord Patten announced that some BBC freelancers, including Fiona Bruce and Graham Norton , would be offered staff contracts following a review of the BBC's tax arrangements, while at the same time denying that the broadcaster had engaged in tax dodging . During the same event, Patten also broke his silence about the Jimmy Savile scandal, clarifying widespread allegations of
117-521: The UK the Science Council defines a professional body as "an organisation with individual members practicing a profession or occupation in which the organisation maintains an oversight of the knowledge, skills, conduct and practice of that profession or occupation". The Quality Assurance Agency distinguishes between statutory bodies and regulators that "have powers mandated by Parliament to regulate
130-624: The 1974 American Theatre Critics Association , but broader in scope. The Critics’ Circle Awards are claimed to be unique, decided by the country’s most experienced professional arts journalists and critics on the basis of hearing the widest range of performances across the UK and Ireland. For many years the Circle gave no awards. In 1980 the members of the Film Section, known also as the London Film Critics' Circle , established
143-695: The BPG Awards winners, year-by-year It is common for major media announcements or changes in policy to be made at the BPG's luncheons. In 2012, Richard Klein , the BBC Four Controller, announced the network would be pulling broadcasts of Top of the Pops re-runs in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal . At the same event, Klein announced that the network had purchased the broadcast rights for
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#1732771757801156-542: The Circle is by invitation. Since 1988 the Circle has presented the Critics' Circle Award for Distinguished Service to the Arts , voted for by all members of the Circle. The award takes the form of an engraved crystal rose bowl presented at a celebratory luncheon which, in recent years, has been held at the Royal National Theatre . Professional association A professional association (also called
169-405: The ‘7 Up’ series of documentaries started by Granada Television in 1964. The Critics%27 Circle The Critics' Circle is the national professional body of British critics for books , drama , film , music , dance , visual arts and architecture . It was established in 1913 as a successor to the defunct Society of Dramatic Critics, formed in 1906. The association is analogous to
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