Esther Rantzen behind bid for Southampton TV channel

Esther Rantzen Esther Rantzen

FORMER That’s Life presenter Esther Rantzen could return to TV screens in Hampshire as it emerged she is part of a consortium bidding for a new local television station.

Ms Rantzen, who is based in the New Forest , is a director of the That’s Media consortium that is one of two bidders for a new Southampton TV station.

A rival bid from TV Solent is backed by Solent University, which would involve its staff and students from its professional broadcast operation in the venture.

Daniel Cass, the chief executive officer of That’s Media, confirmed Ms Rantzen would be vice president of programming at the proposed That’s Solent channel and would return to presenting duties. His company is also bidding to run a similarly titled local station in Oxford.

He said Ms Rantzen would present a Sunday lunchtime show in Southampton provisionally titled That’s Solent on Sunday.

It would have a magazine format, “not a million miles away” from That’s Life, he said, mixing more serious news with lighter, entertaining segments.

Ms Rantzen, 72, who fronted That’s Life for more than 20 years until the series was axed in 1994, said: “We will expose rogue plumbers and petty bureaucrats and then celebrate heroic grannies and talented pets”.

Mr Cass said Ms Rantzen would have an active “hands on” role behind the cameras supporting the channel’s news team.

He added Round the World Clipper Race founder and sailing legend Sir Robin Knox-Johnson has been lined up to present marine-related programming.

Broadcasting regulator Ofcom has invited bids for 21 new local television stations around the UK. More details of the 57 bids are expected to be published this week. The new licences will be awarded in the autumn. 

The successful bidders will then have two years to get their stations up and running.

Solent University hired former regional ITV director Mark Southgate to lead its bid to set up the station at a premises within the university.

A spokeswoman said: “If it is successful TV Solent will not only deliver relevant and lively content to local audiences using a team of experienced professional staff, but running the station will also give significant benefit to the university’s students by providing a real-world opportunity for working in media planning and production.”

She added the university believed the bid had a “strong chance of success”.

Comments(22)

Family Man says...
6:59am Tue 21 Aug 12

Noooooo! If that is the price, let Portsmouth have it (and Esther)!!

SOLENTDRIFTER says...
7:39am Tue 21 Aug 12

O.M.G. DON'T THIS OLD WAR HORSE KNOW WHEN TO QUIT - THE SIGHT AND SOUND OF HER MAKES ME FEEL ILL - THAT INCLUDES SALLY TAYLOR ALSO....

southy says...
9:57am Tue 21 Aug 12

Shame about Bradon he learned the hard way about Rantzen.

phil maccavity says...
10:40am Tue 21 Aug 12

I wonder how many people remember the previous local TV Station?
The good thing about it was providing an opportunity for students to learn about producing TV programmes.
The downside was the product was mostly cringingly awful and the viewing figures reflected this.

Torchie1 says...
11:13am Tue 21 Aug 12

southy wrote:
Shame about Bradon he learned the hard way about Rantzen.
Was he related to Bernard Braden?

Hampshire Corn and Bread says...
12:20pm Tue 21 Aug 12

phil maccavity wrote:
I wonder how many people remember the previous local TV Station? The good thing about it was providing an opportunity for students to learn about producing TV programmes. The downside was the product was mostly cringingly awful and the viewing figures reflected this.
Except for 'The Adventures of Stephen Brown'.

That was class!

southy says...
12:31pm Tue 21 Aug 12

Torchie1 wrote:
southy wrote:
Shame about Bradon he learned the hard way about Rantzen.
Was he related to Bernard Braden?
Braden week if you remember that show, Where Rantzen got her break and endded up taking over the show and renamed it.

Georgem says...
12:41pm Tue 21 Aug 12

southy wrote:
Torchie1 wrote:
southy wrote:
Shame about Bradon he learned the hard way about Rantzen.
Was he related to Bernard Braden?
Braden week if you remember that show, Where Rantzen got her break and endded up taking over the show and renamed it.
You mean that time when his show got cancelled because he was appearing in adverts, despite dressing himself up as a 'champion of the people', and then went home to Canada? Not entirely sure what he learned about Rantzen there.

sarfhamton says...
1:30pm Tue 21 Aug 12

If she is in charge there may be show that involve vegetables with rude shapes like in That's Life.

I think we deserve better than that.

southy says...
2:52pm Tue 21 Aug 12

Georgem wrote:
southy wrote:
Torchie1 wrote:
southy wrote:
Shame about Bradon he learned the hard way about Rantzen.
Was he related to Bernard Braden?
Braden week if you remember that show, Where Rantzen got her break and endded up taking over the show and renamed it.
You mean that time when his show got cancelled because he was appearing in adverts, despite dressing himself up as a 'champion of the people', and then went home to Canada? Not entirely sure what he learned about Rantzen there.
Show never got Cancelled it was a 13 week show and Rantzen little letter to the GPM, Complaining about his Stork margarine commercial got him the sack, because all she was a researcher for the show and she wanted the limelight that she was not getting. He died in Camden Town London.
Braden won loads of awards in TV, Radio and Live stage shows, some thing Rantzen could never do.

Shoong says...
4:27pm Tue 21 Aug 12

southy wrote:
Georgem wrote:
southy wrote:
Torchie1 wrote:
southy wrote:
Shame about Bradon he learned the hard way about Rantzen.
Was he related to Bernard Braden?
Braden week if you remember that show, Where Rantzen got her break and endded up taking over the show and renamed it.
You mean that time when his show got cancelled because he was appearing in adverts, despite dressing himself up as a 'champion of the people', and then went home to Canada? Not entirely sure what he learned about Rantzen there.
Show never got Cancelled it was a 13 week show and Rantzen little letter to the GPM, Complaining about his Stork margarine commercial got him the sack, because all she was a researcher for the show and she wanted the limelight that she was not getting. He died in Camden Town London.
Braden won loads of awards in TV, Radio and Live stage shows, some thing Rantzen could never do.
'On the Braden Beat' (later re-named Braden's Week) was a separate show to That's Life.

In her auto biography, when asked why he made the margarine advert Braden said 'he was unable to resist the lure of so much money for an afternoon's work'.

So, if what she says is true, he sold out for money. I suppose up until now you've been admiring the guy and his capitalist decision.

Rantzen did the same thing later for a accident claims company.

That was back in 1972. Let me guess, you harbour a deep grudge against Esther for something that happened 40 years ago.

So, in conclusion, Braden got greedy and was cast out for it. I thought you didn't like 'greedy' people?

Georgem says...
4:42pm Tue 21 Aug 12

southy wrote:
Georgem wrote:
southy wrote:
Torchie1 wrote:
southy wrote:
Shame about Bradon he learned the hard way about Rantzen.
Was he related to Bernard Braden?
Braden week if you remember that show, Where Rantzen got her break and endded up taking over the show and renamed it.
You mean that time when his show got cancelled because he was appearing in adverts, despite dressing himself up as a 'champion of the people', and then went home to Canada? Not entirely sure what he learned about Rantzen there.
Show never got Cancelled it was a 13 week show and Rantzen little letter to the GPM, Complaining about his Stork margarine commercial got him the sack, because all she was a researcher for the show and she wanted the limelight that she was not getting. He died in Camden Town London.
Braden won loads of awards in TV, Radio and Live stage shows, some thing Rantzen could never do.
If it wasn't cancelled, then how did he get the sack? This goes from bad to worse, southy, usually you at least spread the self-contradiction out over several posts.

Your entire post seems contradictory. You first act as if SHE is some back-stabber who stole his limelight. Then you go on to say that HE was far more successful, because he won "loads of awards in TV etc", which she was unable to do. We won't mention her OBE, or CBE, or the 5 honorary doctorates, or the numerous BAFTAs (Braden only got one AFAIK), or the numerous awards for humanitarian works or charity work, or the fact that she's president of Child Line, and a patron of numerous charities, among other achievements.

No, it's the Light Entertainment Personality of the British Variety Club award that's the real prize, eh.

jonnyx says...
5:38pm Tue 21 Aug 12

"It would have a magazine format, “not a million miles away” from That’s Life, he said, mixing more serious news with lighter, entertaining segments."

THAT sounds even worse than The One Show.

freefinker says...
6:07pm Tue 21 Aug 12

Georgem wrote:
southy wrote:
Georgem wrote:
southy wrote:
Torchie1 wrote:
southy wrote:
Shame about Bradon he learned the hard way about Rantzen.
Was he related to Bernard Braden?
Braden week if you remember that show, Where Rantzen got her break and endded up taking over the show and renamed it.
You mean that time when his show got cancelled because he was appearing in adverts, despite dressing himself up as a 'champion of the people', and then went home to Canada? Not entirely sure what he learned about Rantzen there.
Show never got Cancelled it was a 13 week show and Rantzen little letter to the GPM, Complaining about his Stork margarine commercial got him the sack, because all she was a researcher for the show and she wanted the limelight that she was not getting. He died in Camden Town London.
Braden won loads of awards in TV, Radio and Live stage shows, some thing Rantzen could never do.
If it wasn't cancelled, then how did he get the sack? This goes from bad to worse, southy, usually you at least spread the self-contradiction out over several posts.

Your entire post seems contradictory. You first act as if SHE is some back-stabber who stole his limelight. Then you go on to say that HE was far more successful, because he won "loads of awards in TV etc", which she was unable to do. We won't mention her OBE, or CBE, or the 5 honorary doctorates, or the numerous BAFTAs (Braden only got one AFAIK), or the numerous awards for humanitarian works or charity work, or the fact that she's president of Child Line, and a patron of numerous charities, among other achievements.

No, it's the Light Entertainment Personality of the British Variety Club award that's the real prize, eh.
.. Like you say, I certainly wouldn't mention all those awards.

Obviously the result of a hacker who has changed the details throughout the www of all his and her awards.

You know southy is ALWAYS right, after all he has access to real books and websites mere mortals are denied access to.

southy says...
6:27pm Tue 21 Aug 12

Georgem wrote:
southy wrote:
Georgem wrote:
southy wrote:
Torchie1 wrote:
southy wrote:
Shame about Bradon he learned the hard way about Rantzen.
Was he related to Bernard Braden?
Braden week if you remember that show, Where Rantzen got her break and endded up taking over the show and renamed it.
You mean that time when his show got cancelled because he was appearing in adverts, despite dressing himself up as a 'champion of the people', and then went home to Canada? Not entirely sure what he learned about Rantzen there.
Show never got Cancelled it was a 13 week show and Rantzen little letter to the GPM, Complaining about his Stork margarine commercial got him the sack, because all she was a researcher for the show and she wanted the limelight that she was not getting. He died in Camden Town London.
Braden won loads of awards in TV, Radio and Live stage shows, some thing Rantzen could never do.
If it wasn't cancelled, then how did he get the sack? This goes from bad to worse, southy, usually you at least spread the self-contradiction out over several posts.

Your entire post seems contradictory. You first act as if SHE is some back-stabber who stole his limelight. Then you go on to say that HE was far more successful, because he won "loads of awards in TV etc", which she was unable to do. We won't mention her OBE, or CBE, or the 5 honorary doctorates, or the numerous BAFTAs (Braden only got one AFAIK), or the numerous awards for humanitarian works or charity work, or the fact that she's president of Child Line, and a patron of numerous charities, among other achievements.

No, it's the Light Entertainment Personality of the British Variety Club award that's the real prize, eh.
She never got a BAFTA the show got the BAFTA, Braden was awarded a personal BAFTA. She was the one that complain to the GPM of the BBC at the time, while he was still there she had no hope, Braden work for both BBC and ITV, the show started life as Braden Beat on ITV before it moved to BBC and became Braden Week, Smith followed Braden who was the next one Rantzen got the GPM to sack because he was more popular than she was on the show Thats Life. After he was gone that show Thats Life went down hill ratings drop that low it was given the chop.
Braden was the all round entertainer, started as a comedian, done shows on stage, Plays, work radio, films and TV picking up awards in all fields

Georgem says...
6:43pm Tue 21 Aug 12

southy wrote:
Georgem wrote:
southy wrote:
Georgem wrote:
southy wrote:
Torchie1 wrote:
southy wrote:
Shame about Bradon he learned the hard way about Rantzen.
Was he related to Bernard Braden?
Braden week if you remember that show, Where Rantzen got her break and endded up taking over the show and renamed it.
You mean that time when his show got cancelled because he was appearing in adverts, despite dressing himself up as a 'champion of the people', and then went home to Canada? Not entirely sure what he learned about Rantzen there.
Show never got Cancelled it was a 13 week show and Rantzen little letter to the GPM, Complaining about his Stork margarine commercial got him the sack, because all she was a researcher for the show and she wanted the limelight that she was not getting. He died in Camden Town London.
Braden won loads of awards in TV, Radio and Live stage shows, some thing Rantzen could never do.
If it wasn't cancelled, then how did he get the sack? This goes from bad to worse, southy, usually you at least spread the self-contradiction out over several posts.

Your entire post seems contradictory. You first act as if SHE is some back-stabber who stole his limelight. Then you go on to say that HE was far more successful, because he won "loads of awards in TV etc", which she was unable to do. We won't mention her OBE, or CBE, or the 5 honorary doctorates, or the numerous BAFTAs (Braden only got one AFAIK), or the numerous awards for humanitarian works or charity work, or the fact that she's president of Child Line, and a patron of numerous charities, among other achievements.

No, it's the Light Entertainment Personality of the British Variety Club award that's the real prize, eh.
She never got a BAFTA the show got the BAFTA, Braden was awarded a personal BAFTA. She was the one that complain to the GPM of the BBC at the time, while he was still there she had no hope, Braden work for both BBC and ITV, the show started life as Braden Beat on ITV before it moved to BBC and became Braden Week, Smith followed Braden who was the next one Rantzen got the GPM to sack because he was more popular than she was on the show Thats Life. After he was gone that show Thats Life went down hill ratings drop that low it was given the chop.
Braden was the all round entertainer, started as a comedian, done shows on stage, Plays, work radio, films and TV picking up awards in all fields
For someone who is apparently utterly hopeless, she seems to have done rather well.

You understand that "plays, radio, films and TV" isn't "all fields", right? You understand that it's all just "entertainment", right? Whereas Ms Rantzen has achieved success in a range of fields, only one of which is "entertainment".

freefinker says...
7:29pm Tue 21 Aug 12

southy wrote:
Georgem wrote:
southy wrote:
Georgem wrote:
southy wrote:
Torchie1 wrote:
southy wrote:
Shame about Bradon he learned the hard way about Rantzen.
Was he related to Bernard Braden?
Braden week if you remember that show, Where Rantzen got her break and endded up taking over the show and renamed it.
You mean that time when his show got cancelled because he was appearing in adverts, despite dressing himself up as a 'champion of the people', and then went home to Canada? Not entirely sure what he learned about Rantzen there.
Show never got Cancelled it was a 13 week show and Rantzen little letter to the GPM, Complaining about his Stork margarine commercial got him the sack, because all she was a researcher for the show and she wanted the limelight that she was not getting. He died in Camden Town London.
Braden won loads of awards in TV, Radio and Live stage shows, some thing Rantzen could never do.
If it wasn't cancelled, then how did he get the sack? This goes from bad to worse, southy, usually you at least spread the self-contradiction out over several posts.

Your entire post seems contradictory. You first act as if SHE is some back-stabber who stole his limelight. Then you go on to say that HE was far more successful, because he won "loads of awards in TV etc", which she was unable to do. We won't mention her OBE, or CBE, or the 5 honorary doctorates, or the numerous BAFTAs (Braden only got one AFAIK), or the numerous awards for humanitarian works or charity work, or the fact that she's president of Child Line, and a patron of numerous charities, among other achievements.

No, it's the Light Entertainment Personality of the British Variety Club award that's the real prize, eh.
She never got a BAFTA the show got the BAFTA, Braden was awarded a personal BAFTA. She was the one that complain to the GPM of the BBC at the time, while he was still there she had no hope, Braden work for both BBC and ITV, the show started life as Braden Beat on ITV before it moved to BBC and became Braden Week, Smith followed Braden who was the next one Rantzen got the GPM to sack because he was more popular than she was on the show Thats Life. After he was gone that show Thats Life went down hill ratings drop that low it was given the chop.
Braden was the all round entertainer, started as a comedian, done shows on stage, Plays, work radio, films and TV picking up awards in all fields
GPM???
What?

S Pance says...
9:14pm Tue 21 Aug 12

Ofcom won't want to make the same mistakes they made with ITV and thus will be looking for a truly local contractor.

Esther is delightful but apart from having a second home in the forest only has vague local connection. The rest of 'That's media' is far too London centric to meet Ofcom's approval.

It's a done deal, Solent Uni will win the bid unless 'That's Media' set up local studios and have local people on the management board.

S Pance says...
9:35pm Tue 21 Aug 12

Do a 'Company Check' on 'That's Media Ltd' . In particular check out the present and past history of the directors!

Most are not even from Hampshire, at least one was a director of 'Six TV' which if I remember correctly was a complete and utter disaster!! LOL!

Another was a director of Meridian TV which couldn't wait to drop local programming, pull down the studios and be subsumed into ITV in London.

Another director has 112 directorships on the go! Count them! Will they really have enough time to come down to Hampshire regularly and see what we're about? I very much doubt it!

Do we really want 'media luvvies' with little connection with the area running the local station?

IMHO, this bid appears to be nothing but an attempt to make money and will offer little to the viewing public.

I'll be interested to see who's behind the other bid.

Fatty x Ford Worker says...
10:06pm Tue 21 Aug 12

phil maccavity wrote:
I wonder how many people remember the previous local TV Station?
The good thing about it was providing an opportunity for students to learn about producing TV programmes.
The downside was the product was mostly cringingly awful and the viewing figures reflected this.
Out of town mate!

freefinker says...
9:17am Wed 22 Aug 12

.. what happened to all the previous comments?

Georgem says...
10:05am Wed 22 Aug 12

freefinker wrote:
.. what happened to all the previous comments?
They're still all there. This site's comment software is a bit buggy, comment disappear temporarily all the time. Never seen ALL comments on a story do it before, though.

click2find

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