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Press Releases
Tributes to Sir Bill Cotton
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Tributes have been paid to Sir Bill Cotton, former Managing Director of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Television, who has died aged 80.
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Other positions he held at the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ included Head of Light Entertainment Group, Controller of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ One and Chairman of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Enterprises. He retired from the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ in 1988.
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Mark Thompson, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Director-General, said: "Bill Cotton was one of the giants of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ television for nearly three decades and brought countless programmes to the screen which themselves became legends.
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"He was both a great impresario and also a passionate believer in public service broadcasting."
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Alan Yentob, Creative Director, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ, said: "Bill Cotton was a wonderful man and an inspirational broadcaster.
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"Under his leadership in the Seventies the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ commissioned and produced a raft of entertainment and comedy which set a benchmark for these genres which has rarely been surpassed.
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"From Monty Python to Morecambe And Wise, from The Generation Game to Dad's Army, these shows and others like them have helped to define not just a genre but a generation.
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"Bill Cotton was always there to remind us that the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ mission to entertain could be just as ambitious and aspirational as our commitment to inform and educate."
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Jana Bennett, Director, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Vision, said: "We have lost a giant of the television industry.
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"No history of British television would be complete without a large section on Bill Cotton.
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"He came from an entertainment dynasty and he brought countless programmes to the screen which became the stuff of legend. Μύ
"The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ and millions of viewers through the decades owe him so much. Our thoughts are with his family.
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"Bill cared passionately about great British talent and about the power of popular television to bring the best in entertainment to the biggest audiences.
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"We all owe him a great deal."
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Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Press Office
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