Square Dog Radio LLP

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by award-winning producers Mark Whitaker and Mike Hally as founding partners

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--- current production ---

John Arlott - Cricket's Radical Voice
BBC Radio 4, Saturday 7th January, 8.00 pm

As the Test Match Special team reassembles for England vs Pakistan in Dubai, we look back on the man who died just over 20 years ago but is still "the Voice of Cricket".

John Arlott was a radical liberal, and he twice stood unsuccessfully as a parliamentary candidate for the Liberal Party. But he rarely adopted a party political stance during the many years that he appeared on the panel of the BBC Home Service’s Any Questions, alongside such people as Richard Crossman, Michael Foot and a young Margaret Thatcher. He attacked the political orthodoxies of both left and right, always championing the ‘common man’ against the power of money or privilege.

His political bravery was most obvious within the deeply conservative world of English cricket. He challenged its leaders prejudices on both race and class. He was responsible for bringing Basil D’Oliveira to England, and we broadcast – for the first time – the correspondence between the two men in 1960. He refused to commentate when white South African teams came, and he was centrally involved in the Stop The Tour campaign in 1970. We interview Peter Hain about Arlott’s influence. He also supported the Professional Cricketers Association – the players’ trade union – and said that being elected its first President was the greatest honour ever shown him.

The programme uses archive from the BBC and beyond.

It is written and presented by Mark Whitaker and is a Square Dog Radio production for the BBC.

Selected as 'Programme of the Week' by the Mail on Sunday and Radio Times
5 ***** in the Mail, 1st pick in the Telegraph, choice in the Independent
and on Radio 4's "Pick of the Week" Sunday 8th January

* Awards *

New York Festivals 2011
Best History Programme Bronze Award
Mark Whitaker for
"Britain on the Bottle"

New York Festivals 2009
Runner-up Best Environmental Programme
Mike Hally & Hermione Cockburn for
"Clair Patterson -
Scourge of the Lead Industry"

Society of Environmental Journalists 2008 award for "outstanding in-depth reporting, radio"
Mark Whitaker for
"Danger Fuels"

Sony Silver Award 2004
Mark Whitaker
''Land of the Oval Ball''

European ''Best Writing for Radio'' Award 2007:
Mike Hally
(various programmes
for Radio 4)

British Environment and
Media Award 2007:
Mark Whitaker for ''Danger Fuels'' (World Service)
- special commendation

Bar Council Legal
Journalist of the Year
1999 and
Medical Journalism
Silver Award 1994
Mark Whitaker
both ''File on 4''

All pictures on this site are copyright Mike Hally unless otherwise indicated

Site last updated 9 January 2012