Fred Macaulay | |
---|---|
Born |
Sollas,
North Uist Scotland | January 1, 1925
Died | February 15, 2003 |
Education | University of Edinburgh |
Occupation(s) | Gaelic Scholar, Radio Producer |
Spouse | Sybil Thom [1] |
Children | 3 [1] |
Fred Ewen Gillies Macaulay (1 January 1925 — 15 February 2003) was a Gaelic scholar and radio producer who was head of the BBC Gaelic department for 19 years, and oversaw a tenfold increase of Gaelic broadcasting time. [2] [1]
Macaulay was born in North Uist in 1925. [2] [3] He attended the Inverness Royal Academy. [2] [3] [4] During World War Two, he served with the Royal Corps of Signals and the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders. [2] [3] He then studied at the University of Edinburgh, earning a Master of Arts in Celtic Studies and a diploma in phonetics. [2] [3] [4] He joined the BBC Gaelic department in 1954 [2] [3] [5] and became head of the department in 1964. [2] [5] [6] In 1980, he became manager of BBC Highland, based in Inverness, before retiring on 1 July 1983. [2] [3] [5] In his time at the BBC, Gaelic broadcasting on BBC Radio increased tenfold, from 1.5 hours to 15 hours per week. [5] Macaulay was also responsible for Gaelic programs on TV, including current affairs, and the light entertainment series Se Ur Beatha ('You're welcome'). [2] [5] [4] [6] Macaulay also appointed the first woman in the BBC Gaelic department. [2]