MEDIA: Former BBC head plans to light up music television.

Bea Ballard to look away from charts for TV success

By Ben Cardew

BEA BALLARD, THE FORMER creative head of BBC Entertainment and creator of TV shows such as One Night With Robbie Williams, is developing the Holy Grail of music TV: a modern Top Of The Pops-style programme aimed at a young audience.

Ballard, who left the BBC last year to start 10 Star Entertainment, says she believes there is "definitely" scope for a TV format with music and performance at its heart, despite what is sometimes seen as a lack of music programming on mainstream TV.

The former Parkinson producer's current projects in development are likely to be format-driven - as with previous creations How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria? and Any Dream Will Do - while some will be talent-driven, as with One Night with Robbie Williams, winner of a Silver Rose of Montreux award for best international music programme.

Most intriguingly, Ballard believes there is room for new music programming which reflects younger tastes and consumption habits and that is not necessarily chart-based.

"Music is so key to attracting a younger audience, which is what broadcasters want," she says. "We haven't seen a high-profile music programme since Top Of The Pops. But the reality is that people consume music differently now. Young people are not buying singles in the way they used to.