Adrian Van-Klaveren

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Adrian Van-Klaveren (born Bristol, 1961) is a journalist who has spent most of his career at the BBC. In January 2013 he took up the position of Controller, Great War Centenary at the BBC.[1] He had previously been Controller, BBC Radio 5 live (April 2008 – December 2012), Deputy Director and Controller of Production, BBC News (January 2005 – April 2008), Head of Newsgathering at the BBC (February 2000 – December 2004).[1]

Van-Klaveren is a former Head of Local Programmes for BBC West Midlands based in Birmingham, where he was responsible for the output of BBC regional television from Birmingham and five local radio stations. He joined the BBC as a news trainee in 1983 and worked in television production, before progressing to senior editorial roles on the flagship BBC News programmes; the Nine O'Clock News, Panorama, and Newsnight.[2]

Education

Van-Klaveren attended Bristol Grammar School (1973 – 1979) and then at St John's College at the University of Oxford where he obtained a Master of Arts (M.A.), History (1980 – 1983)[1]

Jimmy Saville affair

Van-Klaveren was moved from his role in charge of BBC Radio Five Live in late 2012 after being temporarily put in charge of Newsnight's response to the Jimmy Savile affair. In this role he approved the fateful edition of Newsnight which wrongly named Lord McAlpine as linked to abuse claims.

The Independent reported:

Adrian van Klaveren, Radio 5 Live Controller (given temporary Newsnight oversight role)
Verdict: The senior editorial figure to whom Newsnight referred when planning its report into child abuse in north Wales. BBC Editorial Standards Committee found confusion over who held editorial responsibility for inept report compiled without basic journalistic checks falsely linking Lord McAlpine to abuse claims.
Response: “What is especially hard to take is that I am leaving 5 live as a result of events which had nothing to do with how I carried out my job here. Rather it happened after I had just begun a temporary role in the most challenging of circumstances.”[3]

Affiliations

Contact

Twitter: @adrianvk

Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 LinkedIn Adrian Van-Klaveren, accessed 9 August 2013
  2. BBC Adrian Van-Klaveren, accessed 9 August 2013
  3. The verdicts on Peter Rippon, Adrian van Klaveren, Helen Boaden, George Entwistle and Stephen Mitchell, Independent WEDNESDAY 19 DECEMBER 2012, accessed 9 August 2013