Know Comment

Know Comment is part of Ten Alps the media business of Bob Geldof. In 1999 Know comment was set up to provide commentators to television and other events. It appears not to have taken off as it currently (Nov 2007) has less of a web presence than previously.. Here is an account of it from the Ten alps website from July 2003:

Know Comment specialises in the representation of political commentators, many of whom are household names on radio & TV, including Charlie Whelan, Steve Norris, Amanda Platell and Yasmin Alibhai-Brown. Launched in 1999, Know Comment is the brainchild of Jo Phillips, award winning radio producer and former spin doctor to Paddy Ashdown.

As well as providing guests and presenters for radio and TV, speakers for conferences and corporate events, Know Comment also provides public affairs consultancy, crisis management training and bespoke media training for a range of clients, from individual politicians to public sector industries and major international companies. Know Comment can provide training ranging from one-to-one intensive sessions, with key people preparing for major presentations and media appearances, to workshops for small groups covering all aspects of press & media relations.

Know Comment draws on its own base of media experts and brings in others to guarantee a fully comprehensive media training programme to suit all levels of experience within any organisation. Training days can be organised to suit the needs of clients, either by using studio facilities or taking technicians and equipment to them.

People

• Jo Phillips, Managing Director. Jo Phillips has more than 20 years experience in broadcast news & current affairs and is the Editor of Sunday Service, the highly acclaimed political programme made by Ten Alps for BBC Radio 5 Live. Jo has worked for BBC TV & Radio, IRN, Channel 4, ITN, Sky TV and Talk Radio and was the editor of the Michael Parkinson show for LBC. She has also collected Sony and New York radio awards and was press & policy advisor to Paddy Ashdown. Jo lectures on political broadcasting, is a governor of the University of East London Streaming Association and is a regular columnist for Tribune and BBC politics online.
• Brian Walden, Chairman. Born in 1932, Brian won a major open scholarship to Queen's College Oxford and in 1957 was elected President of the Oxford Union. From 1957 to 1960, he completed a postgraduate course at Nuffield College Oxford, before becoming a University Lecturer. In 1964, he was elected Member Of Parliament for Birmingham All Saints and was re-elected in the subsequent General Election of 1966, 1970 and 1974 (February and October). In 1977, he left the House of Commons to present various television programmes such as 'Weekend World', 'The Walden Interview' and 'Walden' and was a member of the board of Central Television between 1981 and 1984. Between 1983 and 1990 Brian was a columnist with the London Evening Standard, Thompson Regional Newspapers and The Sunday Times. He has won numerous awards for journalistic work including, in 1982, the Shell International Award, in 1985 the BAFTA Richard Dimbleby Award and in 1990 The Aims Of Industry Special Free Enterprise Award. He is a frequent speaker at international financial conferences and he became a permanent resident in Guernsey in 1986
• Nitil Patel, Finance Director

A Chartered Accountant with a degree in Money, Banking, and Finance from Birmingham University, Nitil has worked in private accountancy practice and moved into the media industry by joining Planet 24 Productions as a Financial Accountant. He has been the accountant for Ten Alps for the past 3 years, and has an in-depth knowledge of the economics and financial needs of all aspects of the events, radio and TV businesses. He became Financial Director for Ten Alps in June 2000.