UK TV charity chief Richard Wilson dies aged 58

Richard Wilson

Richard Wilson, CEO and former trustee of the UK’s Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund (CTBF) has died after a short illness.

Wilson, 58, became permanent CEO of the CTBF in 2012 after serving as interim CEO and member of the board of trustees. The organisation, a charity for people working behind the scenes in the film, cinema and commercial television industries, exists to support creatives, production professionals, marketers and administration staff who find themselves in times of need for one reason or another.

Wilson began his TV career with regional broadcaster Granada Television in 1984, before moving to become general manager of London Weekend Television, now part of ITV London, in 1998.

He subsequently served operations director at The London Studios, London Weekend Television’s TV studio complex on the South Bank, which still functions as the main studios for ITV.

After the franchise merger of Granada and Carlton Television in 2004, Wilson left ITV to set up his own media consulting business in 2005, working as project director and consultant for European and US media companies. This included a period with Siemens IT Solutions and Services as programme director for major build and technology projects at the BBC.

Primarily based at the BBC’s former headquarters in White City, he also spent 12 months with BBC Scotland managing the technical fit-out of the 400,000 sq. feet digital media centre at Pacific Quay in Glasgow.

He is survived by his wife Yvonne, and his children, George and Francesca.