Trivia

Son of bandleader and entertainer, Billy Cotton.

Light Entertainment Producer with the BBC from 1956-1962.

He was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1989 Queen's Honours List before being awarded the Knight Bachelor of the Order of the British Empire in the 2001 Queen's Birthday Honours List for his services to television broadcasting and Marie Curie Cancer Care.

Head of BBC Light Entertainment (1970 - 1977).

Head of BBC Variety (1967 - 1970).

Was controller of BBC One from 1977 to 1981.

He attended Ardingly College in Sussex (UK). He turned down an opportunity to attend Cambridge, because he wanted to accept a job as a song promoter for a music publisher.

In 1962, he was promoted to assistant head of light entertainment at the BBC, to the dismay of several veteran colleagues. One of his first moves was signing Ronnie Corbett and Ronnie Barker, after seeing them give an impromptu performance at the BAFTA awards. They had never worked together before, but went on to become popular as "The Two Ronnies".

He was skillful in discovering and nurturing new talent, and he helped to develop the careers of many performers who became household names. He felt his main job was to bring big audiences to the BBC against the fierce competition of ITV.

He was the Chairman of Meridian Broadcasting.

He completed his national service in the Royal Army Service Corps.

After working in the music division of Chappells, in 1952 he went to the Michael Reine Music Company as joint managing director from 1952 to 1956.

He is survived by three daughters from his first marriage to Bernadine Sinclair.