Dear all,
Please forward this message to any students/colleagues you think might be
interested.

University of Westminster
AHRB funded PhD Scholarship. The Official History of the BBC

The BBC under Siege: Broadcasting and Thatcherism, commissioned by the BBC,
and to be published by OUP.
THE BBC AND THE REGIONS

Fixed Term for Three Years
£9,000 per annum (with fee waiver)
Expenses

This is an exciting opportunity for an ambitious scholar. The candidate
would join the team working on this project led by Professor Jean Seaton
and would have privileged access to the BBC’s archives. The project is
taking the BBC history project on from Lord Asa Briggs’s great and
pioneering work, into the turbulent Thatcher period. The candidate would
develop a topic within the framework of Broadcasting to the Regions:
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland regional and national culture in the
1980s. The 1980s was a period of conflict between central government and
the regions and the role of the BBC in representing national and regional
interests came under great strain. The period was characterised by a number
of dramatic and damaging disputes, about principles, programmes,
constitutional and political issues. The BBC and broadcasting became a
conductor for many aspects of the political and cultural strains of the
period, yet there are also key issues about the evolving programme offer
and public taste in a period of vigorous broadcasting creativity.

The candidate would join a growing team academic researchers working on the
BBC in the period, and would do the doctorate within CAMRI, (formerly
CCIS), a leading research centre on all aspects of the media, within a
large and vigorous PhD programme. The centre also contains many of the
leading researchers in the UK concerned with media history.

The project involves access to the BBC written and broadcast archives, and
will involve a broad range of interviews and the organisation of “witness”
seminars.
Successful candidates will also get the opportunity to act as teaching
assistants for up to six hours a week.

Application

The method of application is by the standard University postgraduate
admissions procedure.  HOWEVER, CANDIDATES ARE NOT EXPECTED TO WRITE A PhD
PROPOSAL AS THE BROAD TOPIC IS ESTABLISHED IN THE RESEARCH OUTLINE, THEY
ARE INSTEAD REQUESTED TO WRITE A 500 WORD ACCOUNT OF WHY THEY ARE SUITABLE
CANDIDATES AND A 500 WORD ACCOUNT OF WHAT THEY SEE AS THE MAIN ISSUES IN
APPROACHING THE TOPIC.

 Applicants may obtain copies of the documentation from Ms Alison Sorrell
(HYPERLINK mailto:[log in to unmask] [log in to unmask] or telephone
002079115968) The completed application form should be accompanied by a
statement of why the candidate is interested in the project, what issues
they consider important, how they would research the topic and summing up
the skills that they bring to it. Please state clearly in the covering
letter that you wish to be considered for the BBC project.







Completed Application Forms should be returned to

Ms Sorrell
Research Office
University of Westminster
Harrow Campus
Watford Road
Harrow
Middlesex
HA1 3TP

Prospective candidates may wish to talk to Professor Seaton 0207 911
5000x4571
Or via the Senior Research Officer on the project  Dr Anthony McNicholas,
who is based in the BBC at  01189486164

All Material should reach the Research Office by 21st January
Interviews will be in the week beginning 26th January
Please quote reference    BBC HISTORY on you application