Waseem Mahmood Wins Award

Waseem Mahmood OBE was honoured with the ‘Outstanding Contribution to Media Award’ at the Asian Media Awards 2025 in London, on 31 Oct 2025.

Media pioneer Waseem Mahmood OBE has been awarded the Outstanding Contribution to Media Award 2025 at this year’s Asian Media Awards, recognising over four decades of groundbreaking work in British and international broadcasting.

The Asian Media Awards celebrate excellence across journalism, television, radio, and digital media, shining a light on British Asian talent and those helping to drive diversity and representation across the industry. Now in its twelfth year, the awards have become a major fixture in the UK’s media calendar, championing the individuals and organisations shaping a more inclusive cultural landscape.

Mahmood began his career at BBC Pebble Mill in 1982, becoming one of the youngest credited producers in the BBC’s history and a founding member of the BBC’s Asian Unit. Alongside colleagues Krishan Gould, Yusuf Aziz, Bish Mehay, and Ashok Rampal, he helped to create groundbreaking programming such as Asian Magazine and Gharbar — shows that brought South Asian voices to mainstream British television at a time when representation was virtually non-existent. He later went on to launch TV Asia, Europe’s first subscription satellite channel for the Asian community, paving the way for multicultural broadcasting as we know it today.

In his acceptance speech, Mahmood paid tribute to his former colleagues, saying:

“I accept this award on behalf of my colleagues from the BBC Asian Unit — Krishan Gould, Yusuf Aziz, Bish Mehay, and Ashok Rampal. They were true pioneers of Asian media in the UK, and it’s a shame that their contributions have largely been forgotten. Every single one of us in this industry owes them a debt of gratitude.”

Reflecting on the state of diversity in media today, Mahmood struck a candid tone:

“When I started at the BBC, there were only five of us producing network television — and perhaps half a dozen more Asians in the industry. It’s wonderful to see how far we’ve come, but the conversations we’re having now about representation and diversity are exactly the same ones we were having forty years ago. Not much has changed. Just last year I was developing a project with a commissioner, only to be told by his boss that they already had their ‘brown project’ for the year. We have to be seen as more than a box-ticking exercise.”

Mahmood’s distinguished career spans broadcast innovation, strategic communications, and global media reform. His work has taken him from Birmingham to Bosnia, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Nigeria, advising governments and media organisations on rebuilding communication structures in post-conflict societies. In recent years, he became Director of Strategy at Voxtura Productions, establishing the UK’s first fully AI-driven production studio with a mission to tell diverse stories mainstream broadcasters often overlook.

Speaking after the ceremony, Mahmood added:

“I’m deeply touched by this recognition, but it belongs as much to those who came before me as to those still pushing boundaries today. The fight for genuine inclusion in media isn’t over — but moments like this remind us how far persistence and passion can take us.”

 

First Pebble Mill at One – 2 Oct 1972

It was on 2 Oct 1972 that Pebble Mill at One began from the foyer of the building. The series came to define daytime programming. It continued until 1986. Bob Langley was the presenter and Terry Dobson the editor. Here is the listing in the Radio Times.

Jobs in Costume Department

This brochure dates from the early 1980s. The information aimed to promote the different roles within the Costume Department to new entrants.

Howards’ Way 40th Anniversary

Today’s date (1st September 2025) marks the 40th anniversary since the first episode of the drama series Howards’ Way was broadcast. The BBC One series was, of course, taped at Pebble Mill and made on location.

(Thanks to Paul Burton for sharing the photo and information)

Howards’ Way location near Southampton

BBC Radio Shropshire Launch Photos

Here are some photo released for the launch of BBC Radio Shropshire in 1985. Diane Kemp was a launch presenter of the Breakfast show and went on to present Midlands Today. She is now a Professor at Birmingham City University (BCU). David Holdsworth was a reporter on Radio Shropshire and went on to become Controller of the English Regions. Bob Calver was the news editor of the launch of BBC Shropshire, he went on to become Home Duty Editor for the corporation’s national radio networks, and later a Senior Lecturer of Broadcast Journalism at BCU. They all look so young in these photos.