EP04 – Ric Blaxill – The Changing Man… "Paul returns to primetime TV LIVE!" – Paul Weller Fan Podcast : Desperately Seeking Paul
On Episode 4 of the Paul Weller Fan Podcast, released back in December 2020, I was joined by Paul Weller Fan and Radio Boss / Former executive producer of TV’s Top of the Pops, Ric Blaxill.
Ric has an incredible CV, working across radio and TV, collaborating with some of the biggest names in the business.
From BBC Radio 1, Capital Radio and BBC 6 Music to Top of the Pops – and Paul Weller’s return to primetime TV in the nineties.
Ric currently works for Bauer Media as the music and content director for its radio division looking after Planet Rock, Kerrang Radio, Heat! and Scala Radio.
Radio 1
From 1988 to 1994, he was producer/senior producer at BBC Radio 1.
Top of the Pops
From 1994 to 1997, he was producer and executive producer for BBC 1’s Top of the Pops.
Here’s the double performance that we chat about in the episode of the podcast.
ITV
From 1998 to 2000, he was the development and series producer for SMTV Live and CD:UK and development and series producer for Friday Night’s All Wright with Ian Wright.
Check out Paul Weller on the show in 1999.
RIk was also series producer for LWT/Sky’s The Pop Years, a music documentary series looking at the years 1980 to 1999. He was group creative director at Capital Radio before going to BBC 6 Music in 2004.
6 Music
Blaxill was the Head of Programmes at the BBC 6 Music radio station from 2004 to 2007.
During his tenure at BBC 6 Music, the station achieved record listening figures and won Best Radio Station twice (2005 and 2007) at the BT Digital Music Awards.
Bauer Media
In 2007, Ric joined Bauer Media as Music and Content Director for its radio division.
He also contributes to the BBC ‘Sound Of’ poll and sits as a judge at the Sony Radio Academy Awards and the Ivor Novello songwriting awards. He was nominated for Station Programmer of the Year in 2005 and 2007 and was awarded a ‘Fellowship of the Radio Academy’ in 2014