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Ronald Hartley Waldman (13 May 1914 – 10 March 1978) was a British radio presenter and television executive for the BBC.

Early life and education

Born in London, he was the eldest son of Michael Waldman OBE JP, a sometime Mayor of Hackney, and was educated at Dame Alice Owen's School, Islington, and Pembroke College, Oxford.

His brother Stanley was a barrister.^[1]

Career

Waldman began his career as an actor and producer (1935–1938) before joining the BBC variety department in 1938. Following wartime service in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, he became the assistant Head of Variety Productions in 1948.

The British public knew him best for his work with Harry S. Pepper as presenter of the popular Monday Night at Eight radio magazine programme, which was broadcast every week live. The programme started in 1937 as "Monday Night at Seven", becoming "Monday Night at Eight" soon after the outbreak of the Second World War. It was broadcast throughout the war and continued for several years after it. Waldman's speciality was "Puzzle Corner", with a "deliberate mistake" which listeners were invited to spot in time for next week's show. Each week saw a birthday guest star allowed four wishes, and one wish came true if it could be arranged.^{[citation needed]}

In October 1950, during Patrick Cyril Henry Hillyard's leave of absence, Waldman was appointed the temporary head of light entertainment for television at the BBC.^[2] He launched many distinguished names in light entertainment, such as Julie Andrews and Morecambe and Wise.

Waldman later served as the Business Manager of BBC Television Programmes (1958–1960), General Manager of BBC Television Enterprises (1960–1963), Managing Director of Visnews (1963–1977), President of the Lord's Taverners (1966) and as a trustee of the International Institute of Communications (1975–1978).

Personal life

His recreations included music and cricket. He died from cancer in March 1978, aged 63. He left a widow, the actress Lana Morris, whom he had married in 1953, and a son.

References

^ "It's Selling Time for Young Designers". The Daily Telegraph. 20 August 1957. p. 5. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
^ "Television Head on Long Leave". The Daily Telegraph. 28 October 1950. p. 5. Retrieved 4 February 2024.

[1] "It's Selling Time for Young Designers". The Daily Telegraph. 20 August 1957. p. 5. Retrieved 4 February 2024.

[2] "Television Head on Long Leave". The Daily Telegraph. 28 October 1950. p. 5. Retrieved 4 February 2024.

[1]

[2]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|British television executive}}
-{{unreferenced|date=January 2012}}
+{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
-'''Ronald Hartley Waldman''' (13 May 1914 &ndash; 10 March 1978) was a leading [[United Kingdom|British]] [[television|television executive]].
+{{more citations needed|date=February 2024}}
+'''Ronald Hartley Waldman''' (13 May 1914 – 10 March 1978) was a British radio presenter and television executive for the [[BBC]].
+==Early life and education==
-He was born in [[London]], the eldest son of Michael Waldman, OBE, JP (a Mayor of Hackney) and he was educated at [[Dame Alice Owen's School|Dame Alice Owen's School, Islington]] and [[Pembroke College, Oxford]].
+Born in [[London]], he was the eldest son of Michael Waldman OBE JP, a sometime Mayor of Hackney, and was educated at [[Dame Alice Owen's School|Dame Alice Owen's School, Islington]], and [[Pembroke College, Oxford]].
+His brother Stanley was a barrister.<ref>{{cite news |title=It's Selling Time for Young Designers |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-telegraph-its-selling-time-fo/140236548/ |access-date=4 February 2024 |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=20 August 1957 |page=5}}</ref>
-He began as an [[actor]] and producer (1935–1938) before joining the [[BBC]] [[Variety show|Variety]] department in 1938. Following wartime service in the Royal Air Force Voluntary Reserve, he became the assistant Head of Variety Productions in 1948.
+==Career==
-The British public knew him best as the co-producer with Harry S. Pepper, and as presenter/interviewer of the popular ''[[Monday Night at Eight]]'' radio series, which was broadcast every week live.  The programme started as "Monday Night at Seven" in 1938, soon becoming "Monday Night at Eight".  It was broadcast throughout World War Two, and continued for several seasons after it. His speciality was "Puzzle Corner" with its "deliberate mistake" which listeners were invited to spot in time for next week's show.  Each week saw a birthday guest star allowed 4 wishes, and if it was at all doable, the guest got the wish. For example, one guest wanted to announce the trains (live) leaving from Euston Station. Another guest, young [[John Clark (actor)|John Clark]], wanted to talk to an airline pilot (live) while he was in the air, and to talk to [[Joe Davis]], his snooker hero. No problem. Unfortunately, no recordings of the programme seem to have survived, though the famous signature tune "It's Monday Night at Eight O'clock" does exist in the BBC Sound Archives.
+Waldman began his career as an actor and producer (1935–1938) before joining the [[BBC]] [[Variety show|variety]] department in 1938. Following wartime service in the [[Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve]], he became the assistant Head of Variety Productions in 1948.
+The British public knew him best for his work with [[Harry S. Pepper]] as presenter of the popular ''[[Monday Night at Eight]]'' radio magazine programme, which was broadcast every week live.  The programme started in 1937 as "Monday Night at Seven", becoming "Monday Night at Eight" soon after the outbreak of the [[Second World War]]. It was broadcast throughout the war and continued for several years after it. Waldman's speciality was "Puzzle Corner", with a "deliberate mistake" which listeners were invited to spot in time for next week's show.  Each week saw a birthday guest star allowed four wishes, and one wish came true if it could be arranged.{{citation needed|date=July 2020}}
-After becoming a senior [[Television producer|producer]] in Television Light Entertainment, he rose to become the BBC Head of [[Light Entertainment]] in 1950, and later chairman of Visnews. He discovered many of the distinguished names in light entertainment, such as Julie Andrews and [[Morecambe and Wise]].
+In October 1950, during [[Patrick Cyril Henry Hillyard]]'s leave of absence, Waldman was appointed the temporary head of [[light entertainment]] for television at the BBC.<ref>{{cite news |title=Television Head on Long Leave |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-telegraph-television-head-on-l/140237256/ |access-date=4 February 2024 |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=28 October 1950 |page=5}}</ref> He launched many distinguished names in light entertainment, such as [[Julie Andrews]] and [[Morecambe and Wise]].
-He later served as the Business Manager of BBC Television Programmes (1958–1960), General Manager of BBC Television Enterprises (1960–1963), Managing Director of Visnews (1963–1977), President of the Lord's Taverners (1966) and as a trustee of the International Institute  of Communications (1975–1978).
+Waldman later served as the Business Manager of BBC Television Programmes (1958–1960), General Manager of BBC Television Enterprises (1960–1963), Managing Director of [[Visnews]] (1963–1977), President of the [[Lord's Taverners]] (1966) and as a trustee of the International Institute of Communications (1975–1978).
-His recreations included [[music]] and [[cricket]]. He died from [[cancer]] in March 1978 aged 63.
-He left a widow, the [[actress]] [[Lana Morris]] (whom he married in 1953) and a son.
+==Personal life==
+His recreations included music and cricket. He died from cancer in March 1978, aged 63. He left a widow, the actress [[Lana Morris]], whom he had married in 1953, and a son.
+==References==
+{{reflist}}
+{{authority control}}
-{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
-| NAME              = Waldman, Ronnie
-| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
-| SHORT DESCRIPTION = British television executive
-| DATE OF BIRTH     = 13 May 1914
-| PLACE OF BIRTH    =
-| DATE OF DEATH     = 10 March 1978
-| PLACE OF DEATH    =
-}}
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Waldman, Ronnie}}
 [[Category:1914 births]]
@@ Line 34: / Line 36: @@
 [[Category:Alumni of Pembroke College, Oxford]]
 [[Category:20th-century British male actors]]
+[[Category:Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve personnel of World War II]]
+[[Category:BBC people]]
+[[Category:Deaths from cancer in the United Kingdom]]