Award
winning producer takes over at the BBC Asian Programmes Unit
"Fresh
ideas, new approaches to programmes and continuing to find and nurture
the next generation of both on and off screen talent", says
Tommy Nagra, the new Executive Producer of the BBC Asian Programmes
Unit (APU) based in Birmingham.
He
has taken over the role of running the unit in the city where he
began his television career.
Tommy
began his career in local radio in Sheffield and joined BBC Birmingham
as a researcher on daytime television before joining the Multi-cultural
Programmes Department in 1993.
He
then joined the APU and stayed there until the beginning of last
year. During that time he produced the UK's first multi-cultural
youth talk show, Café 21, and produced and directed Cell
Block Hate, a documentary which was part of the East series in 2000,
and which won him a Gold Camera Award at the US International Film
and TV Festival 2001.
The
programme also prompted a public inquiry into allegations of institutional
racism within prisons.
In
2001, Tommy won the Media and Press Award at Carlton Television's
Inaugural Multi-cultural Achievement Awards for his achievements
in broadcasting.
Most
recently he has been working as a Channel Development Executive
for the Controller of BBC TWO which he says equipped him with a
greater understanding of channel needs, but he says he is delighted
to return to head up the APU:
"The
department is looking forward to a new year of programming. We're
currently on air on BBC TWO with our arts and entertainment strand,
Network East Late, and we are in production with a major landmark
series of three one-hour programmes looking at the remarkable stories
of Asian success in business, entertainment and other mainstream
professions."
The
department is also currently exploring new programming opportunities
for BBC THREE, and a new look East is currently in the pipeline
for later in the year.
Tommy
says: "It's a great time to be at the APU given the enormous
impact that the Asian community has made in Britain. We're now seeing
the emergence of a generation of British-Asians confident in their
own identity and it's crucial we reflect this with new, challenging
and innovative programming which appeals to a broad audience".
Tommy
says he will also be looking to continue with the APU's policy of
promoting new on-screen talent. In the past he has been credited
with giving the likes of Sanjeev Bhaskar (Goodness Gracious Me,
The Kumars) and Rajesh Mirchandani (Tomorrow's World) their television
debuts.
Tommy
is 35 and lives in Birmingham.
All the
BBC's digital services are now available on Freeview,
the new free-to-view digital terrestrial television service, as well
as on satellite and cable.
Freeview
offers the BBC's eight television channels, interactive services
from BBCi, as well as 11 BBC radio networks.
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