Harry Pilkington
Encyclopedia
William Henry Pilkington, Baron Pilkington born 1905 - died 1983. Glass manufacturer and former President of the Federation of British Industries
Federation of British Industries
The Federation of British Industries was founded by the Midlands industrialist Dudley Docker in 1916. It was composed of 124 firms which all gave £1,000 for its foundation. The FBI never took part in labour relations but progressively involved in tariff reform...

 but who is remembered politically as chairman of the controversial Pilkingon Committee that produced the Pilkington Report of 1962. He was also Chancellor of Loughborough University
Loughborough University
Loughborough University is a research based campus university located in the market town of Loughborough, Leicestershire, in the East Midlands of England...

 from 1966 to 1980.

Pilkington Brothers Ltd

This glass manufacturing company became the lone survivor of twenty-four glass manufacturers from the 19th century. While other glass manufacturing companies died from competition, the Pilkington company advanced its techniques. In 1967 the company controlled 85% of the glass making business in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 and exported its products to over 100 countries.

Pilkington Report

The Pilkington Report concluded that the British public were not being well-served by commercial television due to its American influenced programming (such as Westerns). It further concluded that although the British public had not been asked whether they wanted commercial radio, they did not want it. The unintended result of this conclusion resulted in the creation of offshore commercial pirate radio
Pirate radio
Pirate radio is illegal or unregulated radio transmission. The term is most commonly used to describe illegal broadcasting for entertainment or political purposes, but is also sometimes used for illegal two-way radio operation...

 in 1964.

External sources

  • http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person.php?LinkID=mp71743 - National Portrait Gallery, London - Sir Harry sat for six portraits.
  • http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,837625,00.html - Pilkington Shines Again: Pilkington Brothers Ltd., glass company. Time magazine, December 15, 1967.
  • http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/history2/36/Pilkington-plc.html - Pilkington plc. Company profile.
  • http://www.newyorker.com/archive/1962/07/14/1962_07_14_067_TNY_CARDS_000273769 - New Yorker magazine commenting upon the Pilkington Report.
  • http://speeches.empireclub.org/details.asp?SpeechID=117&FT=yes - Speech by Sir Harry to the Empire Club in 1955.
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