Derek McCulloch
| Derek McCulloch | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Derek Ivor Breashur McCulloch 18 November 1897 Plymouth, England |
| Died | 1 June 1967 (aged 69) Haywards Heath, West Sussex, England |
| Occupation | BBC radio presenter, head of children's broadcasting for the BBC |
| Employer | BBC |
| Spouse(s) | Eileen Barry (1931–1967, his death) |
| Awards | OBE, 1964 |
Derek Ivor Breashur McCulloch OBE (18 November 1897 – 1 June 1967) was a BBC Radio presenter and producer. He became known as "Uncle Mac" in Children's Favourites and Children's Hour, and the voice of "Larry the Lamb" in Toytown. He was the head of children's broadcasting for the BBC from 1933 until 1951.
McCulloch was born in Plymouth to Scottish parents. The First World War interrupted his education, and he enlisted in 1915 in the Public Schools Battalion of the 16th Middlesex Regiment at the age of 17. He served until 1921 with the infantry, where he was commissioned into the Green Howards, and in the Royal Flying Corps as an equipment officer, including a spell on HMS Valiant. He was wounded at the Battle of the Somme in 1916. After the war he worked in Argentina on the railways, but had to return to England because of ill health.
He joined the BBC in 1926 as an announcer. He was the commentator on the first radio broadcast of the FA Cup Final in 1927. He became second in command on Children's Hour in 1931 and was placed in charge of it in 1933. The programme included talks, plays, music and drama serials. He was appointed head of children's broadcasting in 1933, serving in that position until 1951. He regarded the department as a microcosm of all broadcasting, stating: "Nothing but the best is good enough for children ... our wish is to stimulate their imaginations, direct their reading, encourage their various interests, widen their outlook and inculcate the Christian virtues of love of God and their neighbours." In 1938 he lost a leg as the result of a road accident, and thereafter remained in constant pain.
In 1939 the audience for Children's Hour reached four million. His sign-off line, "Goodnight children, everywhere," became more poignant after the evacuation of many children from their homes at the start of the Second World War. He resigned from the BBC in 1950 due to ill health.
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