Obituary: Peter Paine

Former BARB Director Peter Paine CBE has died at the age of 90, after a long career in the UK television industry.

Peter Stanley Paine was born in 1921 and educated at The King's School, Canterbury. He took his first job at Punch Magazine, but on the outbreak of war he joined the RAF where he trained as a navigator. After flying continuously from 1940 until 1944, he rose to the rank of flight lieutenant.

Once the war was over, Paine returned to Punch, and then joined market research company Television Audience Measurement (TAM). While at the firm, he was invited to help form the market research company Audits of Great Britain (subsequently known as AGB), but instead, accepted a job at Tyne Tees Television as Sales Director.

In 1967, he moved to sister company Yorkshire Television as Director of the broadcaster's holding company Trident, before being appointed MD of Tyne Tees Television in 1974. Under his watch, the station produced live music show The Tube, which was described by Tyne Tees Chairman Sir Ralph Carr Ellison as the 'best thing' Paine had ever done.

Following on from his experience at TAM, Paine helped set up audience measurement body the Broadcasters Audience Research Bureau (BARB), where he served as a Director from 1980 to 1986.

Paine was awarded a CBE in 1981, and after retiring from Tyne Tees he became Chairman of the Cable Authority and later, Chairman of Oracle Teletext.

He is survived by his wife Marion, along with two sons and two daughters from his marriage to his first wife Sheila, who died in 1994.

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.