Rhodri Talfan Davies | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1943-12-30)30 December 1943 (age 82) |
| Alma mater | Jesus College, Oxford |
| Spouse | Elizabeth Siân Vaughan Yorath |
| Children | 3, includingRhodri |
| Father | Aneirin Talfan Davies |
Geraint Talfan DaviesOBEDLFRIBAFLSW (born 30 December 1943) is a Welsh journalist and broadcaster, and a long-serving trustee and chairman of many Welsh civic, arts, media and cultural organisations.
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Geraint Talfan Davies was born on 30 December 1943, the second of three children ofAneirin Talfan Davies (1909–1980), a Welshbroadcaster,literary critic and poet, and his wife Mary Annenée Evans (1912–1971), a teacher.[1][2]
Educated atBishop Gore Grammar School, Swansea and Cardiff High School for Boys, Davies went on to read modern history atJesus College, Oxford, graduating in 1966.
In 1967, he married Elizabeth Siân Vaughan Yorath, with whom he has three sons,[1] includingRhodri Talfan Davies, who became the director of BBC Cymru Wales.
Davies' career began in 1966 as a graduate trainee with theWestern Mail newspaper inCardiff, where he became its first Welsh Affairs Correspondent. In 1971 he moved toThe Journal newspaper inNewcastle upon Tyne, relocating toThe Times inLondon in 1973 where he worked for a year, before returning to the Western Mail in 1974 as assistant editor.
In 1978, Davies moved into broadcasting, as the head of news and current affairs withHTV Wales, becoming assistant controller of programmes in 1982.
He returned to Newcastle in 1987, as director of programmes forTyne Tees Television. In July 1987 he co-founded theInstitute of Welsh Affairs with Cardiff lawyer Keith James. 1990 saw his return to Cardiff, at the start of his ten-year stint as controller ofBBC Wales, a position that included overall responsibility for theBBC's television and radio operations in Wales, and theBBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales. In 1992 he became chairman of theInstitute of Welsh Affairs, a position he would hold until 2014. Davies retired from the BBC in 2000, at the age of 57.[3] He was succeeded byMenna Richards. His son,Rhodri Talfan Davies, was appointed director of BBC Wales in 2011.
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Geraint Talfan Davies has been involved with various arts, media and educational organisations, including theRoyal Welsh College of Music and Drama, theWales International Film Festival, theArtes Mundi visual arts prize,University of Wales Institute, Cardiff, theWales Millennium Centre andWelsh National Opera.
He chaired Welsh National Opera (WNO) for three years, before his appointment in 2003 to the chair of theArts Council of Wales (ACW). His tenure at ACW was cut short in 2006 when, following the council's successful resistance to Welsh Government plans to take over responsibility for the main national arts organisations, the Culture Minister, Alun Pugh, did not renew his appointment for a second term.[4] He was then re-elected to the chair of WNO.[5] He was a trustee of theMedia Standards Trust (2005–15) and is currently a trustee of the Shakespeare Schools Foundation.
In 2000 he was one of a group that formed Glas Cymru Cyf, with the aim of acquiringWelsh Water with a view to turning it into a not-for-profit company. He was a non-executive of Glas Cymru Cyf from 2000 to 2011. He has also been a member of theBT Wales Advisory Forum.
He is an Honorary Doctor of theUniversity of Glamorgan, and an Honorary Fellow of Jesus College, Oxford, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Swansea University, Bangor University, and of theRoyal Institute of British Architects.
Davies has previously held numerous other positions:
He was appointedOfficer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the2014 New Year Honours for services to culture, broadcasting, and charity.[10] In 2021, he was elected aFellow of the Learned Society of Wales.[11]
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