Alex Connock

Alex Connock (born 1965) Digital Content entrepreneur & academic. Visiting Fellow Oxford University and Manchester Business School; and director Digital Innovation at MMU. Previously co-founded with Bob Geldof TV/digital content company Ten Alps 1998-2010. Founded digital content company Pretend in 2011. Six times shortlisted Entrepreneur of the year.

Media: Founder of Pretend in 2011 in digital content. Previously built Ten Alps from startup 1998 to large producer of factual and online TV. Agenda-setting journalism produced for BBC1,2,3,4, Channel 4, ITV, SKY, Channel 5, Discovery, RTE and international broadcasters. Also produced online video site Teachers TV, and radio for BBC 1,2,3,4,5 Live and World Service. Acquisitions included Films of Record, Brook Lapping, Blakeway and Below the Radar. Many creative awards won within group.

Academia: Current roles - Visiting Fellow at Reuter's Institute for the study of Journalism at Oxford University, looking at global growth in advertiser-funded TV/online video and its editorial credibility. Visiting Fellow, Manchester Business School in TV/social media business. Former governor of Manchester Metropolitan University 2008-11, and now running its new Digital Innovation project. Entrepreneur in Residence at INSEAD (Fontainebleau). Previous roles - Visiting Professor of Media Business 2009-11 at Salford University. Manchester Grammar School 1976-83. Scholarship to St John's College, Oxford, studied Politics and Economics, graduated in 1987. Edited Isis, the Oxford University magazine in 1986, winning Guardian/NUS Award for Best Student Magazine. Master's in Journalism from Columbia University (New York) 1988 as Rotary International Scholar. MBA from INSEAD, 1993.

Previously worked: Granada TV, People Magazine (New York), the BBC and Planet 24 as TV researcher, writer, producer, including programmes such as The Big Breakfast. From 1995-99 Managing Director of Planet 24 Radio, producing programmes for BBC Radio 1,2,3 and 5 and IRN. For Ten Alps and BBC Radio 5 Live, he co-created the Sony award-winning political radio programme Sunday Service.

Industry Roles: Chairman of the Royal Television Society (North West) and columnist for Television, the RTS Magazine. NESTA mentor to startup media companies 2009-11. Shortlisted as Entrepreneur of the Year in the AiM, Quoted Company and Ernst and Young (London region) awards total six times. Executive Committee of Edinburgh TV Festival. Commentator on media.

Interests: Photography, piano playing. Married to TV producer Sumi Connock, Creative Director at ITV Studios in Manchester. Member of the Groucho Club, Soho House. Lives in Cheshire.

Alex Connock

References:

• Media Trends forecast 2011-20
• Waller, Martin (June 14, 2008). "Showbusiness glam with a Puritan work ethic". The Times (London, UK). http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/media/article4132722.ece. 
• Royal Television Society Magazine
• NESTA Website
• Daily Telegraph
• Guardian

Notes:

External links:

• BAFTA [1] *BAFTA speech on BBC in 2021 - 'BBC North and Global'. Also on Insider Media.
• Royal Television Society speech on future of TV
• Royal Television Society interview with Joe Godwin, Director of BBC Children's
• Manchester Business School
• Salford University appointment as Honorary Visiting Professor of Media Business
• Manchester Metropolitan University Business School speech
• Ten Alps Plc official website
• C21 TV interview
• Photography
• Social media strategies (article)