Mike Smith

MIKE SMITH…CAREER DETAILS: -

Date                Name of Company                                         Position Held 
1964 – 65        CONTINENTAL OIL (UK) LTD                 Trainee Accountant
 1965 – 68        REDIFFUSION TELEVISION LTD    Cost Clerk / Cost Assistant
 1968 – 76        LONDON WEEKEND TELEVISION LTD           Programme Manager
                                                                                                Unit Manager
                                                                                                Asst. Head – Light Entertainment
                                                                                                Programme Associate
                                                                                                Associate Producer
                                                                                                Producer
1976 – 78        DECCA RECORDS                                     Head of Artistes & Repertoire
1978 – 80        G. T. O. RECORDS                                      General Manager UK
                                                                                                Vice President USA
 1980 to date    Own Management/ Consultancy Group – Managing Director of YELLOW BALLOON PRODUCTIONS LTD and subsidiary Music Publishing company MIKE MUSIC LTD.           
Other Companies: -                          UNIVERSAL MEDIA MANAGEMENT LTD
                                                            UNISMART LTD
LOCATIONSURREY.COM Ltd  
                                                                                                             
ACCOUNTS AND MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE

As part of a team, was responsible for setting up the Programme Budget System for London Weekend Television at its conception.
 
Programme Manager for DAVID FROST over a three year period.
 
During period as Unit Manager, was Administrative Controller for Drama, Sports, Children’s and the Entertainment departments.
  Also seconded to features on numerous occasions. 
Advised Producers and Directors, both creatively and financially, negotiated contracts on behalf of Head of Entertainment (Barry Took then Michael Grade).
 Extensive experience in radio – LWT’s freelance Radio Producer, worked with the late RUSSELL HARTY and HUMPHREY BURTON
producing both gentlemen for the successful Capital Radio Arts Programme
‘ALTERNATIVES’ –  handled contracts, budgets, voice-overs, commercials etc.
– produced and edited many speech / narrative albums for general release.

Have headed departments from 40 to 400 personnel.
 
Have been responsible for Management and Programming budgets totalling many millions of pounds, both in the UK and abroad.
 
Have had personal dealings, over a number of years, with most legal and accounts
departments within the ITV network, BBC and Enterprises and major freelance named Production Companies.
 
Contracted as Entertainment Consultant for many diverse Companies i.e. American Express, P&O Ferries, Ford Motor Company etc.
 
Through positions held in the Record Industry and through Management and / or
Production, have been responsible for record sales in excess of 35 million.

Have acted, in an advisory capacity, to the Musicians Union, PRS A. S. C. A. P. North American Entertainment etc.

 
PRODUCTION & CREATIVE EXPERIENCE

 
Produced artistes as wide ranging as SPIKE MILLIGAN to BUDDY GRECO, JACK BENNY to JOHN CLEESE, VINCENT PRICE to STATUS QUO

Involved in the Management and / or Production of over 700 theatre shows at all the main venues throughout the UK. 

Responsible for the creation of over 200 hours of original television programming, the production and management plus budgetary of same.

Extensive travel on behalf of LWT, DECCA, GTO (and self) for negotiations on behalf of major artists, TV series and product launches. 

Contracts handled in (but not limited to) the following countries: -

 GAN                          BAHRAIN                                           MALTA                      
JAPAN              SINGAPORE                             GERMANY                
GIBRALTER           HONG KONG                               NEW ZEALAND
AUSTRALIA               HUNGARY                  SOUTH AFRICA
IRELAND                     POLAND                             USA
PORTUGAL                   FRANCE                HOLLAND
CHINA etc. etc.





CHARITABLE CONSULTANCIES

Produced and directed self packaged charity shows at major club and theatre venues both in this country and abroad – including Royal Albert Hall
‘NOBODY’S FOOL’ concert, starring John Cleese, Barbara Dickson, Jasper Carrott etc. etc.

Consultancy work for Guide Dogs For the Blind, Talking Books, Prostate Cancer & MacMillans etc…..

Created and devised FISHATHON for Cancer Research, National fishing competition. Supported by Chris Tarrant, Nick Hancock, David Seaman etc etc
Budgetry responsibility over all such projects plus man management, show production and control of all media coverage, interviews and newspapers/magizine articles. Regular personal appearances on radio etc etc

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Have co-ordinated the careers of many top named, diversified talents.  A cross section
include: -
 
BOBBY DAVRO                    RICK WAKEMAN                   SALLY JAMES
LINDA LUSARDI                   KATHY LLOYD                      BRUCE FOXTON
ADAM & THE ANTS       HAZEL O’CONNOR
THE DOOLEYS                      ROGER WITTAKER                  BILLY OCEAN
etc. etc.
 
Responsible for launching, writing and producing THE DOOLEYS TV campaign in England and subsequent trips to Japan to launch them in the Far East. 

Winners of the Gold Prize at the Tokyo Music Festival at the Budokan in 1980

Responsible for launch of the TV campaign and subsequent success of the animated
                        characters THE SMURFS both on film and in the Record Charts. 

Award winning producer – Art Designers and Directors Award – for self originating
children’s TV magazine series LONDON BRIDGE (LWT) also wrote award winning signature tune for LONDON BRIDGE

Conceived and researched highly acclaimed, award winning TV Drama series ‘LILLIE’
staring FRANCESCA ANNIS – based on the life and times of LILLIE LANGTRY.

Responsible for launching BILLY OCEAN in America.

Discovered ADAM & THE ANTS, BOBBY DAVRO, etc. etc.

Was Executive Producer of five chart videos.

Have worked with many distribution / sales arms of TV Companies – direct selling to third parties

Producer of TISWAS REUNITED fully networked prime time show aired in May 2007.

Theatre Consultant at Leatherhead Theatre (the old “ Thorndike”) responsible for programming, contracts and advising the Board on all matters creative.
.
 
I AM A MEMBER OF: -
 
MUSICIANS UNION (fairs listed)
PERFORMING RIGHTS SOCIETY
SONGWRITERS GUILD OF Gt. BRITAIN
MUSIC PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION
ASSOCIATION OF CERTIFIED & CORPORATE ACCOUNTANTS
 


 
On a personal note, Mike is married to Sally James (ex. Tiswas presenter) – they have three
boys (Adam, Nick and Josh), also he has a son Daryl who is heavily involved in the
music business, both as an artist and a businessman.
 
Mike’s interest cover classic cars, travel, & football – he has been a
Director of the then Nationwide Conference side Kingstonian F. C. – also managed Junior boys
football teams. Mike has been associated with ‘grass roots’ football for many years. He was Chairman of Oxshott Royals F C - a Club of 26 teams aged 6 years to 18 years – and was responsible for 400 players plus. Currently Chairman of Oxshott Royals Seniors
.
Through his work and various consultancies, Mike has advised Boards / Companies at the
highest level.  The areas include (but are not limited to) commercial TV and radio, the BBC
TV and radio, British Film Board, R. C. A,  C. B. S, Sony, American Express, Ford Motor
Company, Independent Production Companies world-wide in TV, film and advertising etc.

Mike has extensive experience in the Law and accountancy appertaining to a broad range of media subjects plus world-wide press contacts.

An area of expertise that Mike is frequently asked to advise on is ‘How do I deal with the Media?’ 
From televisual techniques to one-to-one with reporters, the explanation of the ramifications of what you have said to the damage that is caused by what you may have left unsaid! 

For a person in the public eye, this area of public relations is paramount.
  
The reader of this document acknowledges that all information herein contained is furnished by way of background to assist in assessing the potential for consultancy contracts or advice to a client. 
 
It is not submitted as a C. V. for employment.
 
 The enclosed information may be used to confirm the credibility and experience of MIKE SMITH and it is expected that the recipient of such information handles such enquiries with discretion.