[1] The scheme, which was originally known as the Peter Titheradge Award,[2] began in 1978 and was devised by the then-head of Head of BBC Light Entertainment (Radio), David Hatch, and BBC Television's Head of Light Entertainment, James Gilbert.
Each department put £5000 a year into a kitty to employ three young writers on a one-year contract.
[1] The first beneficiaries were Rory McGrath, Jimmy Mulville and Guy Jenkin, who were followed by Rob Grant, Doug Naylor (Red Dwarf).
[1][3] Since then, the scheme has helped several aspiring or part-time writers to go full-time and has produced a great number of professional writers and comedians, including John O'Farrell, Peter Baynham, Stewart Lee and Simon Blackwell (The Thick Of It, Veep).
[4][5] Under the current regime, those selected for the bursary work on BBC Radio 4's three high-profile topical shows; The News Quiz, The Now Show and Dead Ringers, contribute writing across the range of the BBC Radio Comedy Department's output[6] as well as script-editing sketch-shows and sitcoms.