Norman Painting Norman Painting Norman George Painting (23 April 1924 – 29 October 2009) was an English actor, broadcaster and writer. He played Phil Archer in the BBC Radio 4 soap opera "The Archers" from the pilot episodes aired on the BBC Midlands Home Service in summer 1950, after the series went national on the Light Programme on 1 January 1951, until his death in 2009, when he was the longest-serving member of the cast. His last episode, recorded two days before he died, was broadcast on 22 November 2009. The character lived on until Phil was "found dead" in his armchair
Phil Harding (BBC executive) Phil Harding (BBC executive) Phil Harding is a journalist, broadcaster and media consultant. Previously he was a producer, editor and senior executive at the BBC. At the BBC, Harding held a wide variety of senior editorial jobs. He was Director of English Networks and News for the World Service, Controller of Editorial Policy (responsible for the editorial standards of all BBC output and writing the BBC’s editorial guidelines), and Editor of the Today programme on Radio 4, during which time the programme won five Sony Gold awards. He also headed the project which led to the founding of Radio Five