This is taken from The Guardian:

John Cain
by David Hargreaves
Sunday 28 April 2013 13.48 BST

My friend and colleague John Cain, who has died aged 89, played a major part in the development of social action broadcasting in Britain, through Broadcast Support Services (BSS), which made possible the charity appeals and sensitive phone referral services that are now commonplace.

From 1972 to 1977, he was the head of further education, television, at the BBC. He had wide interests and enthusiasms, encouraging series about the blues, DIY animated film-making, learning languages, the history of Ireland – and the debut of Delia Smith. During these years the department also played a major part in the BBC adult literacy project, particularly through the 1975 series On the Move, starring Bob Hoskins.

Referral lines needed to be set up so that people could find help locally. The BBC governors ruled that the licence fee could not be used to fund them. At a very late stage, the money had to be found to set up and run a service outside the corporation.

John saw that this organisation could be used for many other projects and by other broadcasters. From 1980 until 1985, he served as the first chairman of BSS. His qualities of character overcame any doubts that Channel 4 and ITV might have had in joining what had previously seemed the BBC's baby. BSS developed the systems and skills that were to support Children in Need, Live Aid, Channel 4's Science Line and the National Aids Helpline. Its phone lines are ringing still.

John was born in Pimlico, London. He attended Emanuel school in Battersea and, afte] the second world war, studied history and philosophy of science at University College London. In later life he gained a PhD from the Open University. He joined the RAF in 1944 and trained as a flight engineer and rear gunner. The war ended before he had to fly missions and he became a teacher, then a lecturer at the Science Museum, then assistant head of schools television at Associated-Rediffusion. He joined the BBC in 1963 as a producer in schools television.

In 1981 he became the BBC's controller of public affairs. He researched for Asa Briggs's massive five-volume History of Broadcasting in the United Kingdom. In 1992 the BBC published John's own briefer history of the corporation, The BBC: 70 Years of Broadcasting.

He was a charming and entertaining companion, a dedicated learner of the piano and a wry observer, with an ear for jargon and a sceptic's eye for the politically correct.

In his later years he suffered from Alzheimer's and was in care, which he bore stoically. He is survived by his wife, Shirley, and two daughters, Charlotte and Susannah.