Peter Allen (UK broadcaster)

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Peter Edwin Allen is UK radio broadcaster, and the current co-presenter of BBC Radio Five Live's Drive programme.

Allen was ITN political correspondent until 1992 when he was one of "a string of high-profile resignations" following the company's budget cuts.[1] He left ITN to join London News Network.[2]

On 1 March 1994 the BBC announced that Allen was to host its new "flagship" Breakfast programme.[3] In 1997 the Breakfast programme was extended by half an hour.[4] Also in 1997 The Times described the "witty repartee" of Allen and co-presenter Jane Garvey as the best illustration of the station's tone, "friendly, informal, brisk and, mercifully, not terribly politically correct."[4]

On 31 August 1997 Allen and James Naughtie hosted the BBC Radio coverage of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales which saw Radios 2, 3, 4 and 5 compressed into a single service.[5] This coverage won a Sony Award for best news event.[6]

In 2002 Allen and Garvey shared the Sony Awards gold award for news broadcaster of the year.[7]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Henry, Georgina. "Here is the news; ...and this is Trevor McDonald reading it. And making it, as News at Ten's first solo, American-style anchorman in place of the familiar double-act. But what's behind this change and all that hi-tech jazz?", The Guardian, Guardian Newspapers, 1992-11-09, p. 2. Retrieved on 2007-03-06. 
  2. ^ Wittstock, Melinda. "After the break, trouble", The Times, Times Newspapers, 1992-10-13. Retrieved on 2007-03-06. 
  3. ^ Brown, Maggie. "Media merger rules 'unfair' to small firms; TV regulator attacks two-franchise limit", The Independent, Newspaper Publishing, 1994-03-02, p. 6. Retrieved on 2007-03-05. 
  4. ^ a b Frean, Alexandra. "Bringing politics a-Live", The Times, Times Newspapers, 1997-04-23. Retrieved on 2007-03-05. 
  5. ^ Lawson, Mark. "The death of Diana; Sky and CNN were first, but a royal death is a BBC matter", The Guardian, Guardian Newspapers, 1997-08-31, p. 7. Retrieved on 2007-03-05. 
  6. ^ McCann, Paul. "Media: Magic on the air at Radio Five", The Independent, Newspaper Publishing, 1998-05-11. Retrieved on 2007-03-06. 
  7. ^ Wells, Matt. "John Peel wins top radio accolade", The Guardian, Guardian Newspapers, 2002-05-03, p. 11. Retrieved on 2007-03-06. 

[edit] External links