| Joan Maureen "Biddy" Baxter | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1933 Leicester, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Television producer |
| Known for | Blue Peter |
Biddy Baxter MBE (born 1933)[1] is best known as the former editor of the long-running popular BBC One children’s magazine show Blue Peter, a position she held from 1965 to 1988. Her final programme aired on 27 June 1988. She was also its producer from 1962 to 1965. As editor of the programme, Baxter devised much of the format that is still broadcast today.
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She was born Joan Maureen Baxter in Leicester to a teacher father who became the director of a sportswear company and a mother who was a pianist.[1] She was educated at Wyggeston Girls' Grammar School, Leicester and St Mary's College, Durham University.[2]
Baxter devised and introduced the Blue Peter badge to encourage children to send in programme ideas, pictures, letters and stories and also she introduced the now famous annual appeals. She was awarded a gold badge herself when she retired as editor from the programme. Having been disappointed as a child to receive the same reply twice to different letters that she had written to Enid Blyton, she also introduced a card index system so that Blue Peter viewers could receive more personal responses.[1]
In September 2008, Baxter expressed dissatisfaction with the way Blue Peter was being run and said that she believed that the BBC was trying to close the programme down.[3]
In the New Year Honours, 1981, Baxter was honoured with an MBE (Member of the Civil Division of the Order of the British Empire), in recognition of her work as editor of Blue Peter; she received her MBE from The Queen at Buckingham Palace, on 10 February 1981.[4] She is also a fellow of the Royal Television Society, and received an honorary D. Litt from the University of Newcastle in 1988.
Biddy Baxter was married to the BBC Schools music producer and musical educator John Hosier, who died in 2000.[5]
In 2009, Baxter published a selection of children's letters received by the Blue Peter team. Amongst them was a letter from Anthony Hollander who wanted to become a doctor: he went on to become Professor of Rheumatology and Tissue Engineering at Bristol University, and said that he owes his career to Miss Baxter: "If her letter had shown any hint of ridicule or disbelief I might perhaps never have trained to become a medical scientist or been driven to achieve the impossible dream, and really make a difference to a human being's life."[6]