 JOHN
HUMPHRYS
 John
Humphrys was
the first
of the BBC's
journalists
to present
front-line
news programmes
on both television
and radio
- Today on
Radio Four
and Television
News on BBC.
He also presents
On The Record
on BBC1, On
The Ropes
and The John
Humphrys'
Interview
on Radio Four
and a few
others besides.
In one five
day period,
he presented
Today, the
Six O'Clock
News, On The
Records, Panorama
and the Nine
O'Clock News
- a world
beating first.
He insists
that he is
not a workaholic,
just a work
enthusiast.
For ten years
he was a foreign
correspondent
with the BBC,
and over the
years he has
reported on
most major
international
events, ranging
from the Watergate
crisis and
the resignation
of Richard
Nixon, to
the first
free elections
in South Africa,
the revolutions
in Latin America,
and assorted
wars in all
parts of the
globe. He
was based
in Washington
for six years
(the youngest
journalist
ever to be
appointed
as a foreign
correspondent
in BBC Television
News) and
in South Africa
for three
years. He
began his
career in
newspapers
and spent
two years
in Independent
Television
as a script-
writer and
reporter.
John became
a controversial
figure in
March 1995,
when he was
attacked for
his style
of interviewing
by some leading
Conservative
politicians,
notably Jonathan
Aitkin. Aitkin
famously accused
him of "poisoning
the well of
democratic
debate"
with his aggressive
style. The
BBC was swamped
with letters
and phone
calls, more
than 90% of
which supported
John. Many
other politicians
and public
figures from
all parties
rose to his
defences,
as did the
most brilliant
journalists
in the country
and the Express
ran a column
demanding
"Humphrys
for Prime
Minister."
It concluded
"Politics
would be richer,
but the BBC
would probably
close down
through lack
of interest."
John Humphrys
bought a dairy
farm in 1980
and made a
brave, if
not wholly
successful,
attempt to
turn it into
an organic
operation.
He chairs
conferences
and debated
on every subject
under the
sun and makes
what he modestly
describes
as brilliantly
witty after
dinner speeches.
In his spare
time he tries
to play the
cello and
conducts a
one-man crusade
to rescue
the English
language from
those who
are corrupting
it with Americanised
jargon and
meaningless
business non-speak.
He admits
failure on
both fronts
... but he
is not giving
up.
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