Gwyneth Williams
Encyclopedia
Gwyneth Williams is the controller of BBC Radio 4
. She grew up in South Africa and attended St Hugh's College, Oxford
.
in 1976 as a trainee, having briefly worked as researcher at the Overseas Development Institute
. In the 1980s she became producer and duty editor of BBC Radio 4's The World Tonight
, and then Deputy Editor, Special Current Affairs Programmes, responsible for broadcasting general elections and other major events. In 1994 as Editor, Policy and Social Programmes she launched current affairs programmes on BBC Radio Five Live
and then became Head of Radio Current Affairs and editor of the BBC Reith Lectures – responsible for the department that produced such programmes as File On 4, Analysis, From Our Own Correspondent, Crossing Continents, 5 Live Report, Money Box and In Business. In 2007 she returned to the World Service as Director of English Networks and News, responsible for all of the service's English-language programming.
in September 2010. Her job includes responsibility for BBC Radio 4 Extra, which under her tenure has been rebranded from BBC Radio 7. Her salary was reported to be £175,000 - a 20% reduction on that of her predecessor.
On 18 November 2011, she was interviewed by Roger Bolton
on the Radio 4 programme
Feedback
about the changes she had made to Radio 4. It was pointed out on the programme that she had caused the biggest changes to Radio 4 for ten years. The changes for which she was responsible included extending the length of
The World at One
to forty-five minutes, and reducing the amount of history programmes but increasing the coverage of science programmes on Radio 4.
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
. She grew up in South Africa and attended St Hugh's College, Oxford
St Hugh's College, Oxford
St Hugh's College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford. It is located on a fourteen and a half acre site on St Margaret's Road, to the North of the city centre. It was founded in 1886 as a women's college, and accepted its first male students in its centenary year in 1986...
.
Earlier career
Williams joined the BBC World ServiceBBC World Service
The BBC World Service is the world's largest international broadcaster, broadcasting in 27 languages to many parts of the world via analogue and digital shortwave, internet streaming and podcasting, satellite, FM and MW relays...
in 1976 as a trainee, having briefly worked as researcher at the Overseas Development Institute
Overseas Development Institute
The Overseas Development Institute is one of the leading independent think tanks on international development and humanitarian issues. Based in London, its mission is "to inspire and inform policy and practice which lead to the reduction of poverty, the alleviation of suffering and the achievement...
. In the 1980s she became producer and duty editor of BBC Radio 4's The World Tonight
The World Tonight
The World Tonight is a British current affairs radio programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4, every weekday evening, which started out as an extension of the 10pm news. It features news, analysis and comment on domestic and world issues...
, and then Deputy Editor, Special Current Affairs Programmes, responsible for broadcasting general elections and other major events. In 1994 as Editor, Policy and Social Programmes she launched current affairs programmes on BBC Radio Five Live
BBC Radio Five Live
BBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries...
and then became Head of Radio Current Affairs and editor of the BBC Reith Lectures – responsible for the department that produced such programmes as File On 4, Analysis, From Our Own Correspondent, Crossing Continents, 5 Live Report, Money Box and In Business. In 2007 she returned to the World Service as Director of English Networks and News, responsible for all of the service's English-language programming.
BBC Radio 4
Williams took over from former Radio 4 controller Mark DamazerMark Damazer
Mark Damazer CBE is the Master of St Peter's College, Oxford, and a former controller of BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 7 in the United Kingdom.He is the son of a Polish-Jewish delicatessen owner in Willesden in North London....
in September 2010. Her job includes responsibility for BBC Radio 4 Extra, which under her tenure has been rebranded from BBC Radio 7. Her salary was reported to be £175,000 - a 20% reduction on that of her predecessor.
On 18 November 2011, she was interviewed by Roger Bolton
Roger Bolton (producer)
Roger John Bolton is a British television producer and radio presenter.-Early life:After attending Carlisle Grammar School and Liverpool University he joined the BBC as a trainee in 1967.-Television:He has worked on television as an editor of the revived Tonight in 1978, Panorama in 1979 and...
on the Radio 4 programme
Feedback
Feedback
Feedback describes the situation when output from an event or phenomenon in the past will influence an occurrence or occurrences of the same Feedback describes the situation when output from (or information about the result of) an event or phenomenon in the past will influence an occurrence or...
about the changes she had made to Radio 4. It was pointed out on the programme that she had caused the biggest changes to Radio 4 for ten years. The changes for which she was responsible included extending the length of
The World at One
The World At One
The World at One, or WATO for short, is BBC Radio 4's long-running lunchtime news and current affairs programme, which is broadcast from 1pm to 1:30pm from Monday to Friday. The programme describes itself as "Britain's leading political programme. With a reputation for rigorous and original...
to forty-five minutes, and reducing the amount of history programmes but increasing the coverage of science programmes on Radio 4.