Tim Sebastian
Encyclopedia
Tim Sebastian is a television journalist. He is the moderator of the New Arab Debates and the Doha Debates
, and was the first presenter of BBC's HARDtalk
.
He won the BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts
) Richard Dimbleby
award in 1981 and Britain's prestigious Royal Television Society Interviewer of the Year award in 2001 for the second time in a row.
, a fee-paying Independent school
in Central London
. He holds a BA
Honours degree in Modern Languages
from New College, Oxford University, and speaks both German
and Russian
.
He has a Diploma in Journalism Studies from Cardiff University
, graduating in 1974.
in 1974, moving to the BBC
as foreign correspondent in Warsaw
in 1979. He became BBC's Europe
correspondent in 1982, for Moscow
in 1984 (until his expulsion from the USSR in 1985) and then for Washington
from 1986 to 1989.
Sebastian has worked for the Mail on Sunday, and has contributed to the Sunday Times.
, and the seven years that he spent at HardTalk were described by the BBC accordingly.
", a Qatar Foundation
programme that is broadcast monthly on BBC World News where it is the highest rated weekend programme. The Debates were founded by Sebastian in 2004 and their fifth series begins in September 2008.
Ultra (1998)
War Dance (1996)
Last Rights (1995)
The Memory Church (1994)
Saviour's Gate (1991)
Spy Shadow (1990)
The Spy in Question (1989)
Nice Promises: Tim Sebastian in Poland (1985)
Award and was named Television Journalist of the Year by the Royal Television Society
. Additionally he has twice won the Royal Television Society's Interviewer of the Year Award for his HARDtalk interviews.
Doha Debates
The Doha Debates are a forum for free speech in Qatar and tackle the region's most controversial and topical issues. They are sponsored by Qatar Foundation and their broadcasting rights are sold to BBC World News where they are aired monthly, eight times a year.In addition to BBC World News The...
, and was the first presenter of BBC's HARDtalk
HARDtalk
Hardtalk is a flagship BBC television programme, consisting of in-depth half-hour one-on-one interviews.It is broadcast four days a week on BBC World News and the BBC News channel. Launched in 1997, much of its worldwide fame is due to its global reach via BBC World...
.
He won the BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts
British Academy of Film and Television Arts
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts is a charity in the United Kingdom that hosts annual awards shows for excellence in film, television, television craft, video games and forms of animation.-Introduction:...
) Richard Dimbleby
Richard Dimbleby
Richard Dimbleby CBE was an English journalist and broadcaster widely acknowledged as one of the greatest figures in British broadcasting history.-Early life:...
award in 1981 and Britain's prestigious Royal Television Society Interviewer of the Year award in 2001 for the second time in a row.
Education
Sebastian was educated at Westminster SchoolWestminster School
The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain's leading independent schools, with the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rate of any secondary school or college in Britain...
, a fee-paying Independent school
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
in Central London
Central London
Central London is the innermost part of London, England. There is no official or commonly accepted definition of its area, but its characteristics are understood to include a high density built environment, high land values, an elevated daytime population and a concentration of regionally,...
. He holds a BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
Honours degree in Modern Languages
Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages, University of Oxford
The Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages at the University of Oxford, England, was established in 1903. European languages were first taught at Oxford in the 19th century. The Jesus Professorship of Celtic is the oldest of the chairs in the faculty, dating from 1877...
from New College, Oxford University, and speaks both German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
and Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
.
He has a Diploma in Journalism Studies from Cardiff University
Cardiff University
Cardiff University is a leading research university located in the Cathays Park area of Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom. It received its Royal charter in 1883 and is a member of the Russell Group of Universities. The university is consistently recognised as providing high quality research-based...
, graduating in 1974.
Journalist
Sebastian began his journalism career at ReutersReuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
in 1974, moving to the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
as foreign correspondent in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
in 1979. He became BBC's Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
correspondent in 1982, for Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
in 1984 (until his expulsion from the USSR in 1985) and then for Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
from 1986 to 1989.
Sebastian has worked for the Mail on Sunday, and has contributed to the Sunday Times.
Interviewer
Sebastian was stated by his BBC employer to be a rigorous and skilful interviewerInterview
An interview is a conversation between two people where questions are asked by the interviewer to obtain information from the interviewee.- Interview as a Method for Qualitative Research:"Definition" -...
, and the seven years that he spent at HardTalk were described by the BBC accordingly.
Debate moderator
Sebastian is a frequent moderator of major conferences, seminars and forums across the globe. Currently, Sebastian is the Chairman of "The Doha DebatesDoha Debates
The Doha Debates are a forum for free speech in Qatar and tackle the region's most controversial and topical issues. They are sponsored by Qatar Foundation and their broadcasting rights are sold to BBC World News where they are aired monthly, eight times a year.In addition to BBC World News The...
", a Qatar Foundation
Qatar Foundation
Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development is a government-funded, chartered, non-profit organization in the state of Qatar, founded in 1995 by decree of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of Qatar and chaired by Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned...
programme that is broadcast monthly on BBC World News where it is the highest rated weekend programme. The Debates were founded by Sebastian in 2004 and their fifth series begins in September 2008.
Author
Sebastian is the author of eight novels and two non-fiction books. They include:Ultra (1998)
War Dance (1996)
Last Rights (1995)
The Memory Church (1994)
Saviour's Gate (1991)
Spy Shadow (1990)
The Spy in Question (1989)
Nice Promises: Tim Sebastian in Poland (1985)
Awards
In 1982 Sebastian was awarded the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Richard DimblebyRichard Dimbleby
Richard Dimbleby CBE was an English journalist and broadcaster widely acknowledged as one of the greatest figures in British broadcasting history.-Early life:...
Award and was named Television Journalist of the Year by the Royal Television Society
Royal Television Society
The Royal Television Society is a British-based educational charity for the discussion, and analysis of television in all its forms, past, present and future. It is the oldest television society in the world...
. Additionally he has twice won the Royal Television Society's Interviewer of the Year Award for his HARDtalk interviews.