Biographies

BBC World Service presenter

Matthew Bannister is a broadcaster and journalist who has presented news and current affairs programmes on several of the BBC's domestic radio networks.

He presents the weekly obituary programme Last Word on BBC Radio 4 and had his own late night topical phone-in on BBC Radio 5 Live.

He has also deputised on BBC Radio 2's lunchtime news and music programme and other news programmes on Radio 4 and 5 Live.

He is currently the presenter of BBC World Service's Outlook – the daily weekday magazine programme which explores the human stories behind the news.

Having taken a law degree at Nottingham University, Matthew started his career in 1978 at the BBC local radio station in the city, where he presented the Breakfast Show at the age of 22.

In the Eighties he worked twice at the London commercial station, Capital Radio, first as a reporter and news presenter, then as Head of News and Talks and founder presenter of the award-winning daily news hour The Way It Is.

He was the first reporter to arrive at the King's Cross Underground fire, covered rioting on London's Broadwater Farm estate and made a 90-minute documentary about life on the Falkland Islands just after the conflict there.

He recruited 60 student reporters to create a two-hour sound picture of "24 Hours In The Life Of London".

Between his stints at Capital Radio, he spent three years presenting Newsbeat on the BBC's national pop music station, BBC Radio 1.

In 1988, Matthew moved into management, first running the BBC's then London radio station, GLR, where he gained a reputation for nurturing new broadcasting talent, then developing the BBC's campaign for the renewal of its Royal Charter.

As Controller of Radio 1 in the early Nineties, Matthew successfully re-positioned the network to champion new music and attract a younger audience.

As Director of BBC Radio from 1996 to 1998, Matthew developed the Corporation's domestic radio strategy.

He went on to become Chief Executive of BBC Production and the Corporation's first Board-level Director of Marketing and Communication.

In 2000, Matthew decided he was fed up with "endless committee meetings and ten-year plans" and returned to his roots as a radio broadcaster.

He is a Fellow of the Radio Academy and has written about radio for the Times newspaper.