Matthew Bannister

Matthew Bannister presents Last Word on Radio 4 and Outlook, the daily programme of human interest stories on the BBC World Service. He has also presented Broadcasting House and Saturday PM. Other presentation credits include his own late-night discussion programme on Radio 5 Live and standing in for Victoria Derbyshire and Simon Mayo. His TV credits include The Cram on BBC2 and The Wright Stuff on Five.

In a distinguished managerial career at the BBC he was Chief Executive of Production, Director of Radio and Director of Marketing and Communication.

As Controller of BBC Radio 1 from 1993 to 1998, Matthew was responsible for re-positioning the network at the cutting edge of new music and attracting a younger audience. Before this, Matthew developed the BBC's campaign for the renewal of its Royal Charter.

Between 1988 and 1991 he ran the BBC's London radio station, then known as GLR, designing its distinctive adult music and talk format and working for the first time with Chris Evans, Chris Morris and Danny Baker.

In the 1980s Matthew worked twice at London's Capital Radio - first as a reporter, then as Head of News and Talks, launching the station's award-winning news programme The Way It Is and working on the launch of Chris Tarrant's breakfast show.

As a broadcaster, he has presented Radio 1's Newsbeat, Capital Radio's The Way It Is and the breakfast programme on BBC Radio Nottingham - where he began his career in 1978.

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