Alastair Burnet
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Alastair Burnet | |
|---|---|
 Alastair Burnet photo from 1960s | |
| Born | James William Alexander Burnet 12 July 1928 Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England |
| Died | 20 July 2012 (aged 84) |
| Other names | Sir Alastair Burnet |
| Occupation(s) | TV presenter, newscaster and journalist |
| Years active | 1963–1991 |
| Notable credit(s) | ITN, News at Ten |
James William Alexander Burnet, better known as Sir Alastair Burnet (12 July 1928 – 20 July 2012), was a British journalist and broadcaster, known for his work in news and current affairs programmes, including a long career as a news presenter with ITN.
Early life
Burnet was born in Sheffield to Scottish parents, and educated at The Leys School, a boys' independent school in Cambridge, before reading history at Worcester College, Oxford.[1][2]
Journalism career
Burnet was a reporter and newscaster for ITN between 1963 and 1973[3][4] and anchored ITN's coverage of the 1964, 1966 and 1970 General Elections and the Apollo 11 Moon landing in 1969.
For the BBC, he anchored the February and October 1974 General Election programmes. He worked on Panorama for the BBC in 1974. In 1973 he went freelance for a brief period and was editor of the Daily Express from 1974 to 1976, resigning from the Economist, the news magazine he had edited simultaneously with his broadcasting career from 1965.[5]
After leaving the Express, from which he refused to take a pay-off, Burnet returned to ITN in 1976, where he remained until his retirement in 1991. One of the main newscasters for News at Ten between 1967 and 1973, the main single newscaster for the newly-launched News at 5.45 from 1976 to 1980, returning to News at Ten as one of its main presenters until his final broadcast on 29 August 1991. For ITN, Burnet anchored the 1979, 1983 and 1987 General Election programmes, the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981 and presented several documentaries about the couple, In Person: The Prince and Princess of Wales (1986) and In Private – In Public: The Prince and Princess of Wales (1986). [citation needed]
Death
He died peacefully during the early hours of 20 July 2012 at a nursing home in Kensington, London, where he was being cared for after experiencing several strokes.[6][7]
Popular culture
The satirical TV puppet show, Spitting Image, portrayed Burnet as a cringing, fawning royalist ("lick, lick, smarm, smarm"), forever trying to suck up to the nearest available member of the Royal Family. [citation needed] The satirical magazine Private Eye referred to him as "Arslicker Burnet". [citation needed]
Honours
Burnet was knighted in the 1984 New Year Honours "for services to journalism and broadcasting".[8]
References
- ^ "Worcester College, Oxford: Students/Graduates". Freebase. Archived from the original on 23 April 2010. Retrieved 9 May 2010.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Obituary: Sir Alastair Burnet". BBC News. 20 July 2012.
- ^ "Alastair Stewart Biography". Manchester Evening News. 24 October 2007. Retrieved 9 May 2010.
- ^ "Television Timeline: News at Ten: 3/7/67". BBC Four. Retrieved 9 May 2010.
- ^ Stephen Hugh Jones (26 February 2006). "So what's the secret of 'The Economist'?". The Independent on Sunday. Archived from the original on 4 June 2010. Retrieved 9 May 2010.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Sir Alastair Burnet dies aged 84". ITV News. 20 July 2012.
- ^ "Sir Alastair Burnet dies at 84". BBC News. 20 July 2012.
- ^ "No. 49583". The London Gazette (invalid
|supp=(help)). 30 December 1983.
External links
- ITV launches court bid over news BBC News, 27 July 2000
- "My mentor: Newsreader Alastair Stewart on the anchor that steadied his career", The Guardian, 2 February 2008
- Recent deaths
- Use dmy dates from August 2010
- 1928 births
- Alumni of Worcester College, Oxford
- British magazine editors
- British newspaper editors
- British television presenters
- British journalists
- ITN newsreaders and journalists
- Knights Bachelor
- 2012 deaths
- People educated at The Leys School
- People from Sheffield
- The Economist people
- Daily Express people