Desmond John Humphrys (born 17 August 1943) is a Welsh broadcaster and journalist. He has been a presenter on BBC Radio 4's Today programme since 1987, and has worked as a correspondent and presenter for the Nine O'Clock News. is the 229th day of the year (230th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Wilson Street, Splott (photo by Linda Bailey) Splott (Welsh: ) is a district of the city of Cardiff, Wales, east of the city centre. ... This article is about the capital city of Wales. ... This article is about the country. ... is the 229th day of the year (230th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the country. ... old Radio 4 logo BBC Radio 4 is a UK domestic radio station which broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes including news, drama, comedy, science and history. ... Today, sometimes referred to as the Today programme to avoid ambiguity, is BBC Radio 4s long-running early morning news and current affairs programme, which is now broadcast from 6am to 9am from Monday to Friday and from 7am to 9am on Saturdays. ... The Nine OClock News is a BBC news programme which began in 1970 and ended in 2000. ...

He is considered to be a tough interviewer and has occasionally attracted criticism for his abrasive style: for example, former Conservative minister Jonathan Aitken accused him in March 1995 of "poisoning the well of democratic debate", though Aitken was subsequently found to have been guilty of perjury. The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is currently the second largest political party in the United Kingdom in terms of sitting Members of Parliament (MPs), the largest in terms of public membership, and the oldest political party in the United Kingdom. ... A minister or a secretary is a politician who heads a government ministry or department (e. ... This article is about the former British politician. ... Perjury is the act of lying or making verifiably false statements on a material matter under oath or affirmation in a court of law or in any of various sworn statements in writing. ...

Early life

Humphrys was born in Splott, a poor working-class district of central Cardiff, the son of Winifred Mary (Matthews) and Edward George Humphrys.^[1] He was educated at Cardiff High School, leaving to become a teenage reporter on the Penarth Times. He later joined the Western Mail. His brother, Bob Humphrys, is a television presenter on BBC Wales sport programmes. Wilson Street, Splott (photo by Linda Bailey) Splott (Welsh: ) is a district of the city of Cardiff, Wales, east of the city centre. ... This article is about the capital city of Wales. ... Cardiff High School is a comprehensive school in the Cyncoed area of the city of Cardiff in South Wales. ... The Western Mail is a daily red-top tabloid newspaper published by Western Mail and Echo Ltd in Cardiff, Wales. ... A television presenter is a British term for a person who introduces or hosts television programmes. ... BBC Wales (Welsh: ) is a division of the British Broadcasting Corporation for Wales. ...

Career

Humphrys joine TWW, a commercial television channel based in Wales, before going to the BBC in 1966. He worked as a foreign correspondent in both the United States and Africa. Based in South Africa in 1977 he covered the transformation of Rhodesia into Zimbabwe and returned to London in 1980 to take up the post of BBC Diplomatic Correspondent. TWW Logo Television Wales and the West (TWW) was the British Independent Television (commercial television) contractor for the South Wales and West of England franchise area 1956-1968 (franchise awarded October 26, 1956, started transmissions on January 14, 1958). ... A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ...

He became the main presenter of the BBC's flagship Nine O'Clock News in 1981. This appointment marked a change in the BBC's approach to news broadcasting. With the appointment of Humphrys and John Simpson, the presenters of the news became part of the process of preparing the broadcast, rather than just reading a prepared script as with previous presenters. He joined the Today programme in 1987, when it was still spearheaded by Brian Redhead, although he still made occasional appearances fronting BBC TV news bulletins in the 1990s. During the 1991 Gulf War he was a volunteer presenter on the BBC Radio 4 News FM. service^[2] From 1993 he presented the weekly On The Record political TV show until its demise in 2002. Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... John Simpson has been World Affairs Editor for BBC News since 1998. ... Brian Redhead (28 December 1929 _ 23 January 1994) was a British author, journalist and broadcaster. ... This article is an overview article about the Crown chartered British Broadcasting Corporation formed in 1927. ... Radio 4 News FM was the name given by the journalists to the BBC radio rolling news service that was on air during the first Gulf War from 16 January until 2 March 1991. ... On The Record was a weekly political television show aired by the BBC in the United Kingdom between 1988 and 2002. ...

He made the headlines on 28 August 2004, after scathing criticism of the 'dumbing down' of British television. He criticised reality shows such as Big Brother, as well as the increasing violence in British soap operas. Ironically, Humphrys is also the presenter of the revived version of Mastermind, which has also been accused of 'dumbing down'. After his criticism of reality television, Humphrys appeared the following year in Art School, a show which followed a celebrity reality format. is the 240th day of the year (241st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Dumbing down is viewed either as a pejorative term for a perceived over-simplification of, amongst other things, education, news and television, or as a statement of truth about real cultural trends in education and culture. ... Big Brother is a reality television series broadcast in the United Kingdom and Ireland on Channel 4 and E4. ... The first TIME cover devoted to soap operas: Dated January 12, 1976, Bill Hayes and Susan Seaforth Hayes of Days of our Lives are featured with the headline Soap Operas: Sex and suffering in the afternoon. A soap opera is an ongoing, episodic work of fiction, usually broadcast on television... Mastermind is a British quiz show, well-known for its challenging questions, intimidating setting and air of seriousness. ...

Humphrys attracted further controversy in September 2005 when he allegedly branded all politicians as liars and made comments about Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, and John Prescott in an after-dinner speech which was subsequently leaked to The Times by Tim Allan, a former aide to the Prime Minister.^[3]. On 6 September 2005, Humphrys was censured by the Corporation for his use of "inappropriate and misguided" language.^[4] Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other people of the same name, see Tony Blair (disambiguation) Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born May 6, 1953)[1] is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service, Leader of the Labour Party, and Member of Parliament for the constituency... For others with the same or similar names, see Gordon Brown (disambiguation). ... For other persons named John Prescott, see John Prescott (disambiguation). ... The Times is a national newspaper published daily in the United Kingdom (and the Kingdom of Great Britain before the United Kingdom existed) since 1788 when it was known as The Daily Universal Register. ... is the 249th day of the year (250th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Humphrys has also presented Panorama. He has won many industry awards, including being named Journalist of the Year in February 2000 at an awards ceremony organised by The House Magazine and Channel 4; the Gold Sony Radio Award in 2003; and a silver platter for Crystal Clear Broadcasting from the Plain English Campaign. Panorama is a long-running current affairs documentary series on BBC television, launched in 1953 and focusing on investigative journalism. ... This article is about the British television station. ... The Sony Radio Academy Awards (the Sonys), started in 1983, are some of the most prestigious awards in the British radio industry. ... The Plain English Campaign is a family business based in the United Kingdom. ...

John Humphrys has written several books, including Lost for Words, in which he criticizes what he sees as the widespread misuse of the English language, plus 'Devil's Advocate', 'Beyond Words' and 'The Great Food Gamble'. The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

Humphrys is an agnostic, but has a curiosity to test his agnosticism and challenge established religions to see if they can restore his childhood belief in God; in 2006, he presented a BBC Radio 4 programme, titled "Humphrys in Search of God" where he spoke to leading British authorities on Christianity, Judaism and Islam to try and restore his faith.^[5]. The term agnosticism and the related agnostic were coined by Thomas Henry Huxley in 1869. ... This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ... old Radio 4 logo BBC Radio 4 is a UK domestic radio station which broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes including news, drama, comedy, science and history. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ...

Humphrys has been criticised for receiving shares in the poll organisation YouGov for which he wrote a column. Humphrys denied that there was a conflict of interest between his role as newscaster and that of shareholder of a company, the reports of which are often cited in the news on the BBC. YouGov is a British internet-based market research firm. ...

Despite his ferocious reputation, Humphrys is prepared to send himself up: for example, when he appeared^[6] on the light entertainment programme Top Gear driving a Peel P50 around Broadcasting House. Top Gear is a BAFTA[1], Multi-NTA and Emmy Award-winning BBC television series about motor vehicles, mainly cars. ... For the biochemistry term, see P50. ... For other uses, see Broadcasting House (disambiguation). ...

Personal life

In 1999, aged 56, Humphrys became a father again (he had a son). He refers to these facts on 31 October 2006 on BBC Radio 4 in the programme "Humphrys in Search of God". old Radio 4 logo BBC Radio 4 is a UK domestic radio station which broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes including news, drama, comedy, science and history. ...

Publications

• Devil's Advocate. London: Arrow Books Ltd. (2000). ISBN 0099279657
• The Great Food Gamble. London: Coronet Books. (2002). ISBN 0340770465
• Lost For Words: The Mangling and Manipulating of the English Language. London: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd. (2004). ISBN 034083658X.
• Beyond Words: How Language Reveals the Way We Live Now. London: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd. (2006). ISBN 034092375X.
• In God We Doubt: Confessions of a Failed Atheist. London: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd. (2007). ISBN 0340951265.

References

This article concerns the British newspaper. ... is the 202nd day of the year (203rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... BBC Two (or BBC2 as it was formerly styled) was the second UK television station to be aired by the BBC. History The channel was scheduled to begin at 7:20pm on April 20, 1964 and show an evening of light entertainment, starting with the comedy show The Alberts and... For alternate meanings of GMT, see GMT (disambiguation). ...

External links

• John Humphrys - Today profile