Mike Smartt

Last updated

Mike Smartt OBE is a British journalist and broadcaster, and was the founder and editor-in-chief of BBC News Online, the BBC's Internet news service. With Project Director Bob Eggington, he led the team that launched the service in 1997, [1] and held the post of editor-in-chief of BBC News Interactive, which also encompassed interactive television news, until 2004. During this time, News Online won all four interactive news BAFTA awards (the category was scrapped after the fourth win) and most of the world's online news prizes, including the US-based so-called Webby "internet Oscars" on a number of occasions.[ citation needed ]

Originally, many had doubts about the feasibility of the web service, including Smartt's friend and BBC World Editor John Simpson, who described the project as sounding "quite nerdy". Later Simpson conceded that News Online had become one of the main outlets for his work. At the 2003 European Online Journalism Awards, Smartt received an award for outstanding contribution to online journalism in Europe, and in 2004 he was appointed an OBE for services to broadcasting. [2]

Before being placed in editorial charge of the launch of the online service, he was, for 20 years, a correspondent for BBC Television News covering major news stories at home and abroad. He was also, during the late-1980s, a main co-presenter on the BBC Six O'Clock News and the BBC Nine O'Clock News and an occasional presenter of all the other BBC News output on TV.[ citation needed ]

Mike started his career at the Corporation at "BBC Radio Humberside" in the early 1970s as a News Producer and very occasional rock music DJ, following some years learning the craft of journalism on newspapers. During the late 1970s and early 1980s he was the BBC's staff reporter and a presenter of BBC North's (Leeds) regional TV news programme, Look North .[ citation needed ]

Smartt, who spent more than 30 years at the BBC, was succeeded by Pete Clifton at News Interactive. He now consults, lectures and writes about journalism and interactive news and is also editor-in-chief of World Press Photos Online magazine Enter.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BBC News (British TV channel)</span> British 24-hour television news channel

The BBC News channel is a British free-to-air public broadcast television news channel owned and operated by the BBC. It was launched as BBC News 24 on 9 November 1997 at 5:30 pm as part of the BBC's foray into digital domestic television channels, becoming the first competitor to Sky News, which had been running since 1989. For a time, looped news, sport and weather bulletins were available to view via BBC Red Button. The channel is based at and broadcasts from Broadcasting House in the West End of London, with other programmes originating from bureaus in Washington, D.C. and Singapore.

Tomorrow's World is a former British television series about contemporary developments in science and technology. First transmitted on 7 July 1965 on BBC1, it ran for 38 years until it was cancelled at the beginning of 2003. The Tomorrow's World title was revived in 2017 as an umbrella brand for BBC science programming.

PM, sometimes referred to as the PM programme to avoid ambiguity, is BBC Radio 4's long-running early evening news and current affairs programme. It is currently presented by Evan Davis and produced by BBC News. Easter holiday cover in 2023 was provided by Paddy O'Connell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BBC News Online</span> Website of BBC News

BBC News Online is the website of BBC News, the division of the BBC responsible for newsgathering and production. It is one of the most popular news websites, with 1.2 billion website visits in April 2021, as well as being used by 60% of the UK's internet users for news.

<i>BBC Nine OClock News</i> BBC News program

The BBC Nine O'Clock News was a BBC News programme that was the Corporation's flagship news programme. It was launched on 14 September 1970 and ran until 13 October 2000, when it was replaced by the BBC Ten O'Clock News.

<i>Newsround</i> BBC childrens news programme

Newsround is a BBC children's news programme, which has run continuously since 4 April 1972. It was one of the world's first television news magazines aimed specifically at children. Initially commissioned as a short series by BBC Children's Department, who held editorial control, its facilities were provided by BBC News. The programme is aimed at 5 to 17-year-olds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BBC News</span> News division of the publicly funded British Broadcasting Corporation

BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online news coverage. The service maintains 50 foreign news bureaus with more than 250 correspondents around the world. Deborah Turness has been the CEO of news and current affairs since September 2022.

Pete Clifton is Editor-in-Chief at the Press Association (PA). Prior to the appointment he was Executive Producer for MSN in the UK and former Head of Editorial Development at BBC News.

ITV News is the branding of news programmes on the British news television channel of ITV. ITV has a long tradition of television news. Independent Television News (ITN) was founded to provide news bulletins for the network in 1955, and has since continued to produce all news programmes on ITV. The channel's news coverage has won awards from the Royal Television Society, Emmy Awards and BAFTAs. Between 2004 and 2008, the ITV Evening News held the title of "RTS News Programme of the Year". The flagship ITV News at Ten has won numerous BAFTA awards, and also being named "RTS News Programme of the Year" in 2011, 2015, 2021 and 2022.

<i>BBC News at Ten</i> Flagship BBC evening news programme

BBC News at Ten is the flagship evening news programme for the UK feed of BBC News channel and BBC One on weekdays and Sundays at 10:00 pm for 30 minutes, except on bank holidays when it may be shorter and only shown on BBC One. Huw Edwards is the lead presenter for the bulletin on weekdays. The Sunday edition of the bulletin is presented by Mishal Husain or Clive Myrie and is listed as BBC Weekend News on TV guide and BBC iPlayer. The programme may not air as BBC News at Ten on Sunday, however, if it does not start at exactly 10:00 pm. The programme was controversially moved from 9:00 pm to 10:00 pm on 16 October 2000.

The World Tonight is a British current affairs radio programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4, every weekday evening, which started out as an extension of the 10 pm news. It is produced by BBC News and features news, analysis and comment on domestic and world issues. Ritula Shah was until February 27, 2023 the main presenter, usually presenting the first three days of the week. The programme utilises other BBC broadcasters including David Eades, Carolyn Quinn, James Coomarasamy, Roger Hearing, Samira Ahmed and Felicity Evans to regularly present on Thursdays, Fridays and in Shah's absence. Between 1989 and 2012, the main presenter was Robin Lustig.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Alagiah</span> British newsreader and journalist (1955–2023)

George Maxwell Alagiah was a British newsreader, journalist and television presenter. From 2007 until 2022, he was the presenter of the BBC News at Six, and also the main presenter of GMT on BBC World News from its launch in 2010 until 2014. He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2008 New Year Honours.

<i>BBC News at Six</i> British TV series or programme

The BBC News at Six is the evening news programme bulletin from the BBC. Produced by BBC News, the programme is broadcast on the UK feed of BBC News channel and on British television channel BBC One on weekdays at 6:00 pm for 30 minutes, except on bank holidays when it may be shorter and only shown on BBC One. For a long period, the BBC News at Six was the most watched news programme in the UK but since 2006 it has been overtaken by the BBC News at Ten. On average it is watched by four million viewers.

<i>Sunday Business</i> British newspaper

Sunday Business was a national Sunday broadsheet financial newspaper published in the United Kingdom, which ran from 1996 to 2006, when it was turned into a magazine called The Business.

Evelyn, Lady Lloyd, is an English author and journalist, and has been the editor of several tabloid newspapers.

Philippa Thomas is a former television newsreader and journalist, both domestic and foreign, at the BBC she was a chief news presenter at BBC World News, presenting evening bulletins on BBC News Channel and BBC World News. She is currently presenter of Coronavirus: Your Stories on BBC World News and the BBC News Channel. She is also a life coach.

Amanda Davies is an English sports presenter on CNN International.

Matthew Raymond Snoddy OBE, born 1946 (age 76–77), commonly known as Raymond Snoddy, is a British news media journalist, television presenter, author and media commentator. From its inception in 2004, until January 2013, he was the original and sole presenter of the BBC News 24's weekly viewer right-to-reply programme NewsWatch. Snoddy started his journalistic career writing for a number of publications on issues relating to the news industry, and continues in this vein.

References

  1. Smartt, Mike (12 December 2007). "The Days Before Launch". BBC Internet Blog. BBC.
  2. "OBE for BBC website founder". BBC News. 12 June 2004.