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Dorothy Byrne

Michael Berkeley's guest is Dorothy Byrne, who was head of news and current affairs at Channel 4 from 2003 to 2020 and is now President of Murray Edwards College at Cambridge.

Dorothy Byrne has worked in journalism for more than 40 years, including almost 20 years as Head of News and Current Affairs at Channel 4 from 2003 to 2020. She talks to Michael Berkeley about the sexism and harassment she experienced as a young producer, which she detailed in her MacTaggart Lecture at the Edinburgh Television Festival in 2019, in which she added that she would still recommend journalism to young women today - 鈥榠n what other line of work, when... you hear of some absolute disgrace, can you say to yourself 鈥淚鈥檓 going to make a programme exposing that and I鈥檒l put a stop to it!鈥 And sometimes you even do.鈥 She has also argued that challenging journalism which calls politicians to account is a vital part of any healthy democracy.
Since 2021 she has been President of Murray Edwards College, a women-only college at the University of Cambridge. Her music choices include pieces by Mozart, Handel, Amy Beach and Nina Simone, as well as a recording of her college choir performing music by Hildegard of Bingen.

Producer: Graham Rogers

Available now

51 minutes

Last on

Sun 2 Jun 2024 12:00

Music Played

  • C茅sar Franck

    Panis Angelicus

    Singer: Beniamino Gigli. Conductor: Vito Carnevali.
    • Ancient Arias & Sacred Songs.
    • Urania.
    • 14.
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Piano Concerto no.20 in D minor K.466 (1st mvt)

    Performer: Mitsuko Uchida. Orchestra: The Cleveland Orchestra.
    • Mozart: Piano Concertos 20, K466 & 27, K595; Mitsuko Uchida, The Cleveland Orche.
    • Decca.
    • 1.
  • Edvard Grieg

    Anitra's Dance (Peer Gynt Suite)

    Performer: Anthony Goldstone. Performer: Caroline Clemmow.
    • Divine Art Limited.
  • Max Richter

    Woolf Works: The Waves: Tuesday

    Orchestra: Deutsches Filmorchester Babelsberg. Conductor: Robert Ziegler.
    • Three Worlds: Music From Woolf Works.
    • Deutsche Grammophon (DG).
    • 16.
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Der Holle Rache (The Magic Flute)

    Singer: Diana Damrau. Ensemble: Le Cercle de l'Harmonie. Conductor: J茅r茅mie Rhorer.
    • Mozart, Righini, Salieri: Arie di bravura.
    • Warner Classics.
    • 6.
  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Piano Sonata in A flat Op.110 (1st mvt)

    Performer: Igor Levit.
    • Beethoven: Complete Piano Sonatas.
    • Sony Classical.
    • 4.
  • Amy Beach

    Piano Concerto in C Sharp Minor Op.45 (4th mvt)

    Performer: Danny Driver. Orchestra: 麻豆社 Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Rebecca Miller.
    • Hyperion.
  • Walter Donaldson

    Love Me Or Leave Me

    Lyricist: Gus Kahn. Singer: Nina Simone.
    • Les 50 plus belles chansons.
    • Universal Music Division Decca Records France.
    • 6.
  • Hildegard von Bingen

    O virtus Sapiente

    Choir: Inter Alios Chamber Choir. Conductor: Rosie Dunn.
  • George Frideric Handel

    Lascia ch'io pianga (Rinaldo)

    Singer: Sandrine Piau. Ensemble: Europa Galante. Conductor: Fabio Biondi.
    • Handel: Arie e Duetti D'Amore; Europa Galante.
    • Naive.
    • 3.

Broadcast

  • Sun 2 Jun 2024 12:00

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