Nan Winton
Encyclopedia
Nan Winton is a British
broadcaster, best known for being the first female national newsreader on BBC
television.
She was a BBC TV continuity announcer from 1958–61 and also an experienced journalist who had worked on Panorama
and Town and Around. She was given the job to read the 6pm news and weekend bulletins on Sunday evenings, due to pressure from rivals ITN
, who had had a female newscaster, Barbara Mandell, since its launch in 1955.
She began on 19 June 1960, but BBC Audience research concluded that viewer thought a woman reading the late news was "not acceptable" and she was removed from the role in March 1961. She remained the only woman to have read the national news on BBC TV until 1975, when Angela Rippon
began a much longer spell as a newsreader.
After stepping down from reading the news, Winton remained a TV and radio news reporter and interviewer. She was also a regular panelist on the radio panel game, Treble Chance. She was formerly married to actor Charles Stapley who had appeared as Ted Hope in Crossroads.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
broadcaster, best known for being the first female national newsreader on BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television.
She was a BBC TV continuity announcer from 1958–61 and also an experienced journalist who had worked on Panorama
Panorama (TV series)
Panorama is a BBC Television current affairs documentary programme, which was first broadcast in 1953, and is the longest-running public affairs television programme in the world. Panorama has been presented by many well known BBC presenters, including Richard Dimbleby, Robin Day, David Dimbleby...
and Town and Around. She was given the job to read the 6pm news and weekend bulletins on Sunday evenings, due to pressure from rivals ITN
Independent Television News
ITN is a news and content provider with headquarters in the United Kingdom. It is made up of four key businesses: ITN News, ITN Source, ITN Productions and ITN Consulting. The ITN logotype can be displayed in any of 4 different colours, each of which represents a business unit. This is the...
, who had had a female newscaster, Barbara Mandell, since its launch in 1955.
She began on 19 June 1960, but BBC Audience research concluded that viewer thought a woman reading the late news was "not acceptable" and she was removed from the role in March 1961. She remained the only woman to have read the national news on BBC TV until 1975, when Angela Rippon
Angela Rippon
Angela M. Rippon, OBE, born 12 October 1944, Plymouth, Devon, England, is an English television journalist, newsreader, writer and presenter. Rippon presented radio and television news programmes in South West England before moving to BBC One's Nine O'Clock News, becoming a regular presenter in 1975...
began a much longer spell as a newsreader.
After stepping down from reading the news, Winton remained a TV and radio news reporter and interviewer. She was also a regular panelist on the radio panel game, Treble Chance. She was formerly married to actor Charles Stapley who had appeared as Ted Hope in Crossroads.