Gerald Priestland
Encyclopedia
Gerald Francis Priestland (26 February 1927 - 20 June 1991) was a news correspondent and newsreader for the BBC
.
and New College, Oxford
. He began his work at the BBC with a six-month spell writing obituary pieces for broadcast news. Indeed, he even jokingly wrote his own obituary shortly before leaving the job for a post as a sub-editor in the news gathering operation. In 1954, he became the youngest person (at 26 years) to work as a BBC foreign correspondent, having been sent by the controversial Editor of News, Tahu Hole
, to the BBC's office in New Delhi. Between 1958 and 1961, Priestland was relocated to Washington DC where he covered, among other things, the successful election of John F Kennedy. Following this, he spent most of the next four years as the BBC's Middle East
correspondent, before requesting a transfer back to London
as a television newsreader.
as a consequence of an extensive power failure across London. The channel's output that evening was restricted to repeated readings of the news and apologies for the loss of normal service and only lasted for about three hours.
. He returned to England
at the end of the decade but his broadcasting duties were interrupted when he suffered a nervous breakdown
. In the course of his recovery, Priestland became a devoted Quaker, despite having been a confirmed atheist in his youth. From the 1970s onward, he became increasingly involved in religious broadcasting and was the BBC's religious affairs correspondent from 1977 to 1982. His "Priestland's Postbag" was a controversial part of Terry Wogan
's BBC breakfast programme, drawing both praise and criticism. During this period, he reported on both Papal elections of 1978 and introduced a Saturday morning programme on BBC Radio 4
entitled Yours Faithfully. He gave the 1982 Swarthmore Lecture
entitled, Reasonable Uncertainty: a Quaker approach to doctrine. Priestland published his autobiography, Something Understood, in 1986, a work which he hastily altered before publication to express his true feelings about Tahu Hole
, who had recently died: "He was a monster in every sense."
Priestland participated in a number of television and radio programmes for both the BBC and ITV
until his death in 1991. After his death he received the rare honour (shared with John Reith
, Huw Wheldon
and Richard Dimbleby
) of having a series of annually broadcast lectures named in his honour.
Gerald Priestland expressed his love of Cornwall
in Postscript: with love to Penwith
, published after his death.
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...
.
Early life and work
Gerald Priestland was educated at CharterhouseCharterhouse School
Charterhouse School, originally The Hospital of King James and Thomas Sutton in Charterhouse, or more simply Charterhouse or House, is an English collegiate independent boarding school situated at Godalming in Surrey.Founded by Thomas Sutton in London in 1611 on the site of the old Carthusian...
and New College, Oxford
New College, Oxford
New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.- Overview :The College's official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always...
. He began his work at the BBC with a six-month spell writing obituary pieces for broadcast news. Indeed, he even jokingly wrote his own obituary shortly before leaving the job for a post as a sub-editor in the news gathering operation. In 1954, he became the youngest person (at 26 years) to work as a BBC foreign correspondent, having been sent by the controversial Editor of News, Tahu Hole
Tahu Hole
Tahu Ronald Charles Pearce Hole CBE was a New Zealand born journalist who worked as the BBC's television news editor during the period immediately following the Second World War.-Early life and work:...
, to the BBC's office in New Delhi. Between 1958 and 1961, Priestland was relocated to Washington DC where he covered, among other things, the successful election of John F Kennedy. Following this, he spent most of the next four years as the BBC's Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
correspondent, before requesting a transfer back to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
as a television newsreader.
BBC2 opening night
Possibly Priestland's best known news broadcast occurred on the opening night of the BBC2 channel (Monday 20 April 1964). He had the onerous and unexpected task of anchoring the evening's transmission from the newsroom at Alexandra PalaceAlexandra Palace
Alexandra Palace is a building in North London, England. It stands in Alexandra Park, in an area between Hornsey, Muswell Hill and Wood Green...
as a consequence of an extensive power failure across London. The channel's output that evening was restricted to repeated readings of the news and apologies for the loss of normal service and only lasted for about three hours.
Later life and work
During the late 1960s, Priestland was back in the USA as chief American correspondent where he covered such events as the assassination of Martin Luther King and the outraged response of students to the Vietnam WarVietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. He returned to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
at the end of the decade but his broadcasting duties were interrupted when he suffered a nervous breakdown
Nervous breakdown
Mental breakdown is a non-medical term used to describe an acute, time-limited phase of a specific disorder that presents primarily with features of depression or anxiety.-Definition:...
. In the course of his recovery, Priestland became a devoted Quaker, despite having been a confirmed atheist in his youth. From the 1970s onward, he became increasingly involved in religious broadcasting and was the BBC's religious affairs correspondent from 1977 to 1982. His "Priestland's Postbag" was a controversial part of Terry Wogan
Terry Wogan
Sir Michael Terence Wogan, KBE, DL , or also known as Terry Wogan, is a veteran Irish radio and television broadcaster who holds dual Irish and British citizenship. Wogan has worked for the BBC in the United Kingdom for most of his career...
's BBC breakfast programme, drawing both praise and criticism. During this period, he reported on both Papal elections of 1978 and introduced a Saturday morning programme on BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
entitled Yours Faithfully. He gave the 1982 Swarthmore Lecture
Swarthmore Lecture
Swarthmore Lecture is one of a series of lectures, started in 1908, addressed to Britain Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends .The preface to the very first lecture explains the purpose of the series....
entitled, Reasonable Uncertainty: a Quaker approach to doctrine. Priestland published his autobiography, Something Understood, in 1986, a work which he hastily altered before publication to express his true feelings about Tahu Hole
Tahu Hole
Tahu Ronald Charles Pearce Hole CBE was a New Zealand born journalist who worked as the BBC's television news editor during the period immediately following the Second World War.-Early life and work:...
, who had recently died: "He was a monster in every sense."
Priestland participated in a number of television and radio programmes for both the BBC and ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
until his death in 1991. After his death he received the rare honour (shared with John Reith
John Reith
John Reith may refer to:*John Reith, 1st Baron Reith , Scottish broadcasting executive*John Reith...
, Huw Wheldon
Huw Wheldon
Sir Huw Pyrs Wheldon OBE MC was a BBC broadcaster and executive.Wheldon was born in Prestatyn, Wales and educated at Friars School, Bangor. His father, Sir Wynn Wheldon, was a prominent educationalist, who had been awarded the DSO for gallantry in the First World War...
and Richard Dimbleby
Richard Dimbleby
Richard Dimbleby CBE was an English journalist and broadcaster widely acknowledged as one of the greatest figures in British broadcasting history.-Early life:...
) of having a series of annually broadcast lectures named in his honour.
Gerald Priestland expressed his love of Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
in Postscript: with love to Penwith
Penwith
Penwith was a local government district in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, whose council was based in Penzance. The district covered all of the Penwith peninsula, the toe-like promontory of land at the western end of Cornwall and which included an area of land to the east that fell outside the...
, published after his death.
Sources
- Leonard MiallLeonard MiallRowland Leonard Miall was a broadcaster and administrator at the BBC for 35 years, from 1939 to 1974. In retirement, he became a research historian, studying the history of broadcasting.-Early life:...
, Inside the BBC - British Broadcasting Characters: p.215-220. ISBN 0-297-81328-5
Books by Gerald Priestland
- America, the changing nation (1968)
- Frying tonight. The saga of fish and chips (1972)
- The future of violence (1974)
- The dilemmas of journalism : speaking for myself (1979)
- West of Hayle River: (with Sylvia Priestland) (1980), new edition 1992 as Priestlands' Cornwall
- Priestland's progress : one man's search for Christianity now (1981)
- Coming home : an introduction to the Quakers (1981)
- Reasonable uncertainty : a Quaker approach to doctrine (Swarthmore Lecture)(1982)
- Priestland : right and wrong (1983)
- Who needs the church? : the 1982 Barclay Lectures (1983)
- The case against God (1984)
- Something understood : an autobiography (1986)
- The unquiet suitcase : Priestland at sixty (1988)
- Postscript: with love to Penwith: two essays in Cornish History; with a foreword by Sylvia Priestland (1992)
- My pilgrim way : late writings; edited by Roger Toulmin (1993)
- Three volumes of the Yours faithfully collected radio talks
External links
- The launch night that never was - the BBC's own account of their attempts to maintain transmission during the power failure, featuring recorded footage of Gerald Priestland's efforts
- George Wedell, "Priestland, Gerald Francis (1927–1991)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, (2004) http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/49934, accessed 9 Nov 2006