Susan Osman
Encyclopedia
Susan Osman is a British
journalist
and television news presenter
with almost 30 years of broadcasting experience in both television and radio. She currently works and lives in Beijing hosting a live daily news programme, The Beijing Hour With Susan Osman, for CRI (China Radio International). Osman is one of the first western journalists to broadcast such a programme from China, and the programme celebrated its first anniversary on 25 January 2011.
and Drama
. She also has a Bachelor of Education
degree with Distinction in the same disciplines from the Central School of Speech and Drama
.
and the BBC. Her range of experience covers consumer affairs, 4 What It's Worth, Business News, European Business Today (BSkyB) News and current affairs ITN and the BBC.
Osman firmly established her broadcasting career and made her name in the early 1990s on the regional BBC One
news programme BBC Points West
. She is now the director of a media-consultancy company, 'Front Foot Media', but can still be seen occasionally on BBC News and BBC World News.
Osman also has a film company, Nick O'Time Films, which she co-owns with her long-standing writing partner, Rowena Goldman. Regularly attending the Cannes Film Festival
, they have a slate of feature film
s in pre-production, namely Anagram, Barcelona Baby, Two faces of Mrs Holyroyd, Drinking Ink, Fighting for Hope and Herbs for Beginners.
Voted Personality of the Year by the Variety Club of Great Britain, Osman has always been a popular presenter.
She previously presented BBC Look East, Close Up West and had her own radio show for seven years, The Morning Show, for BBC Radio Bristol
.
She became well-known when presenting on BBC One
, BBC News and BBC World
during a bomb attack on television centre while she was broadcasting in March 2001.
In August 2007, she was ordained as an interfaith
minister and is currently establishing a three-tier healing system, Rainbow's End Foundation.
Osman had an extensive career in radio and television at the BBC. According to one article, Osman fronted Points West on BBC1 for 14 years, before broadcasting a slot on BBC Radio Bristol for eight years. She started her career as a theatre director in Washington, D.C. and was also a Speech and Drama teacher at the Guildhall of Music, Speech and Drama. Osman was recruited by the BBC after media executives recognized her talent at the Roedean School, a private girls’ school in the United Kingdom. Osman left her position at the BBC to pursue a broadcasting career in China, because of ageism. According to Osman, 'When she was working at BBC Bristol as a presenter, she was asked if she was menopausal by one of her managers.' According to a report, Osman stated, 'There seems to be a culture of ageism in broadcasting in this country, and it particularly affects women.' Furthermore, 'Osman claimed that she had many female colleagues who left the broadcasting field in the United Kingdom in their early forties, and it is a shame because older women could bring wisdom and empathy.'
Osman has recently returned to the UK after spending 18 months in China. She worked with China Radio International- Beijing - 91.5 fm. Osman edited and presented The Beijing Hour With Susan Osman, which was a first for China, a daily live news programme for state controlled radio. Osman also broadcasted for BON in China, Australia and America - programmes were translated online in over 61 languages.
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...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and television news presenter
News presenter
A news presenter is a person who presents news during a news program in the format of a television show, on the radio or the Internet.News presenters can work in a radio studio, television studio and from remote broadcasts in the field especially weather...
with almost 30 years of broadcasting experience in both television and radio. She currently works and lives in Beijing hosting a live daily news programme, The Beijing Hour With Susan Osman, for CRI (China Radio International). Osman is one of the first western journalists to broadcast such a programme from China, and the programme celebrated its first anniversary on 25 January 2011.
Education
Osman graduated from Goldsmiths, University of London with a Bachelor of Arts degree in EnglishEnglish studies
English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
and Drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
. She also has a Bachelor of Education
Bachelor of Education
A Bachelor of Education is an undergraduate academic degree which qualifies the graduate as a teacher in schools.-North America:...
degree with Distinction in the same disciplines from the Central School of Speech and Drama
Central School of Speech and Drama
The Central School of Speech and Drama was founded in London in 1906 by Elsie Fogerty to offer a new form of training in speech and drama for young actors and other students...
.
Background
Osman had her first lucky break in television when she was asked to audition for HTV West. She has, since then, been a television news anchor/reporter for both ITVITV
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...
and the BBC. Her range of experience covers consumer affairs, 4 What It's Worth, Business News, European Business Today (BSkyB) News and current affairs ITN and the BBC.
Osman firmly established her broadcasting career and made her name in the early 1990s on the regional BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
news programme BBC Points West
BBC Points West
BBC Points West is the BBC's regional news programme for the West of England, covering Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire...
. She is now the director of a media-consultancy company, 'Front Foot Media', but can still be seen occasionally on BBC News and BBC World News.
Osman also has a film company, Nick O'Time Films, which she co-owns with her long-standing writing partner, Rowena Goldman. Regularly attending the Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
, they have a slate of feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
s in pre-production, namely Anagram, Barcelona Baby, Two faces of Mrs Holyroyd, Drinking Ink, Fighting for Hope and Herbs for Beginners.
Voted Personality of the Year by the Variety Club of Great Britain, Osman has always been a popular presenter.
She previously presented BBC Look East, Close Up West and had her own radio show for seven years, The Morning Show, for BBC Radio Bristol
BBC Radio Bristol
BBC Radio Bristol is the BBC Local Radio service for the English city of Bristol and the surrounding former Avon area. Launched in September 1970, it broadcasts from Broadcasting House in Bristol on FM frequencies 94.9 MHz , 104.6 MHz , 103.6 MHz , on AM 1548 kHz and on DAB.The...
.
She became well-known when presenting on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
, BBC News and BBC World
BBC World
BBC World News is the BBC's international news and current affairs television channel. It has the largest audience of any BBC channel in the world...
during a bomb attack on television centre while she was broadcasting in March 2001.
In August 2007, she was ordained as an interfaith
Interfaith
The term interfaith dialogue refers to cooperative, constructive and positive interaction between people of different religious traditions and/or spiritual or humanistic beliefs, at both the individual and institutional levels...
minister and is currently establishing a three-tier healing system, Rainbow's End Foundation.
Osman had an extensive career in radio and television at the BBC. According to one article, Osman fronted Points West on BBC1 for 14 years, before broadcasting a slot on BBC Radio Bristol for eight years. She started her career as a theatre director in Washington, D.C. and was also a Speech and Drama teacher at the Guildhall of Music, Speech and Drama. Osman was recruited by the BBC after media executives recognized her talent at the Roedean School, a private girls’ school in the United Kingdom. Osman left her position at the BBC to pursue a broadcasting career in China, because of ageism. According to Osman, 'When she was working at BBC Bristol as a presenter, she was asked if she was menopausal by one of her managers.' According to a report, Osman stated, 'There seems to be a culture of ageism in broadcasting in this country, and it particularly affects women.' Furthermore, 'Osman claimed that she had many female colleagues who left the broadcasting field in the United Kingdom in their early forties, and it is a shame because older women could bring wisdom and empathy.'
Osman has recently returned to the UK after spending 18 months in China. She worked with China Radio International- Beijing - 91.5 fm. Osman edited and presented The Beijing Hour With Susan Osman, which was a first for China, a daily live news programme for state controlled radio. Osman also broadcasted for BON in China, Australia and America - programmes were translated online in over 61 languages.