After a few undistinguished months of Reading Aloud on the Six O'Clock News, he became a presenter in the mid-80s, working first on the regional news programme London Plus (known within the building as "Sod Off Kent") and then on the BBC's Breakfast Time.

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"It just occurred to me at the time that the BBC just might not be saving some of these because they had a bit of reputation at the time for getting rid of some of their stock, " she told BBC One's Breakfast.

BBC: Lost radio shows back on air

And in his time, he strongly defended the BBC's independence and it flourished creatively, with the launch of breakfast television, Newsnight and EastEnders, and the Live Aid concert broadcast.

BBC: Obituary: Alasdair Milne