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Michael Buerk
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Michael Buerk
Michael Duncan Buerk (/bɜːrk/; born 18 February 1946) is a British journalist and newsreader. He presented BBC News from 1973 to 2002 and has been the host of BBC Radio 4's Moral Maze since 1990. He was also the presenter of BBC One's docudrama 999 from 1992 to 2003. From 2017, Buerk also presented the TV programme Royal Recipes which ran for two series.
Buerk was born on 18 February 1946, in St. Philomena's Nursing Home, Solihull. He moved to Vancouver as a young child before returning to the West Midlands after the failure of his parents' marriage, when Buerk was three. He attended Solihull School, an independent school in the West Midlands where he was a member of the Combined Cadet Force and represented the school on the sports field.
Buerk's hopes of a career in the Royal Air Force were dashed when he failed an eyesight test at the selection centre. He briefly worked as a hod carrier.
Buerk began his career in journalism with the Bromsgrove Messenger, South Wales Echo (he shared a house with Sue Lawley in Cardiff), and the Daily Mail. In 1970, he joined BBC Radio Bristol, where he was the first voice heard on air, before becoming a network reporter for BBC News in 1973.
From 1983 to 1987, Buerk was the BBC's South Africa correspondent during the dying years of apartheid in the country. Buerk's uncompromising reports on the brutalities of the regime resulted in the South African government expelling him from the country after four years in the post.
Buerk's reporting of the Ethiopian famine in October 1984 inspired the Band Aid charity single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" and the following year's Live Aid concerts. His report is regarded as a watershed moment in crisis reporting that influenced modern coverage.
Buerk became the anchor for the BBC Nine O'Clock News and BBC News at Ten. He presented the first BBC News bulletin of the 2000s at 0100 GMT on 1 January 2000.
Buerk announced his semi-retirement from BBC News in 2002, stating he would continue to host other programmes. Despite retirement, he continued to appear on BBC News as an occasional relief presenter until 2004.
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Michael Buerk
Michael Duncan Buerk (/bɜːrk/; born 18 February 1946) is a British journalist and newsreader. He presented BBC News from 1973 to 2002 and has been the host of BBC Radio 4's Moral Maze since 1990. He was also the presenter of BBC One's docudrama 999 from 1992 to 2003. From 2017, Buerk also presented the TV programme Royal Recipes which ran for two series.
Buerk was born on 18 February 1946, in St. Philomena's Nursing Home, Solihull. He moved to Vancouver as a young child before returning to the West Midlands after the failure of his parents' marriage, when Buerk was three. He attended Solihull School, an independent school in the West Midlands where he was a member of the Combined Cadet Force and represented the school on the sports field.
Buerk's hopes of a career in the Royal Air Force were dashed when he failed an eyesight test at the selection centre. He briefly worked as a hod carrier.
Buerk began his career in journalism with the Bromsgrove Messenger, South Wales Echo (he shared a house with Sue Lawley in Cardiff), and the Daily Mail. In 1970, he joined BBC Radio Bristol, where he was the first voice heard on air, before becoming a network reporter for BBC News in 1973.
From 1983 to 1987, Buerk was the BBC's South Africa correspondent during the dying years of apartheid in the country. Buerk's uncompromising reports on the brutalities of the regime resulted in the South African government expelling him from the country after four years in the post.
Buerk's reporting of the Ethiopian famine in October 1984 inspired the Band Aid charity single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" and the following year's Live Aid concerts. His report is regarded as a watershed moment in crisis reporting that influenced modern coverage.
Buerk became the anchor for the BBC Nine O'Clock News and BBC News at Ten. He presented the first BBC News bulletin of the 2000s at 0100 GMT on 1 January 2000.
Buerk announced his semi-retirement from BBC News in 2002, stating he would continue to host other programmes. Despite retirement, he continued to appear on BBC News as an occasional relief presenter until 2004.
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