William Hardcastle (broadcaster)

William Hardcastle (1918 - 1975) was a British journalist, editor of the Daily Mail and first presenter of the BBC's lunchtime news programme The World at One.

Hardcastle was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, and educated at the Newcastle Preparatory School and Durham School. [http://www.seaham.i12.com/myers/hardcastle.htm Famous People in the North East: William Hardcastle Accessed 23 August 2008] ] His early intention to follow his father into the medical profession was thwarted when he contracted osteomyelitis as a fifteen year old, and in 1938 he joined the North Shields Evening News as a reporter. [http://www.radioacademy.org.uk/record.jsp?type=celeb&ID=24 Radio Academy Hall of Fame Accessed 23 August 2008] ] .

Unfit for active service, Hardcastle remained a journalist throughout the Second World War, moving in turn to the Sheffield Telegraph, the London bureau of Kemsley Newspapers and Reuters. In 1944 he became Reuters’ correspondent at Supreme Allied Headquarters, followed by postings to New York and Washington.

From 1959 to 1963, Hardcastle was editor of the Daily Mail, covering the period when it absorbed the News Chronicle [ [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_19991214/ai_n14264905 Obituary of Mike Randall, Independent (London) 14 December 1999, accessed 13 September 2008] ] but then moved into broadcasting. On October 4 1965, he became the launch presenter of The World at One on the BBC Home Service and then BBC Radio 4. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/newswatch/history/noflash/html/1960s.stm BBC News - Newswatch History Accessed 23 August 2008] ] He retained this role until his death in 1975, and from 1970 also hosted the PM programme. [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/news/pm/history.shtml BBC PM Programme - history Accessed 23 August 2008] ]

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