Peter Dimmock

Peter Harold Dimmock CBE, CVO (born December 6, 1920) is a pioneering former sports broadcaster of British television during its formative years in the 1950s. He was the first host of long-running BBC Grandstand and also the first host of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards.

Early life and career

Dimmock attended Dulwich College. Before making his name in television he served in the Royal Air Force during World War II. He transferred from the Territorial Army in 1941 and qualified a pilot, then in 1943 he became a flying instructor with the rank of Flight Lieutenant, in 1944 he was appointed as a staff officer at the Air Ministry. After his demobilisation he joined the Press Association and later the BBC in 1946 as the head of outside broadcasts.

Television career

Television was still in its infancy and as head of outside broadcasts, Dimmock was in charge of a wide range of events including the Queen's Coronation in 1953 and the first televised Grand National in 1960. In 1954 he went in front of the cameras as the host of a new sport news programme Sportsview (which became Sportsnight in 1968). In its first year the show featured Roger Bannister's record breaking four-minute mile run.

The BBC's long-running Sports Personality of the Year award also started in 1954 - with Dimmock again taking the presenter role, which he was to continue for over a decade.

Having presented Sportsview for over four years, he fronted the first two shows of Grandstand in October 1958 before handing over to David Coleman. [ [http://www.whirligig-tv.co.uk/tv/adults/sports/sports.htm BBC sports programmes and hosts] ]

He presented his final Sportsview in 1964 and would take up several other roles within the BBC until he left in 1977.

Personal life

Dimmock married BBC continuity announcer and What's My Line? panellist Polly Elwes. Elwes died on July 15, 1987. [ [http://tvannouncers.thetvroomplus.com/channel-1.html Polly Elwes profile] ] On June 8, 1990 he married Christabel Rosamund Bagge.

Awards

*Royal Television Society RTS Sports Awards - Special Judges Award 2004 [ [http://www.rts.org.uk/Information_page_+_3_pic.asp?sec_id=732 RTS Awards 2004] ]
*Commander of the Victorian Order (CVO) [ [http://www.thepeerage.com/p12883.htm#i128827 Peerage record for Peter Dimmock] ]

References

External links

* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/in_depth/2000/sports_personality/1021802.stm Dimmock's profile on the BBC web site]

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NAME= Dimmock, Peter
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SHORT DESCRIPTION=British sports broadcaster
DATE OF BIRTH=1920-12-06
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DATE OF DEATH=
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