Alastair Stewart

Infobox journalist
name = Alastair Stewart


birthname = Alastair Stewart
birth_date = birth date and age|1952|6|22|df=yes
birth_place = London, England
occupation = Journalist, Presenter
title = Alastair Stewart OBE
spouse = Sally Ann Jung (1978-present)
children = 4
ethnic = Scottish / English
religion =
credits = ITV News

Alastair Stewart OBE [http://www.famousfriends.co.uk/celebrity/770/ Alastair Stewart, FamousFriends.co.uk] ] (born 22 June 1952) is a British newsreader. Currently employed by ITN. Presenting on ITV London and ITV News programmes.

Personal life

Stewart was born in London, England to a Scottish father, originating from Invergarry and an English mother] . He was raised as a Christian and remains so today. Alastair Stewart was educated at St. Augustine's Abbey School [http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-53823651.html Archive: Birthdays from Birmingham Post, HighBeam Research] ] , a boys' independent school in Kent, Southern England. . He studied economics, and politics at Bristol University and worked for the National Union of Students, 1974-76.

Alastair is an active supporter of a number of charities, and is Vice President of both NCH "Action for Children" and Home-Start [http://www.justadrop.org/en-gb/whoweare/trustees/261.cfm Alastair Stewart OBE - Justadrop.org, clean water charity for the world] ] .

TV career

1970s

His career in Television started in 1976 with ITV's south of England company Southern Television in Southampton [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/alastair-stewart-my-life-in-media-409955.html "Alastair Stewart: My Life In Media", The Independent] ] . He was a reporter, industrial correspondent, presenter and documentary maker. He recorded one of the last interviews with Lord Mountbatten before he was assassinated by the IRA in 1979 [http://www.nyt.co.uk/alastair-stewart.htm Alastair Stewart, Now You're Talking speaker agency] ] , and even spent six weeks in Ford Open Prison to make a half hour documentary. .

1980s

He joined ITN in 1980 as industrial correspondent, soon joining its roster of additional newsreaders. From 1983 to 1986 he was a presenter and reporter with ITN's Channel 4 News, before moving in September 1986 to present ITN's "News at 5.45"

He moved again in May 1989, to ITN's flagship News at Ten bulletin, which he anchored live from the fall of the Berlin Wall, before spending a year in the United States as ITN's Washington Correspondent. Four days after returning from his assignment in Washington he was sent to Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, to anchor ITN's coverage of the Gulf War. He presented News at Ten, live from Saudi Arabia for two months. At the end of February, Alastair was the first British television reporter to be broadcast, live from the liberated Kuwait City. He presented News at Ten from Kuwait for a week before returning to the UK, where he was arrested by customs officials for smuggling peanuts in his underpants.

1990s

ITN's network coverage of the 1992 Budget saw the ninth year of Alastair's involvement in the presentation of this annual event for ITV. It was his fifth year anchoring the programme having taken the role from Sir Alastair Burnet.

During his time with ITN he also provided the commentary for many of ITN's other special programmes on the ITV network including the State Openings of Parliament, numerous by-elections, State Visits and for the Royal Weddings of the Prince and Princess of Wales and Duke and Duchess of York. Alastair provided live coverage of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster as the details of the tragedy unfolded. A two minute news-flash became an unscripted, one hour special programme. He also anchored, with Sandy Gall, the award winning coverage on ITN on the night of the bombing of the Pan Am jet over Lockerbie; and presented the ITV network coverage of the Memorial Service for the victims.

From 1992 to present he can be seen co-presenting the ITV London's regional news programme "London Tonight".

Other programmes he has presented since 1992 include "Alastair Stewart's Sunday" for BBC Radio 5 in 1994. Then in 1995, he joined GMTV where he anchored "Alastair Stewart's Sunday Programme" until 2001 when he left.

2000s

He was a presenter on the now defunct ITV News Channel for the 2003 Iraq War and presenting a weekday slot called "Live with Alastair Stewart".

He has also been a regular presence in ITV's national election coverage, co-anchoring their network coverage of the 2005 and 1997 General Election with Jonathan Dimbleby and Michael Brunson (1997 only); the 1992 General Election with Jon Snow; and the 1987 General Election with Alastair Burnet.

He also presented a programme called "Police Camera Action!" on ITV1, showing video footage of examples of road crime from police cars. But in 2003, he had to give this up after his second conviction for drink driving [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hampshire/dorset/3034856.stm "Drink-driving TV host dropped", BBC News 2003-07-01] ] . Episodes that had already been recorded for broadcast in 2002 were finally shown in January 2006. However, in September 2007, a new series of "Police Camera Action!" had returned to screens, primarily with new presenter Adrian Simpson, but with Alastair being reinstated to introduce and conclude each episode.

Since February 2007, he can also be seen co-presenting the "ITV Lunchtime News" on ITV1.

Also in 2007 he hosted a political programme for ITV1, "Moral of the Story", which aired at various late times on Sunday nights, and was widely ridiculed as being second rate.

Since January 2008, he can be seen presenting the "ITV Late News" when the main presenter is absent.

Awards

*"Presenter of the Year Award" at the 2004 Royal Television Society for his live coverage of the Beslan siege.
*"News presenter of the Year" at the 2005 RTS awards for his ITV News Channel programme "Live with Alastair Stewart".

References

External links

* [http://www.justpeople.com/contentnew/People/Interviews/Media/AlastairStewart.asp Interview for justpeople.com] , 29 September 2000.
* [http://www.davidrowan.com/2005/03/broadcast-magazine-alastair-stewart.html Interview for Broadcast magazine] , 24 March 2005.
* [http://www.cherwell.org/do_students_care_anymore Do students care anymore?] Article by Alastair Stewart for Cherwell student newspaper, 20 January 2006.
* [http://www.btinternet.com/~rob.frowen/presenters_s3.html Alastair Stewart at TV Ark]