Martha Kearney has stepped down as a presenter of Radio 4’s At this time programme, saying she shall be “having fun with the lie-ins” after six years of 3am begins on the job.
Colleagues and buddies on Thursday paid tribute to the long-serving BBC presenter, whereas Kearney stated she had liked the flexibility to kind a deep reference to listeners.
Kearney stated: “When you pay an excessive amount of consideration to Twitter you’d suppose we’re completely loathed. However Radio 4 listeners are superb and as you exit and about and also you see them and it’s great, their enthusiasm.”
At this time’s viewers has remained regular with 5.6 million listeners every week throughout the first three months of 2024, in keeping with Rajar figures. However that is down on the excessive of seven.5 million weekly listeners in 2017 after the Brexit referendum and Donald Trump’s election as US president.
The BBC acknowledges that conventional radio listening is prone to decline in the long run, requiring some changes to its output.
Though At this time’s prime 8.10am interview stays a core a part of each authorities minister’s media spherical, the programme is dealing with competitors for agenda-setting interviews in podcasts reminiscent of The Relaxation Is Politics, and The Information Brokers, in addition to from business radio stations reminiscent of LBC. The programme has been tweaking its format because it seeks to compete with the expansion of podcasts and rival speech breakfast exhibits.
The departure of Kearney leaves behind 5 hosts – Justin Webb, Mishal Husain, Nick Robinson, Amol Rajan, and up to date recruit Emma Barnett – to share presenting duties for At this time’s six-day-a-week operation.
Kearney joined the BBC from LBC in 1988, holding jobs together with presenter of Lady’s Hour, and Newsnight political editor. She spent greater than a decade as host of World at One till she joined At this time in 2018 as a part of a job-swap with Sarah Montague.
Her pal and former colleague Kirsty Wark, who stepped down from Newsnight final week, stated Kearney’s lengthy stint as a presenter mustn’t overshadow her report as a reporter. “She may winkle a narrative out of a stone. However in Northern Eire particularly she’s peerless. She was recognised with a Bafta nomination, she broke the story of secret talks between Martin McGuinness and the British authorities. Nearly 30 years in the past she interviewed paramilitary prisoners within the Maze jail for Newsnight.”
Kearney was additionally recognized for her fixation on bees and owned a number of hives earlier than later creating an allergy to the pollinators.
Wark stated: “I’ve liked waking as much as the voice of the beehive. Martha is a real pal to many, many, fortunate folks. However she’s additionally been a real pal to listeners – as a result of Martha’s voice is one you’ll be able to belief.”
Earlier than her remaining present it was introduced that Kearney would return to Radio 4 within the autumn with a present named This Pure Life. Co-host Rajan commented on her remaining programme: “It solely took 268 objects about wild swimming and puffin colonies however they’ve lastly given you a nature programme.”