User:Robevans123/sandbox/Margaret Howard (broadcaster)

Margaret Howard (born March 29 1938) is a British broadcaster and journalist, probably best known as the presenter of Letterbox on the BBC World Service and Pick of the Week on BBC Radio 4, and later as a presenter with Classic FM in the United Kingdom.

Early life
Margaret Howard was born March 29 1938, daughter of John Bernard Howard and Ellen Corwena Howard (Roberts). Howard was educated at St Mary's Convent School, Rhyl and St Teresa's Convent School, Sunbury-on-Thames. As a child, a chronic lung condition often kept Howard off school and in bed, where she listened to BBC School Radio and Children's Hour, developing a fascination with, and a wish to perform on, radio.

Howard started acting at school, firstly as lead fairy in A Midsummer Night's Dream, followed by more substantial Shakespearian roles. She wanted to act professionally but, in a convent school in the 1950s, this was not considered a suitable profession. Nun, nurse or secretary were the available options. Her older sister had joined the Civil Service, so Howard tried to follow and sat the entrance exam. After failing, she applied to the BBC, which she described "as a compromise between the Civil Service and the stage".

Career in broadcasting
Margaret Howard joined the BBC in 1955 immediately after school. She later claimed that it was easy to join: at her interview "The woman pulled down a book full of jobs".

She went on to spent most of her time in broadcasting with the BBC, as a member of staff or as a freelancer, but also spent a year in Indiana in the 1960s, and later, working with Classic FM, after the BBC did not renew her contract in 1991.

BBC 1955-196?
By 1959 Howard was working as a studio manager World Service (before name change), presented  various, (Merchant Navy Request Program, Listener's Choice), working at Bush House

Also at Broadcasting House, Listen with Mother - ting-a-ling bicycle bell.

announcer - World Service 1967 to 1969

Indiana University
Left for a year and went to Indiana University (studied for a Masters, on a scholarship, taught undergrads, and read news on student radio and TV - WFIU and WTIU) and returned to present Letterbox (interview around 7 minutes) and Monitoring Times interview.

BBC (196?-1991)
Also started researching and scripting (temporarily) for Pick of the Week and took over (with reservations from BBC management when Ellison died) (interview around 9 minutes)

Meet Margaret - BBC Radio 2, August-September 1969.

Sometimes chaired It's Your World a World Service phone-in programme. Margaret Thatcher

You and Yours sometimes

Letterbox ended in 1986

Other work
The Tablet radio critic from 1991 to 2001.

columnist for The Universe (Catholic newspaper) 1973 to 1979.

classical CD reviewer Chic Magazine 1995 to 1998.

radio column for Sunday Express 1991 to 1992.

Awards

 * Sony (Radio Academy) Award: UK Female Radio Personality of the Year 1984, for her work on BBC Radio 4.
 * Howard was inducted into the Radio Academy Hall of Fame in 2013. When collecting the award she joked "What took you so long?".