Ken Goudie

Ken Goudie, a big and gentle man, who was Editor of Today at a pivotal time in the programme's history, has died in a nursing home in Malmesbury, in his late eighties.

Ken was a senior editor in BBC Radio News in the 1970s. In 1976, the Today programme was edited by Mike Chaney, launch editor of Newsbeat, whose "big idea" for Radio 4 was to have Brian Redhead present from Manchester, with John Timpson in London. A third of the production team were sent north in an eerie precursor of the Salford move.

For Chaney, it meant he could get more presentation out of Macclesfield-based Brian, who moved up from three to five days a week. Chaney has said the idea was a "conspiracy" between himself, Redhead, David Hatch (then in charge of network production from Manchester) and Chaney's deputy, Colin Adams. The concern was then (as now) that Radio 4 was not doing much business beyond the famous Bristol to The Wash line.

This format was struggling on in 1977 (the programme's 20th birthday) when a new Controller arrived at Radio 4. Ian "Mack the Knife" McIntyre (who went to my old school, Prescot Grammar !) had been making documentaries for Radio 3 and 4, and was the first presenter of Analysis. His analysis of Radio 4 was that news and current affairs programmes could be improved if they concentrated their efforts on much less output.  Thus Today was cut into two 30 minute pieces, with the remainder of the breakfast output filled up with two editions of the ludicrous "Up to the hour", a rag bag of trails, Thought for the Day, weather and sport, hosted in turn by Radio 4 announcers. Cue pretty much open revolt, inside and outside Broadcasting House. Fearless Peter Donaldson on-air thanked listeners for their bravery in sticking with Up To The Hour, though expressing surprise they hadn't retuned to BBC Radio 2.

MacIntyre lasted until 1978, when he was shoved sideways to Radio 3. News were ready to act. Ken Goudie was moved into Today from the radio newsroom, for a relaunch on Monday 3 July 1978. Out went Up to the Hour, and Today was back, longer than before - running from 0630 to 0835 (and 0845 when there was no Parliamentary business). The bulletins at 0700 and 0800 were longer, and in came summaries on the half-hour and headline updates. Brian Redhead was provided with weekday accommodation in London, Libby Purves formally joined the presentation team, and things were all jolly again.

Ken's job was done by 1981, when he was moved to the calmer waters of The World Tonight, and Julian Holland arrived to further sharpen Today, to ward off the threat of breakfast television. That seemed to work, too.

1800 update: It was Julian Holland who got Prayer for the Day shifted out of the Today running order, not Ken, as I wrote earlier.