Sally Feldman

February 4, 2000

Workplace battles seem to have dogged Sally Feldman, former editor of Woman's Hour and now dean of the school of media at the London College of Printing. She gained her spurs in 1990, fighting to stop then Radio 4 controller Michael Green changing the Woman's Hour name to help make it more accessible to men.

Once tipped for the controllerships of both Radios 2 and 4, she left the BBC in 1997, after more than ten years, when she failed to break through the glass ceiling into a management role.

Described as "feisty", "outspoken" and "unorthodox", she was critical of the management structure introduced by former BBC director general John Birt for causing low morale. But she agreed with some of his techniques and has been accused of implementing a few Birtist management changes at the LCP.

She started her journalistic career as a copy writer, later becoming editor of Woman's World and the teenage magazines Love Affair, New Love and Loving. She still pens the odd teenage romance under a pseudonym.

In 1983, she arrived at the BBC as a producer, rising to deputy editor of Woman's Hour in 1990. While working for the BBC, she participated in several reviews, chaired one on implementing higher standards of journalism in radio and another reviewing the corporation's links with higher education. This included involving BBC staff in planning media courses, which she defends as a valuable source of training and research, so long as they are offered responsibly.

Before joining the LCP she produced the pilot for a television chat show presented by the Duchess of York. She is a strong advocate of journalists being able to move from one medium to another.

Her hobbies do not include football, which she once described as "the defining symbol and living art of masculinity".

People is edited by Harriet Swain and researched by Lynne Williams.

Send all information to Lynne Williams The THES, Admiral House, 66-68 East Smithfield, London E1W 1BX

Tel 020 7782 3375

Email lynne.williams@thes.co.uk

Full listings of grants, appointments and honours appear on The THES website

Netgazette@thesis.co.uk

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