End of era for news readers as BBC dashes Moira's hopes

Hopes of saving Moira Stuart, who was allegedly axed from frontline news reading by the BBC because she was too old, appeared lost yesterday as the corporation's director general signalled an end to the era of non-journalistic presenters.

Giving evidence to the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, Mark Thompson declared the day of the specialist newsreader to be over and said presenters would now have to double up as correspondents.

Before becoming Britain's first black newscaster, Stuart, 55, was a continuity announcer and actress, appearing in early episodes of the cult children's programme The Adventure Game.

However, she went on to become one of Britain's most popular news readers. She was awarded an OBE six years ago and presented across all bulletins. Her sudden departure from her slot on Sunday AM last month prompted an angry backlash from newspapers and fellow presenters, who accused the BBC of ageism and sexism.

Mr Thompson conceded that Stuart was "much loved" and "valued" by viewers and colleagues alike and rejected allegations of discrimination. But he added: "BBC News, News 24, the radio networks ... have changed over the years and the traditional role of the news reader, as opposed to a correspondent or presenter, has virtually died out over the services." He added that the need for multi-skilling was even more pressing in the digital age.

The Conservative MP Nigel Evans challenged the decision to "sack" Stuart, calling it "appalling", and suggested the manner of her departure should be discussed by the new BBC Trust. "Has anyone phoned you to say you are mad and that you have an ageist policy about newsreaders?" he asked.

Mr Thomspon said he would brief the BBC Trust over the row at its next meeting and hinted that Stuart could be reassigned to other high-profile but non-news presenting roles. "The question of what happens to Moira in the future is something we're discussing with her," he said.

"When she does programmes beyond the news, she did that quite brilliant programme on William Wilberforce, she shows her range of talents."

Mr Evans replied: "If this is how you treat someone that's much loved I'd hate to see how you treat someone you don't like." Philip Davies, a fellow Tory MP, said it was ironic for "the most politically-correct organisation in the country to be accused of ageism, racism and sexism".

In other evidence to the committee, Mr Thompson said it was a "matter of regret" that the BBC lost the rights to the FA Cup to ITV but said it had been priced out. He also described the decision to ask a girl visiting the Blue Peter studio to pose as the winning contestant in a competition in aid of Unicef as an abuse of public trust. He said it was "a very serious mistake that was mortifying" for everyone on Blue Peter.

Newsreaders' other selves

* KENNETH KENDALL

Best know as the Nine O'Clock News stalwart, but he also played a newsreader in Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. Film career also included role in the 1967 science fiction B-movie They Came From Beyond Space.

* JAN LEEMING

Worked as an actress in Australia and New Zealand before joiningPebble Mill at One (1974-1979). Soon after that she revealed she was a supporter of the Tory party and made a party political broadcast on its behalf.

* ANNA FORD

After becoming the first president of the students' union at Manchester University, she was a social studies tutor for the Open University in Northern Ireland before joining the BBC, aged 30, in 1974.

* NATASHA KAPLINSKY

Worked in the press offices of the former Labour leaders Neil Kinnock and John Smith, progressing from lowly tasks such as making tea and photocopying for £5 a day.