George Alagiah OBE - New Year Honours List

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2007/dec/29/television.ukhonourslist

Aren't they a few days early?


Ranking wise am I correct in thinking it's basically Lord, Sir, CBE, OBE and MBE?


Considering Des Lynam also has an OBE this year I question whether Aligiah has reached that stage yet when you consider he's only really been a high profile broadcaster in the last few years. Kylie has got one too - I thought they were restricted to Brits, but I guess then the Commonwealth is also included.

( former sports presenter Bob Wilson also gets an OBE)


Parkinson deserves his knighthood, but it's ridiculous Brucie has to wait until the summer for his.



Talking of knighthoods though (tedious link alert!), one thing we haven't considered about News at Ten's imminent return is whether they'll be a voice over introducing the programme - and if so, do you think they'll introduce Trev as "Sir Trevor McDonald" in a vain attempt to give the programme even more gravitas?

George Alagiah has actually been around longer than many people think. Pre-1999 he was a BBC correspondent covering major world events for, amongst other things, News 24; between 1999 and 2002 he was Anna Ford's deputy on the One O'Clock News; in 2002 he launched BBC Four News which also went out on BBC World and since 2003 he's been main presenter on the Six O'Clock News. I think George definitely deserves an OBE; he's given a lot in his career in broadcasing so far.

Well by "few years" I did mean a decade or so - it's just in comparison to Mr Lynam's 30 years or so around it's hardly of the same level. And nobody could suggest George Aligiah has impacted on news broadcasting in the way Des Lynam did on sports broadcasting.


To be fair though it's probably Lynam being under valued more than George being over valued which makes them both getting OBE's questionable.

Maybe I'm missing something obvious here but why George rather than Huw Edwards, or why not both? Hasn't Huw been around for the same amount of time?

Tell me more, is Brucie to be knighted ? It's long overdue IMHO.

Has Alagiah done anything more than do his job? A job for which, presumably, he has been pretty handsomely paid?
It seems that every year or so, some old lag whose been around a while getst chucked a gong. It was Alastair Stewart last time, who despite a conviction for driving 3 times over the limit was considered worthy of an honour. So I supp[ose it was the BBC's turn. Jeremy Thompson next, I guess.
These honours to journalists from Government are corrupting. They shouldn't be given, and more to the point, shouldn't be accepted.

Just the two lollipop ladies this year.

Have Peter Sissons or Michael Buerk ever been honoured? If not, surely they ought to have been prioritised over George Alagiah. Alagiah has done a lot for broadcasting and is worthy, in my opinion, of receiving an honour but I'd argue both Sissons and Buerk have done more, just because they've had longer careers. Whilst most would argue Sissons isn't brilliant on News 24, no-one can take away from him the fact that he was an excellent broadcaster on network bulletins for over 20 years. Buerk was equally as good and of course, covered the Ethiopian famine in the 1980s. I think he still does some stuff for Radio 4, does he not?

Indeed, I'm sure that Jon Snow refused to accept his ?

...and in the 20 years before that was ITN's Middle East reporter, getting seriously injured at one point I think ?

OK - I don't claim to know details of his career to date . .

BUT

my perception of Mr Allaghia is that he's been around QUITE A FEW years, has reported from many different / troublesome / wartorn / politically instable areas of the world. He has done a few 'charitable' broadcasts in his time, has been involved in the public eye on several race relations and tolerance type issues, and had presented a flagship news programme on the nation's national broadcaster for over 5 years.

I reckon he deserves the recognition.

Well done to him.