FORTY years ago this week, under a black cloud, Anna Ford arrived at ITN in her role as newsreader.
As Anna looked forward to a new career as the first female newsreader on the station, on February 13, 1978, the BBC argued she had breached her contract with them, and she faced legal action.
Born in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, in 1943, Anna had to obtain security clearance from MI5 before beginning employment with the BBC due to the fact she was living with a former Communist.
She then worked on Man Alive and Tomorrow’s World before the opportunity arrived for her to “change sides”.
Although Anna still had 10 months left on her BBC contract, the company decided to release her from it and dropped their legal proceedings.
One spokesperson said: “We are sorry to lose her, but we will do nothing to stop her.”
She would certainly have been pleased to be receiving a £4000 pay rise from the £10,000 salary she had been earning.
“I have never been averse to working with ladies,” said ITN newsreader Reginald Bosanquet on Anna’s appointment. “But I judge all my colleagues on professionalism. I do not know Anna, but I have heard that she is a very competent and professional lady.”
Anna was to find herself in direct competition with Angela Rippon, who was presenting the news on the BBC, having become the first female presenter there in 1975.
Within two months, Anna went on to present News At Ten.
Although her ITN career initially went from strength to strength, she would eventually return to the BBC, in 1986, after being sacked.
This was due to the fact she was leaving ITN to join TV-am. Her bosses had seen her in the role of lead anchor and when they discovered she was planning to leave, accused her of being disloyal and dishonest.
Anna later threw some wine over Jonathan Aitken, disgusted at his involvement in her sacking — this would lead to her being labelled “Angry Anna”.
Anna, who was at one point engaged to her former ITN colleague Jon Snow, married magazine editor Mark Boxer, who passed away as the result of a brain tumour, in 1988.
She has interviewed Prime Ministers and had tea at No 10, but even Anna wasn’t immune to the BBC ageism controversy, when in 2006, she retired.
“I don’t think the people you see on our screens reflect the people out there and I’m sure the public would like that —people with character, with lines on their faces, people who have had experiences of life,” she said as she bid farewell.
Producers then showed archive footage from Anna’s time in broadcasting.
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