Category: ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½; Northern Ireland
Date: 14.07.2006
Printable version
Anna Carragher, Controller of ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½
Northern Ireland for the past six years, has announced that she will retire in October, after 36 years in the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½. The recruitment process for her successor will start immediately.
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Anna Carragher said: "I feel both privileged and proud to have had a long and varied career with the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ and I am particularly proud to have been Head of Programmes, Head of Broadcasting and Controller, ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Northern Ireland at a time of great change both in the industry and in Northern Ireland.
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"I've worked with great people and we've made great programmes. I shall miss the staff of ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Northern Ireland immensely - and want to thank them all for all the achievements of the last decade."
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Paying tribute to Anna Carragher, Pat Loughrey, the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s Director of Nations and Regions, said: "Throughout her career Anna has been an outstanding editorial leader and one of the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s most distinguished journalists.
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"Initially as Head of Programmes and then as Northern Ireland's first female Controller, she has led the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s affairs through a period of real challenge but also of great opportunity - including record-breaking audience figures and a host of UK-wide awards for radio and television."
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Professor Fabian Monds, the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s National Governor for Northern Ireland, said: "Anna has led ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Northern Ireland through a period of significant change and modernisation with energy, flair and imagination.
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"She has overseen the enhancement of local and
network output, delivering improved quality and diversity and earning
strong audience appreciation.
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"She has positioned ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Northern Ireland very favourably for the digital broadcasting era.
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"I am especially grateful for her enthusiastic
commitment to improving the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s accountability to local audiences
and for ensuring and effective and efficient relationship between
management and the Broadcasting Council for Northern Ireland. I wish
her every continuing success in the future."
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Anna Carragher joined the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ as a studio manager in London in 1970 after graduating from Queen's University, Belfast. She became a producer on ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio
4's Today programme in 1975, worked as the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s Radio News producer in New York in 1977, then moved to television in 1982 to join the launch team of Breakfast
Time (ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ ONE).
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She then worked on Newsnight (ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ TWO) and from 1985 to 1989 was the producer of Question
Time (ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ ONE).
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In 1989 she returned to radio as the producer of Radio 4's Any Questions?, then
edited European and Correspondent programmes for the network and for ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio Five Live.
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She became Head of Programmes, ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Northern Ireland, in 1995 (re-designated Head of Broadcasting the following year) and Controller in September 2000.
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She is a member of Business in the Community and of Rajar (Radio Joint Audience Research Ltd), a trustee of the Grand Opera House, Belfast and a member of The Sony Radio Academy Awards Committee.
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