George Ffitch
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George Norman Ffitch (23 January 1929 – 5 July 2001) was an English newsreader, television presenter, radio personality and journalist. He began working for ITN as an industrial and political correspondent and later a programme editor when it was founded in 1955, covering elections and results broadcasts, political conventions in the United States and party conferences in the United Kingdom Ffitch presented television programs such as '' This Week'' and '' News at Ten''. He also worked as the political and assistant editor at ''
The Economist ''The Economist'' is a British weekly newspaper printed in demitab format and published digitally. It focuses on current affairs, international business, politics, technology, and culture. Based in London, the newspaper is owned by The Eco ...
'' and also at the '' Daily Express''. He was managing director of LBC and
Independent Radio News Independent Radio News provides a service of news bulletins, audio and copy to commercial radio stations in the United Kingdom and beyond. The managing director, Tim Molloy, succeeded long-term MD John Perkins in November 2009. Perkins had been ...
from 1979 to his retirement in 1985.


Biography


Early life

Ffitch was born at 29 Charlotte Street in
West Ham West Ham is an area in East London, located east of Charing Cross in the west of the modern London Borough of Newham. The area, which lies immediately to the north of the River Thames and east of the River Lea, was originally an ancient ...
in the East End of London on 23 January 1929. He was the son of the railway porter Robert George Ffitch and his wife Margaret Matilda ( Norman). Ffitch and was educated in state schools such as
Barking Abbey School Barking Abbey School is a secondary school and specialist sports and humanities college located in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. It serves students from the London Boroughs of Barking and Dagenham, Redbridge, and Newham. Years ...
. He was a graduate of the
London School of Economics The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) is a public university, public research university located in London, England and a constituent college of the federal University of London. Founded in 1895 by Fabian Society members Sidn ...
. Ffitch was selected to take part in an academic diploma in Slavonic and east European studies as an internal student at the
UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies The UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies (SSEES ) is a school of University College London (UCL) specializing in Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, Russia and Eurasia. It teaches a range of subjects, including the histor ...
and graduated in 1952 while serving in the Royal Army Service Corps as part of his
National Service National service is the system of voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939. The ...
in Finland. He was chosen to do the Army's Russian course at Bodmin during the early 1950s; Ffitch retained his knowledge of Russian.


Career

He wrote for the ''Tokio Evening News'' newspaper, helped the political scientist Robert McKenzie to prepare the 1955 work ''British Political Parties'' and worked for the local ''Dagenham Times'' newspaper. Ffitch began working for ITN as an industrial and political correspondent and later a programme editor following the launch of the commercial television network ITV in 1955. He covered the South Lewisham and
Carmarthen Carmarthen (, RP: ; cy, Caerfyrddin , "Merlin's fort" or "Sea-town fort") is the county town of Carmarthenshire and a community in Wales, lying on the River Towy. north of its estuary in Carmarthen Bay. The population was 14,185 in 2011, ...
by-elections in 1957, the
1958 Rochdale by-election The Rochdale by-election of 13 February 1958 was a by-election for the constituency of Rochdale, in Lancashire, England, in the House of Commons. It was called following the death on 16 December 1957 of the sitting Conservative Member of Parliame ...
, and the weekly feature programme ''Roving Report'' in 1959 on ITV. In 1962, Ffitch became a freelancer, and worked for ITV on a permanent basis on the broadcaster's current affairs programme, '' This Week,'' and the BBC on the show ''Gallery''. He also covered elections and results broadcasts, political conventions in the United States, party conferences in the United Kingdom and
Trades Union Congress The Trades Union Congress (TUC) is a national trade union centre, a federation of trade unions in England and Wales, representing the majority of trade unions. There are 48 affiliated unions, with a total of about 5.5 million members. Frances ...
debates live for ITN. From July 1967, Fiftch was one of four newscasters for the daily half-hour '' News at Ten'' bulletin alongside
Alastair Burnet Sir James William Alexander Burnet (12 July 192820 July 2012), known as Alastair Burnet, was a British journalist and broadcaster, best known for his work in news and current affairs programmes, including a long career with ITN as chief presente ...
, Andrew Gardner and
Reginald Bosanquet Reginald Tindal Kennedy Bosanquet (9 August 1932 – 27 May 1984) was a British journalist and broadcaster who was an anchor of '' News at Ten'' for ITN from 1967 to 1979.Eddie Dyj"Bosanquet, Reginald (1932–1984)" BFI screenonline Early ...
. He supported the newscast from its start having noticed the success it had in the United States. In the same year, Ffitch left ITN to work in print journalism. He worked at ''
The Economist ''The Economist'' is a British weekly newspaper printed in demitab format and published digitally. It focuses on current affairs, international business, politics, technology, and culture. Based in London, the newspaper is owned by The Eco ...
'' as their political editor and assistant editor with articles published on a weekly basis, replacing
Ian Trethowan Sir James Ian Raley Trethowan (20 October 1922 – 12 December 1990) was a British journalist, radio and television broadcaster and administrator who eventually became Director-General of the BBC, Director-General of the BBC from 1 October 1977 ...
who later became the BBC's Director-General. Ffitch joined the '' Daily Express'' as an associate editor in 1974 and remained there until 1976. He was chair of the panel of the ITV programme ''Face the Press'' that was broadcast from 1976 to 1978. Ffitch was later employed by Geoffrey Cox to be the managing director of
LBC LBC (originally the London Broadcasting Company) is a British phone-in and talk radio station owned and operated by Global and based in its headquarters in London. It was the UK's first licensed commercial radio station, and began to broadca ...
and
Independent Radio News Independent Radio News provides a service of news bulletins, audio and copy to commercial radio stations in the United Kingdom and beyond. The managing director, Tim Molloy, succeeded long-term MD John Perkins in November 2009. Perkins had been ...
. He held the position from January 1979 until he left in March 1985 due to ill health and was temporarily replaced by LBC's general manager Bill Coppen-Gardner. Ffitch retired that same year; David Nicolas wrote in ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' that Ffitch was known as an effective leader who was devoted to his colleagues.


Personal life

He married Pamela Lyle on 6 February 1958, after the two met at ITN and they had two children; a daughter and a son. Lyle predeceased him in 1990. Ffitch's home was burgled while he was away in August 1967. He died at the
Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trust The Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust was an NHS foundation trust which ran the Royal Brompton Hospital in Kensington and Harefield Hospital in Hillingdon, London, England. The Trust has been centrally involved in a long run ...
in
Chelsea, London Chelsea is an affluent area in west London, England, due south-west of Charing Cross by approximately 2.5 miles. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames and for postal purposes is part of the south-western postal area. Chelsea histori ...
on 5 July 2001.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ffitch, George 1929 births 2001 deaths Alumni of the London School of Economics Daily Express people ITN newsreaders and journalists People from West Ham The Economist people Alumni of the UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies 20th-century English male writers English male journalists English television journalists Journalists from London