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Jenny Abramsky

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Dame
Jenny Abramsky
GBE
Born
Jennifer Gita Abramsky

(1946-10-07) 7 October 1946 (age 78)
England
Alma materUniversity of East Anglia (BA)
Occupation(s)Journalist, media producer
Known forDirector of Audio and Music, BBC
TitleChancellor of the University of East Anglia
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1976; died 2012)​
Children2
FatherChimen Abramsky

Dame Jennifer Gita Abramsky, GBE (born 7 October 1946), is a British media producer, philanthropist and Chancellor of the University of East Anglia. She was chairman of the UK's National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF).[1] Until her retirement from the BBC, Abramsky was its most senior woman employee; she was Director of Audio and Music.[2][3][4][5]

Early life and education

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Born to a Jewish family, she was the daughter of Miriam, a social worker and former communist who was in Brick Lane during Oswald Mosley's fascist marches, and Chimen Abramsky, a professor of Jewish studies and rare book expert.[6][7] One of her grandfathers was Yehezkel Abramsky, a prominent Orthodox rabbi and scholar who headed the London Beth Din rabbinical court for 17 years.[8]

In her youth Abramsky wished to become a ballerina, going so far as to study with the Rambert Dance Company; even attempting to join the Royal Ballet but failing supposedly due to her short stature of only 5 ft.[6][9] She was educated at Holland Park Comprehensive School, London, and then completed her education at the University of East Anglia, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in English.[8]

Career

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In 1969, she joined the BBC as a programmes operations assistant, and in 1973 was appointed as a producer of The World at One. She became the first woman editor of the agenda-setting Today programme, ran the first Gulf War Radio 4 News FM service, and went on to launch Britain's first continuous news and sport radio station, BBC Radio 5 Live, before launching the television channel BBC News 24.[6][10][11][12] She launched the BBC's online news website, news.bbc.co.uk. She was named Director of BBC Radio in January 1999 and was subsequently promoted to the BBC's executive board with overall responsibility for BBC Radios 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 Live and the BBC's digital radio stations 1Xtra, BBC 7, 6 Music, 5 Live Sports Extra and the Asian Network; the three BBC orchestras based in England; and the Proms.[13] In 2006 she became Director of Audio and Music – adding online services, audio on demand and podcasting to her remit of broadcast radio.[citation needed]

She had an annual programming budget of £236 million (about US$475m) and a staff of 1,681. Under her leadership, by the first three months of 2007 the BBC's radio stations had an audience share of 56.6 percent – compared with the 13.9 percent of listeners shared by all commercial radio broadcasters – and a reach of almost 33.5 million people – a record, according to Guardian newspaper (9 July 2007).[clarification needed] The paper listed Abramsky as the 18th most powerful person in the UK's media, though she had slipped from No. 11 in the paper's 2006 ranking.[14]

Post-BBC

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It was announced in June 2008 that Abramsky was retiring from the BBC after 39 years of service, to be replaced by Tim Davie.[15] After leaving the BBC she began focusing her efforts on preserving cultural sites. She currently serves on the board of trustees for the UK's largest youth drama festival, the Shakespeare Schools Festival and is a Fellow of The Radio Academy. She is Chair of Trustees of National Life Stories and of the Royal Academy of Music.[12][16] She previously served as Chair of the Heritage Lottery Fund (now The National Lottery Heritage Fund) as well.[9][17][18]

In 2016 she was appointed to the trustees of Canal & River Trust the charity responsible for 2000 miles of canals and rivers in England & Wales. In 2017 she was appointed to be the deputy Chair of Canal & River Trust.[19] She is a member of the Audit and Risk Committee, and is chair of the appointments committee. In April 2024, she was appointed as the Chancellor of the University of East Anglia.[20]

Personal life

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Abramsky married Alasdair Liddell, a former head of planning for the NHS, in 1976. They had two children and were married until his death from an aneurism on 31 December 2012.[2][21]

Honours

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Abramsky was elevated from Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) to Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2009 New Year Honours.[3][22] She was further elevated to Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE) in the 2024 Birthday Honours.[23]

She was also one of the first nine people to be inducted into the Digital Radio Hall of Fame.[5]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ "Appointment of chair to the National Heritage Memorial Fund". 10 Downing Street. 10 April 2008. Archived from the original on 15 April 2008. Retrieved 17 February 2009.
  2. ^ a b "Ex-NHS policy chief Alasdair Liddell dies aged 63". The Independent. 4 January 2013. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  3. ^ a b "New Year Honours list". The Telegraph. 30 December 2008. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  4. ^ "Archers star Wimbush dies at 81". 1 November 2005. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  5. ^ a b "Digital Radio Hall of Fame members announced". RadioToday. 12 June 2018. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  6. ^ a b c "Jenny Abramsky: The listener". The Independent. 8 November 2004. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  7. ^ Rapoport-Albert, Ada (18 March 2010). "Chimen Abramsky obituary". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  8. ^ a b Summerskill, Ben (3 February 2002). "Observer Profile: Jenny Abramsky". www.theguardian.com. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  9. ^ a b Owen, Jonathan (27 July 2014). "Dame Jenny Abramsky: 'We have to rethink. If not, museums and parks". The Independent. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  10. ^ Reynolds, Gillian (26 March 2014). "How Radio 5 Live found its voice". The Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  11. ^ "Evening Standard editor moves to Today". BBC News. 30 January 2017. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  12. ^ a b Bowman, Verity (30 January 2020). "Radio 4's Today programme editor Sarah Sands resigns amid BBC cuts". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  13. ^ Mosey, Roger (5 June 2020). "The BBC's top job has never been tougher – but Tim Davie has the skills to succeed". The Independent. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  14. ^ "The Media Guardian 100". The Guardian. London. 27 September 2007. Retrieved 17 February 2009.
  15. ^ BBC Press Office, "Tim Davie appointed as Director of BBC Audio & Music", 27 June 2008
  16. ^ "Governing Body". Royal Academy of Music. Archived from the original on 10 April 2019. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
  17. ^ Atkinson, Rebecca (20 June 2012). "Museums to benefit from endowments fund". Museums Association. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  18. ^ Atkinson, Rebecca (12 October 2012). "First world war centenary plans announced". Museums Association. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  19. ^ C&RT Board of Trustees, "Jenny was appointed as a trustee in September 2016", Sept 2016
  20. ^ "Dame Jenny Abramsky is new University of East Anglia chancellor". BBC News. 24 April 2024. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  21. ^ Dickson, Niall (11 January 2013). "Alasdair Liddell obituary". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 12 January 2013.
  22. ^ "No. 58929". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2008. p. 6.
  23. ^ "Birthday Honours List 2024" (PDF). assets.publishing.service.gov.uk.
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Media offices
Preceded by
Position established
 Editor of Today
1986–1987 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
?
 BBC Director of Audio and Music
2006–2008 		Succeeded by
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