Peter Snow

For the New Zealand doctor, see Peter Snow (doctor).

File:Peter Snow and Swingometer.jpg

Peter Snow using the Swingometer during the 2005 general election

Peter Snow CBE (born 20 April 1938 in Dublin, Ireland) is a television and radio presenter in Britain. He is the grandson of First World War general Thomas D'Oyly Snow, cousin of Jon Snow, the main presenter of Channel 4 News, and the brother-in-law of historian-writer Margaret MacMillan.

He was educated at Wellington College and subsequently read Greats at Balliol College, University of Oxford, where he was taught by R.M. Hare.

Snow was a newscaster for Independent Television News (ITN) from the 1960s, but gained most fame when recruited to present the BBC Two in-depth news programme Newsnight in 1980. He retired from Newsnight in 1998 and has since presented Tomorrow's World (with Philippa Forrester) and the BBC Radio 4 quizzes Masterteam and Brain of Britain, amongst other projects.

He has been involved in the live general election results programmes for many years, first at ITN and later for the BBC. He presents statistical analyses of the election results, and took over responsibility for these following the death of Robert McKenzie, and became largely associated with the "Swingometer" when it was reinstated in 1992. He is known for his somewhat excitable style of presentation and ever-more elaborate props and graphics, though perhaps his most famous prop was the most basic - a sandpit which he used to illustrate the progress of the First Gulf War.

He survived a plane crash in Washington state, USA on 1 October, 1999.

Along with his son, Dan, Peter Snow presented a TV series Battlefield Britain, covering battles on British soil from Boudicca's struggle with the Romans to the Battle of Britain. Sometimes they point out the hardships that the much smaller soldiers must have faced (Peter is 6'5" and Dan is 6'6").

In addition, Peter and Dan reunited to host 20th Century Battlefields for the Military Channel and BBC 2 in 2006. This covers battles all around the world and is presented in similar fashion to the first Battlefield Britain.

On 6 October 2005, the BBC announced that Peter Snow would be standing down from his electoral responsibilities and concentrate more on journalism. Mr. Snow himself is quoted as saying "I shall be over 70 at the next general election and that, frankly, is a bit old to be dancing around in front of huge graphic displays."

Miscellanea

• He once auditioned for the part of James Bond.
• Father of Dan Snow and five other children including a French son born before his first marriage.
• He was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) for his services to broadcasting in the 2006 Queen's New Year's Honours List.
• He married Alison Carter in 1964 and the couple had a son and a daughter but divorced nine years later.
• He married Ann MacMillan (of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation since 1981) in 1976 and the couple now have a son and two daughters.
• His wife and sister-in-law are great-granddaughters of former British Prime Minister David Lloyd George.

External links

• Peter Snow Official Website
• Peter Snow talks about his career to reporter David Lawson

  

  Peter Snow talks to Advertizer reporter David Lawson

• BBC News Online - Peter Snow survives plane crash
• BBC News Online - Peter Snow hangs up swingometer
• BBC News Online (Peter Snow remembers...) - [1]
• RandomHouse article - The World's Greatest 20th Century Battles
• Amazon Link for 20th Century Battlefields
• An Audience with Peter Snow was the highlight of the 2007 Ludlow Festival on July 7th.