Today editor Marsh to head BBC college

By Caitlin Pike

Kevin Marsh is leaving BBC Radio 4’s Today programme to become editor in chief of the corporation’s new college of journalism

Marsh, who took over from Rod Liddle in 2002, was in the editor’s seat when Andrew Gilligan broadcast his ‘sexed up’ dossier claims on the programme. A well-respected journalist who was seen as a safe pair of hands following Liddle’s controversial editorship, Marsh came in for some criticism during the Hutton Inquiry following the death of weapons inspector David Kelly.

But while other senior figures including then head of news Richard Sambrook moved on to other posts shortly after the findings of Lord Hutton, Marsh held on to his job and more recently is credited with having achieved consistently high Rajar figures.

Working alongside director of the college of journalism Vin Ray, Marsh whose radio experience will complement Ray’s in television, will be responsible for establishing and editing the college’s website.

Marsh said: “I am enormously excited by the opportunity to create a world class college forum where all the tough issues of journalism are debated. After 17 years as a front line programme editor I am really looking forward now to using that experience to help maintain BBC journalism as a gold standard of international journalism.”

Vin Ray, director of the BBC college of Journalism, said: "Kevin is a hugely respected journalist inside and outside the BBC. His enormous experience will now be put to the use of BBC journalism as a whole. His appointment is a clear symbol of the college’s ambition and seriousness of intent."