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Peter White, broadcaster

Peter White, broadcaster, shares the eight tracks, book and luxury item he would take with him if cast away to a desert island. With Lauren Laverne.

Peter White is an award-winning broadcaster. In 2024 he will celebrate 50 years presenting Radio 4’s In Touch, the programme for blind and visually impaired people. He is also one of the presenters of the network’s consumer series, You and Yours.

Peter was born in 1947 and has been blind since birth. Like his older brother Colin, he has a rare genetic anomaly that meant his optic nerve hadn’t developed properly. From the age of five he boarded at The Royal School of Industry for the Blind where he excelled at Braille and won national reading competitions for several years running. He completed his secondary education at Worcester College for the Blind.

In 1970 he turned up in the reception for the new local radio station Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Solent and announced that he wanted to present programmes for them. They took him on and he went on to report and present for Link, the station’s programme for blind people. Years later he presented Viewpoint, a two hour live, mainstream mid-morning programme on Radio Solent. His appointment was featured on the 9 O’clock news as he was the first blind presenter to host a live daily topical programme.

In 1995 he was appointed the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's Disability Affairs Correspondent - the first totally blind person to produce as well as present reports for television news. Peter has presented other Radio 4 programmes including No Triumph, No Tragedy and Blind Man on the Rampage.

In 1998 he was appointed MBE for services to broadcasting. Peter lives in Marple, Greater Manchester with his second wife Jackie.

DISC ONE: Somebody Who Loves You - Joan Armatrading
DISC TWO: An extract from Hancock’s Half Hour - Sunday Afternoon at Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ with
Tony Hancock. With Sidney James, Bill Kerr, Hattie Jacques and Kenneth Williams
DISC THREE: Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye - Ella Fitzgerald
DISC FOUR: Badge - Cream
DISC FIVE: Albatross - Judy Collins
DISC SIX: The Banks of Green Willow. Composed by George Butterworth and performed by The Academy of St Martin in the Fields, conducted by Sir Neville Marriner
DISC SEVEN: My Old Man - Joni Mitchell
DISC EIGHT: We Can Work It Out – The Beatles

BOOK CHOICE: The 1962 edition of the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
LUXURY ITEM: Pear drops
CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Albatross - Judy Collins

Presenter Lauren Laverne
Producer Paula McGinley

Available now

36 minutes

Last on

Sun 31 Dec 2023 11:15

Music Played

  • Joan Armatrading

    Somebody Who Loves You

    • Joan Armatrading.
    • A&M.
    • 8.
  • Ella Fitzgerald

    Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye

    • Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Song Book.
    • Verve.
    • 11.
  • Cream

    Badge

    • Gold.
    • Polydor.
    • 19.
  • Judy Collins

    Albatross

    • Wild Flowers.
    • Elektra.
    • 9.
  • George Butterworth

    The Banks of Green Willow

    Orchestra: Academy of St Martin in the Fields. Conductor: Neville Marriner.
    • Fantasia on Greensleeves.
    • Decca Music Group Ltd..
    • 15.
  • Joni Mitchell

    My Old Man

    • Blue.
    • A&M.
    • 2.
  • The Beatles

    We Can Work It Out

    • The Beatles 1962 - 1966.
    • EMI Catalogue.
    • 3.

Broadcasts

  • Fri 17 Nov 2023 09:00
  • Sun 31 Dec 2023 11:15

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