The Media Show

Large and crumpled in appearance, looking askance at the world through badly treated glasses, Steve resembled a character from the pages of Michael Frayn. It was no surprise to learn than Steve was a rugby player.

His distinctive Midlands’ tones were invariably part of the background noise to any media event worth attending.

At Cambridge or Edinburgh, Steve’s presence was de rigour – whether talking, beer in hand, until past midnight in the bar or up on stage interviewing, say, Elisabeth Murdoch or David Abraham.

So it is with Steve Hewlett, presenter of Radio 4’s Media Show and a person who is responsible for some of the most important TV scoops of the last 30 years.

The 1995 Panorama interview with Princess Diana, edited on his watch, was seen by almost 23 million viewers.

Hewlett has also worked on programmes covering The Troubles in Northern Ireland, including a film on Bloody Sunday, and tracked down Colonel Gaddafi.  

Back in March, Steve was told by doctors that he was suffering from a very aggressive form of cancer.

The level of threat the BBC is under in the run-up to Charter Renewal is in danger of being exaggerated, former BBC Director-General Greg Dyke told Radio 4’s The Media Show.

Dyke was part of a panel discussing the future of the broadcaster, and added that it would be a “terrible mistake” for the BBC to stop making popular shows such as Strictly Come Dancing.

Alastair Stewart may have hosted British television’s first political leaders’ debate in April 2010 but, more often than not, it was Jeremy Paxman who had the last word at a rumbustious RTS Legends lunch in May.

Steve Hewlett was the ringmaster at this highly entertaining event, which sought to bring an insider’s perspective to the recent general election.

For much of the time, the two TV anchor men agreed to disagree. Paxman was as cynical as Stewart was enthusiastic. Maybe he’d recently attended a positive-thinking course.