Anna Foster replaces Mishal Husain on Radio 4s Today
- BBC News
Anna Foster is to join BBC Radio 4s Today programme as one of the programmes main presenters, following the departure of Mishal Husain in December.
Foster is a former Middle East correspondent and has also previously presented BBC Radio 5 Live Drive and Radio 1s Newsbeat, as well as the corporations flagship TV news bulletins.
She will present many editions of Today from Salford, as part of the BBCs efforts to better represent more areas of the UK beyond London.
In a statement, Foster said: "There are few more exciting opportunities for a journalist than presenting Today, and Im thrilled to be joining the team.
"Ive always loved making important, agenda-setting, engaging radio, and theres nowhere better to do that. Its such a beloved programme to so many people, and I cant wait to be a part of it."
The BBC said that, in addition to presenting Today, Foster would "continue to play a key role in helping to lead the BBCs coverage of foreign news" and will still be seen on TV news bulletins for major stories.
Bosses are reported to have been keen to ensure the presenter replacing Husain had a similar level of international reporting knowledge and experience.
"She brings important international reporting experience at a time when it is needed so urgently by listeners to Radio 4," said the stations controller Mohit Bakaya.
Foster is one of several correspondents and presenters who have co-hosted episodes of Today in recent weeks following Husains departure.
Simon Jack and Jonny Dymond are the most frequent stand-in presenters on Today, however the Sunday Times reported bosses were keen to appoint a female host to replace Husain to maintain gender balance on the programme.
The other current presenters of Today are Emma Barnett, Justin Webb, Amol Rajan and Nick Robinson.
The BBCs director of live and daily news, John McAndrew, said Foster had "tremendous range and rich, varied experience" spanning more than 20 years, after she joined the BBC in 2002.
As a foreign correspondent, Foster has reported on the Turkish earthquake, the Israel-Gaza war, the Ebola outbreak, the famine in South Sudan and the conflict in Ukraine.
Husain joined the Today programme in 2013, but left the BBC last year for a new role at Bloomberg.
