CNN boss and former head of
BBC news who was known for his forthright leadershipChris Cramer, who has died aged 73 of
cancer, dominated the world of news broadcasting, becoming head of BBC newsgathering before taking charge of
CNN International in 1996.
Yet he cut a very different figure from the usual soft-spoken, polite broadcasting executive. Cramer – everyone called him that – was rough in manner, looked uncomfortable in a suit, at least in his earlier years, and never deferred to anyone. He could be breathtakingly blunt. When someone went to ask him for a pay rise, Cramer stood up and opened the window to the January air. “It’s a cold world out there,” was all he said.