Susan Osman, 51, a former British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) News Channel presenter, announced that she would host a program in China after being consistently overlooked for jobs at the BBC.
She will host a prime-time breakfast show on China Radio International and is moving to Beijing.
Osman has worked in broadcasting for 28 years, presenting bulletins on BBC World and reporting for ITN News. She had worked in BBC One for 14 years, according to the Times. The freelance presenter had auditioned for a series of BBC jobs and been told she was "marvelous". But she was consistently overlooked without explanation.
"When I was working at BBC Bristol as a presenter, I was actually asked by one of the managers there if I was menopausal. I think this is indicative of the attitude towards women in broadcasting as they get older," Osman said. "I've had so many female colleagues who have dropped out in their early 40s, which is a shame because an older woman can bring wisdom and empathy. There doesn't seem to be many places for older women in broadcasting in this country."
But a BBC spokesman said, "Broadcasting, especially presenting, is an extremely competitive industry and the nature of it is such that many broadcasters are freelance artists on contracts of specific durations. Ageism has nothing to do with it."
British women in their 40s encounter ageism in broadcasting, but their longevity is an asset in Asia. "In China they revere experience," Osman said. "The older you are the better. I got the impression that my future boss actually wanted me to be older when I finally told him my age during the interview."