The new editor of BBC Radio 4's Today programme is to be Kevin Marsh, the award-winning editor of four of the station's leading current affairs programmes.

Mr Marsh, 48, takes over from Rod Liddle, who stepped down after a row over impartiality in a newspaper column.

Mr Marsh currently edits The World at One, Broadcasting House, PM and The World This Weekend on Radio 4.

He said he had no plans to overhaul the content of Today, the station's flagship show which has seven million listeners.

The thing we do have to do is speak to as many Radio 4 listeners as possible

Kevin Marsh

"The most important thing is to keep all the drive and the high-end journalism that Today is famous for and what listeners expect," he said.

"That would be changed over my dead body. The thing we do have to do is speak to as many Radio 4 listeners as possible."

Mr Marsh came to the BBC as a news trainee in 1978 and, after working in Belfast and Birmingham, joined The World at One team in June 1980.

Developed

After a short spell at ITN, he rejoined the BBC as deputy editor of The World at One in 1987.

He was material in introducing Today presenter James Naughtie to the BBC - as the presenter of The World at One - and relaunching the programme. In 1998 he developed and launched Broadcasting House.

Mr Marsh was promoted to editor of PM in August 1989, and moved to edit The World at One in 1993 before bringing the programmes together under a single editor once again in 1996.

In addition to his four regular programmes he has produced numerous specials for Radio 4 and has won three Sony Awards.

Rod Liddle's departure has made way for Mr Marsh

Born in 1954, he was educated at The Grammar School, Doncaster, followed by Christ Church, Oxford. He is married and has two children.

He will take up his new post towards the end of the month.

Mr Liddle left the programme after he was taken to task by the BBC in September over his regular column in the Guardian, which he used to attack a recent Countryside Alliance march in London.

Mr Liddle attacked public schools who reportedly encouraged their pupils to go to the rally, and the capital's members' clubs for opening their doors to protesters.

Guidelines

He is to remain with the corporation, initially working on a new politics programme for young people. The BBC recently changed its guidelines for journalists, saying they must not write articles which could undermine the corporation's perceived impartiality.

With its millions of listeners, the influence of the Today programme leads to close scrutiny from politicians and activists for evidence of bias.