University Challenge Therefore, the lowest score officially achieved against eligible opponents under quizmaster Jeremy Paxman was by Lincoln College, Oxford, who totalled 30 in a semi-final against the eventual series champions the University of Manchester, in an episode televised on 9 February 2009. This was also matched in the grand final by St John's College, Oxford, against Peterhouse, Cambridge, on 18 April 2016. Before these matches, the lowest score was 35, reached by New Hall, Cambridge, 1997. This score would have been lower if all fines for incorrect interruptions had been applied. The lowest score during the "Professionals" series was achieved by
BBC Radio Norfolk and the programme organiser. He remained Managing Editor of BBC Radio Norfolk for thirteen years, until his retirement in 1995. Tim Bishop had a background in local newspapers in Norfolk, having worked on the "Eastern Daily Press" and been the news editor for the "Norwich Evening News", before joining the BBC in 1994. Immediately prior to becoming the Managing Editor of BBC Radio Norfolk, Bishop had been the Education Correspondent for "Look East". He subsequently returned to the television side of BBC East's operations, and then became the Head of Regional and Local Programmes for the area in 2002. David