BBC Northern Ireland TV announcer in the late-1970s/early 1980s.
…Donna Traynor resigns from BBC Northern Ireland with immediate effect
One of BBC Northern Ireland’s longest-serving TV presenters, Donna Traynor, has announced on social media that she has resigned from the corporation, with immediate effect.
…Simpson, Mark
Mark spent a few years as a newsreader with Cool FM/Downtown Radio before moving to BBC Northern Ireland as a TV continuity announcer/director in 1997. In 2004, he spent six months working for BBC Broadcast as a network director at Television Centre in London. In 2009, Mark was appointed head of presentation, BBC Northern Ireland.
…Cowan, Barry
Barry Cowan was one of the leading faces of BBC Northern Ireland news and current affairs during the worst of The Troubles in the 1970s and 1980s. He was much-respected by broadcast colleagues and by politicians. Born in Coleraine, County Derry/Londonderry, Barry was educated at Ballymena Academy and graduated in physics from Queen’s University, Belfast. His broadcasting career began in the early 1970s with the BBC, where he was a studio manager. But the man who would eventually become a formidable on-air talent quickly moved into reporting and presenting. In 1974, he became the main anchor on BBC Northern Ireland’s flagship current affairs/news programme, Scene Around Six.
…Bryans, Lynda
Lynda’s first foray into the world of broadcasting came in 1981, when she took up a role as a copy typist for Ulster Television. In the early days of her television career, Lynda spent a brief period as a television announcer with BBC Northern Ireland (c. 1987). She went on to become one of the regular presenters of the BBC’s local news programme in Northern Ireland, Inside Ulster (1986 – 1994).
…Speake, Michael
Michael was born in Shrewsbury. His first broadcasting experience was with pirate radio and later, BBC Radio including being the Midland link for Family Favourites.
…Clugston, Kathy
Born in Belfast c. 1970, Kathy attended Methodist College and studied French and Russian at Queen’s University Belfast. The degree course included periods in France and Russia. Whilst at university, Kathy also had a prominent role in the drama society, which included lead roles in various productions.
…Baguley, Michael
Michael was a BBC Northern Ireland news and current affairs presenter in the 1960s and 1970s. He presented the main regional news programme in the 1960s.
…Reid, Paul
Paul was born in July 1974. Before finishing university, he started working for Downtown Radio/Cool FM as a holiday relief newsreader and occasional reporter in 1997, becoming full-time by 1998 when he graduated from Bournemouth University.
…Olver, David
David was educated at Royal Belfast Academical Institution and Belfast College of Business Studies. He joined the BBC Northern Ireland presentation team at the age of 18, in January 1978 and took up duties which included television and radio newsreading, as well as television and radio continuity. He was also the Northern Ireland presenter on BBC Radio 2’s Family Favourites, with Jean Challis and Pete Murray, for several years from April 1979.
…Willighan, Roy
Roy joined the BBC Northern Ireland TV announcing staff in August 2002, having worked previously with BBC Radio Ulster’s Traffic and Travel Unit. Before joining the BBC, Roy was a newsreader at Belfast Citybeat. In 1997, he spent three months working for Radio France Loire-Atlantic in Nantes.
Higgins, Michael
Michael worked in BBC Radio Ulster continuity before moving to the same role on BBC Northern Ireland television in 2000. After a short break, he returned to the TV continuity job in late-2001.