Jennie has been a continuity announcer/director with BBC Northern Ireland since 1997. She was one of a team of three announcers who worked in-vision on BBC Choice Northern Ireland (1998 – 2001).
…Godfray, Jacqui
Jacqui was a television continuity announcer/director with BBC Northern Ireland (1989 – c. 1999). She then moved to BBC Radio Ulster, as a newsreader. Jacqui read her final news bulletin there just before midnight on Friday 22nd November 2019.
…Porter, Gillian
Gillian spent a brief spell on the BBC Northern Ireland TV announcing staff in 1992. She then moved to UTV, to take up a similar role there.
…Hutton, Alasdair
Alasdair was born in London, during the bombing which destroyed his home. His mother gathered up what was left, including him, and returned to Scotland.
…Healey, Gavin
The ex-Cool FM and Citybeat DJ joined the BBC Northern Ireland TV continuity announcing rota in 1999.
…Larmour, Roy
Roy worked at BBC Northern Ireland (1978 – 1988) as a newsreader on TV and radio. He also spent a while working in TV continuity (early to mid-1980s). In 1988, he moved to the BBC World Service as a newsreader. He left the BBC in 2018.
Wray, Linda
Linda was born in Bangor, Co Down, and attended the Bangor Central Primary School and Glenlola Collegiate School, Bangor. She started out as an actress, before taking up a news presenting role at BBC Northern Ireland in the 1970s. Although the majority of her time with the BBC was in radio, she did also present the news on screen in the 1970s and 1980s. She was also a TV continuity announcer in the 1970s and early 1980s.
Linda retired from broadcasting in 2010. She read her final news bulletin on BBC Radio Ulster on Saturday 13th March 2010.
At the time of her retirement, colleagues paid tribute. Kathleen Carragher, editor radio news, BBC Radio Ulster, said: “Linda has one of the best voices in broadcasting. She has been a wonderful person to work with over the years and has always been a valued member of the BBC Radio Ulster news team.
“She has worked on some of the busiest news days in Northern Ireland covering the Troubles, the peace process and the return of devolution.
“Throughout this she has delivered her bulletins with an unwavering warmth and clarity. She has become a very familiar voice to our listeners over the years and I’m sure they will miss Linda every bit as much as we will. We wish her every success and happiness in the future.”
Peter Johnston, controller BBC Northern Ireland, commented: “For many, Linda’s voice has been one of the most enduring and familiar on BBC Radio Ulster. She has been on air for many of the pivotal events in Northern Ireland and has always kept her calm and her professionalism. She has played a key role in BBC Radio Ulster’s history and I wish her all the best for the future.”
Hearle, Duncan
Duncan’s broadcasting career began in Singapore just before World War II. When the colony fell, he was imprisoned and made to work on the notorious Burma railway. In 1946 he applied to the BBC for an announcing job. He got it and was posted to Belfast in January, where he remained for the next thirty years.
Duncan worked mainly on radio during his time with BBC Northern Ireland, becoming known as the ‘Voice of Radio Ulster’. He presented over 20,000 local news bulletins. He read his last news script during the 8.55am bulletin on BBC Radio Ulster on 21st September 1976.
Duncan then retired from broadcasting and moved to Wales.
During his time with BBC Northern Ireland, Duncan also performed some television announcing duties.
Love, Walter
Walter joined the BBC in London as a studio manager in 1958. After a year with the BBC in Edinburgh, he moved to Broadcasting House in Belfast, where, after a year, he became a staff announcer. Throughout the 1960s, Walter was the main television news presenter with BBC Northern Ireland. He also looked after the radio continuity operation and presented various radio programmes.
During the 1960s and 1970s, Walter also carried out television continuity duties with BBC Northern Ireland.
In 1978 he went freelance, presenting the magazine programme Day by Day. In the late-1980s, he took up the afternoon slot on BBC Radio Ulster, presenting Love in the Afternoon. He then became the presenter and producer on Love Forty.
In 1998, he was awarded an MBE for his services to broadcasting.
Buckle, Paul
The former Cool FM DJ joined BBC Northern Ireland as a continuity announcer/director c. 1998.
Alexander, Aaron
Aaron joined the BBC Northern Ireland television announcing team in the late-1990s.
Andrews, Pamela
Pamela was a continuity announcer/director with BBC Northern Ireland (October 2001 – October 2010). She then moved to a creative marketing producer role, creating (and occasionally voicing) programme and campaign trails for BBC One/Two Northern Ireland.