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.
…Dickson, Peter
Peter was born in Belfast. His name and face may not be as familiar as his voice, which has featured in some of the biggest UK TV entertainment shows. He was educated at The Belfast Royal Academy and obtained a Bachelor of Arts honours degree from Queen’s University, Belfast. Peter possibly holds the record for youngest ever continuity announcer on UK TV: at the age of 17, he joined BBC Northern Ireland, whilst still at school.
…Nove, Charles
Charles was born in London and lived in Glasgow from an early age. He is the son of the Soviet historian Alexander Nove. In 2016, he celebrated 40 years behind the microphone. His first foray into broadcasting was at Glasgow’s Hospital Broadcasting Services in 1976. Two years later, he was signed up as the BBC’s youngest presenter for the launch of their new station, Radio Scotland. He was a regional television announcer on BBC Scotland for a while in the early 1990s.
…Waddington, Mark
Mark was born in Bradford. He began broadcasting, aged 17, at BBC Radio Leeds, where he presented a series of features about community life called Down Your Street, mentored by producer Peter Byrne. On finishing his time at Prince Henry’s Grammar School in Yorkshire, he had been expected to take a place at Leeds College of Art, but instead was offered a trainee-ship at the BBC. He was the drivetime presenter at BBC Radio Cleveland from c. 1977, and was a familiar voice across the North, presenting news on Look North in Newcastle and BBC Radio 4. He was also regularly heard on Radio Humberside and Radio Newcastle as a voiceover artist.
…Oxley, Mel
Mel was born in South Africa. He was a former DJ with Radio Luxembourg in the 1950s. He later moved into TV and worked as an ITV announcer for Southern TV (1959 – 1961), ATV, ABC Television and Associated Rediffusion. He moved to BBC Television as a network out-of-vision announcer, who also appeared in-vision conducting interviews on BBC Two (1965 – 1972). He presented BBC Two’s Line-Up (1969) and narrated The Curious Character of Britain (1970) and Sights and Sounds of Britain (1971) for BBC One.
…Raymont, Tony
Tony was a BBC Midlands newsreader (1957) and a BBC Radio Light Programme/Home Service/Third Programme announcer (1958 – 1962, 1964 – 1965). He presented BBC regional TV’s Town and Around (1960). He was also a BBC TV out-of-vision network announcer (1966).
…King, Martin
Martin was a former actor, whose distinctive, rich voice was heard as an announcer, first at Southern TV (1973) and then for 16 years on network BBC Television (1973 – 1989). He later spent some time as a BBC World Service (radio) announcer.
…Spilman, Nick
Nick joined the BBC as a studio manager in 1979. He was a BBC Radio 4 announcer (1984 – 1985) and a BBC TV network announcer (1985 – 1986). He then moved within the Presentation department, producing trails and later working on new production systems for the new Broadcast Centre. He unsuccessfully auditioned for the role of one of Esther’s news boys in That’s Life! at the old Shepherd’s Bush TV Theatre in 1991. He did radio presenting from the Falklands and is currently the channel voice for Horse and Country TV.
…Everard, Martin
Martin’s first on-air role was as a relief announcer with BBC Northern Ireland in the 1960s. From there he moved to London and gradually moved up through the ranks of TV presentation, before moving into programme production. He took some time out from his BBC job to participate in the British America’s Cup Challenge (Lionheart) (1979 – 1980).
…Ward-Lewis, Colin
Colin was born in Lambeth in 1939. He is a former actor and a former member of the National Youth Theatre. Michael Croft (who founded the NYT in 1956) was an English master at Colin’s old school. Colin was working at the De Lane Lea Studios in 1963 when the BBC gave the go-ahead for BBC Two and a friend, Michael Wood said he should apply.
…Empringham, Brian
Brian was briefly a BBC TV network announcer (1971 – 1972). He was also an announcer on BBC Radio 4 (1971 – 1974) and BBC External Services/World Service (1978 – 1998). He worked as a pres/admin officer at the Atlantic Relay Station, Ascension Island (1974 – 1978). He presented a special edition of From Our Own Correspondent on BBC Radio 4, celebrating the BBC World Service’s Golden Jubilee (50th anniversary) on 14th December 2002.
…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).
…