Davy Sims
Encyclopedia
David Gerard Sims (born 27 January 1956) is a broadcaster, writer and communications consultant from Northern Ireland
. He lives in Holywood
, County Down
was educated St. Patrick's College, Knock.
From February 2001 to August 2008 he was head of New Media
in BBC Northern Ireland
. In 2007 was a founding member of Digital Circle – the representative body for the digital content industry in Northern Ireland - and its Chair in 2009/2010. He had been a member of the board of Momentum the representative body for the ICT industry in Northern Ireland and is a member of the board of the charity Achieve Enterprises.
He has been Head of Social Media
at the Northern Ireland charity Public Achievement since January 2011 and runs the WIMPS (Where Is My Public Servant?) project.
He lives in Holywood
with wife Dawn. He has two sons Adam and Owen.
career began in February 1979 in Downtown Radio
where he established himself as a supporter of the punk
and post-punk
music from Northern Ireland as well as a pioneering DJ highlighting new and emerging music, playing local indie music releases, giving new bands radio sessions and interviews.
in April 1986 he launched the Radio Ulster programme The Bottom Line (later re-named Across the Line) which he produced. He presented the programme once a week. The main presenter was Mike Edgar former drummer of Cruella de Ville. The programme's other presenters were Michael Bradley (musician)
, former bassist with The Undertones
and journalist Barry McIlheney
.
In 1988 he had a short attachment to Sunday Sequence as presenter. In 1989 Davy spent six months at BBC Radio 4
as a senior producer making social action campaigns for BBC Radio 1
, including the first Green Week supporting environmental action and documentaries for the project The Radio 4 Generation. Returning to Radio Ulster Davy worked in News and Current Affairs concentrating on international news including the fall of the Berlin Wall
and the release of Nelson Mandela
.
Invited to return to BBC Radio 4
in 1991, Davy was appointed Chief Producer leading the social action programme team. At that time he also produced the Radio 1 documentary in God’s Country with presenter Simon Mayo
. From 1992 until 1999 Davy stayed with BBC Northern Ireland as a radio producer.
In 1999 he became the first Online producer
for BBC Northern Ireland producing web sites for Ballykissangel
, Across the Line and On Your Behalf
. In 2001 he was promoted to Editor
New Media where he remained until 2008 when he took voluntary redundancy from the BBC.
and broadcasting
industry. Working with a wide range of businesses in Northern Ireland including Momentum - the representative body for the Northern Ireland ICT industry - and broadcasting on U105
and BBC Radio Ulster
. He was appointed Director of Communications for the Ulster Unionist Party
in March 2010. He left to join Public Achievement.
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. He lives in Holywood
Holywood
Holywood is a town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies on the shore of Belfast Lough, between Belfast and Bangor. Holywood Exchange and Belfast City Airport are nearby. The town hosts an annual jazz and blues festival.-Name:...
, County Down
County Down
-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...
was educated St. Patrick's College, Knock.
From February 2001 to August 2008 he was head of New Media
New media
New media is a broad term in media studies that emerged in the latter part of the 20th century. For example, new media holds out a possibility of on-demand access to content any time, anywhere, on any digital device, as well as interactive user feedback, creative participation and community...
in BBC Northern Ireland
BBC Northern Ireland
BBC Northern Ireland is the main public service broadcaster in Northern Ireland.The organisation is one of the three national regions of the BBC, together with BBC Scotland and BBC Wales. Based at Broadcasting House, Belfast, it provides television, radio, online and interactive television content...
. In 2007 was a founding member of Digital Circle – the representative body for the digital content industry in Northern Ireland - and its Chair in 2009/2010. He had been a member of the board of Momentum the representative body for the ICT industry in Northern Ireland and is a member of the board of the charity Achieve Enterprises.
He has been Head of Social Media
Social media
The term Social Media refers to the use of web-based and mobile technologies to turn communication into an interactive dialogue. Andreas Kaplan and Michael Haenlein define social media as "a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0,...
at the Northern Ireland charity Public Achievement since January 2011 and runs the WIMPS (Where Is My Public Servant?) project.
He lives in Holywood
Holywood
Holywood is a town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies on the shore of Belfast Lough, between Belfast and Bangor. Holywood Exchange and Belfast City Airport are nearby. The town hosts an annual jazz and blues festival.-Name:...
with wife Dawn. He has two sons Adam and Owen.
Broadcasting career
His broadcastingBroadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
career began in February 1979 in Downtown Radio
Downtown Radio
Downtown Radio is an Adult Contemporary music radio station based in Newtownards, County Down, that serves all of Northern Ireland using a network of FM and AM transmitters.- History :...
where he established himself as a supporter of the punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
and post-punk
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
music from Northern Ireland as well as a pioneering DJ highlighting new and emerging music, playing local indie music releases, giving new bands radio sessions and interviews.
BBC career
Joining BBC Northern IrelandBBC Northern Ireland
BBC Northern Ireland is the main public service broadcaster in Northern Ireland.The organisation is one of the three national regions of the BBC, together with BBC Scotland and BBC Wales. Based at Broadcasting House, Belfast, it provides television, radio, online and interactive television content...
in April 1986 he launched the Radio Ulster programme The Bottom Line (later re-named Across the Line) which he produced. He presented the programme once a week. The main presenter was Mike Edgar former drummer of Cruella de Ville. The programme's other presenters were Michael Bradley (musician)
Michael Bradley (musician)
Michael "Mickey" Bradley is the bassist for Northern Ireland pop-punk band, The Undertones. He also is a radio producer for BBC Radio Foyle. Bradley presents a one hour programme on Radio Ulster, "After Midnight with Mickey"...
, former bassist with The Undertones
The Undertones
The Undertones are a punk rock/new wave band formed in Derry, Northern Ireland, in 1975.The original line-up of the Undertones released thirteen singles and four studio albums — The Undertones , Hypnotised , Positive Touch and The Sin of Pride — before disbanding in July 1983.Music guide Allmusic...
and journalist Barry McIlheney
Barry McIlheney
Barry McIlheney is a British journalist, editor, broadcaster and publisher. Born in Belfast in 1960, Barry is a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin and London's City University.-Journalism and management career:...
.
In 1988 he had a short attachment to Sunday Sequence as presenter. In 1989 Davy spent six months at BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
as a senior producer making social action campaigns for BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
, including the first Green Week supporting environmental action and documentaries for the project The Radio 4 Generation. Returning to Radio Ulster Davy worked in News and Current Affairs concentrating on international news including the fall of the Berlin Wall
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...
and the release of Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
.
Invited to return to BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
in 1991, Davy was appointed Chief Producer leading the social action programme team. At that time he also produced the Radio 1 documentary in God’s Country with presenter Simon Mayo
Simon Mayo
Simon Mayo is an English radio presenter who has worked for BBC Radio since 1981. As of January 2010, Mayo is presenter of Simon Mayo Drivetime on BBC Radio 2 and, with Mark Kermode, presenter of Kermode and Mayo's Film Reviews on BBC Radio 5 Live.In 2008, Mayo was recognised as the "radio...
. From 1992 until 1999 Davy stayed with BBC Northern Ireland as a radio producer.
In 1999 he became the first Online producer
Online producer
An online producer oversees the making of content for websites and other online properties. Online producers are sometimes called "web producers," "content producers," or "online editors."...
for BBC Northern Ireland producing web sites for Ballykissangel
Ballykissangel
Ballykissangel is a BBC television drama set in Ireland, produced in-house by BBC Northern Ireland. The original story revolved around a young English Roman Catholic priest as he became part of a rural community. It ran for six series, which were first broadcast on BBC One in the UK from 1996 to 2001...
, Across the Line and On Your Behalf
On Your Behalf
On Your Behalf is a consumer affairs radio programme broadcast on BBC Radio Ulster on Saturdays, from 9.30am to 10am. The programme offers advice to listeners' consumer problems and reports on the latest developments in consumer law and how these may affect their rights...
. In 2001 he was promoted to Editor
Editor
The term editor may refer to:As a person who does editing:* Editor in chief, having final responsibility for a publication's operations and policies* Copy editing, making formatting changes and other improvements to text...
New Media where he remained until 2008 when he took voluntary redundancy from the BBC.
Post BBC Career
After leaving the BBC Davy continued to work in the communicationCommunication
Communication is the activity of conveying meaningful information. Communication requires a sender, a message, and an intended recipient, although the receiver need not be present or aware of the sender's intent to communicate at the time of communication; thus communication can occur across vast...
and broadcasting
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
industry. Working with a wide range of businesses in Northern Ireland including Momentum - the representative body for the Northern Ireland ICT industry - and broadcasting on U105
U105
U105 is a Belfast based radio station, providing a mix of music and speech as well as hourly news bulletins. It is owned by UTV Radio and was launched at 6am on Monday 14 November 2005....
and BBC Radio Ulster
BBC Radio Ulster
BBC Radio Ulster is one of two Northern Irish BBC radio stations, the other being BBC Radio Foyle located in the city of Derry. BBC Radio Ulster is located at Broadcasting House in the Ormeau Avenue area of Belfast city centre...
. He was appointed Director of Communications for the Ulster Unionist Party
Ulster Unionist Party
The Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland...
in March 2010. He left to join Public Achievement.