Wendy Austin
Encyclopedia
Wendy Austin is a BBC journalist and broadcaster in BBC Northern Ireland
, and presenter of BBC Radio Ulster’s current affairs programme Talkback.
Austin began her career in journalism with The Belfast Telegraph
, leaving to join the fledgling Downtown Radio
station in 1976, and later that year moving to the BBC where she was a television reporter before moving into radio presentation.
She was involved in the breakfast time Good Morning Ulster from 1981, and began to present it in the early 1990s. On one occasion on Good Morning Ulster while interviewing former Ulster Unionist Party
deputy leader John Taylor
she objected to what she perceived as his patronising style and stated "I am not your dear girl." She worked for the BBC in London in the early 1990s for four years. In 2009 she began to present the lunchtime Talk Back on Radio Ulster after .
In 2005 Wendy Austin was awarded an Honorary Degree
of Doctor of Letters (DLitt), University of Ulster
, "for her contribution to broadcasting". She was named the Northern Ireland Radio Broadcaster of the year in the CIPR Awards 2006. Austin is Chair of the Arts and Business NI Advisory Committee, and is a National Trustee of the charity.
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...
, and presenter of BBC Radio Ulster’s current affairs programme Talkback.
Austin began her career in journalism with The Belfast Telegraph
The Belfast Telegraph
The Belfast Telegraph is a daily evening newspaper published in Belfast, Northern Ireland by Independent News & Media.It was first published as the Belfast Evening Telegraph on 1 September 1870 by brothers William and George Baird...
, leaving to join the fledgling 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 :...
station in 1976, and later that year moving to the BBC where she was a television reporter before moving into radio presentation.
She was involved in the breakfast time Good Morning Ulster from 1981, and began to present it in the early 1990s. On one occasion on Good Morning Ulster while interviewing former 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...
deputy leader John Taylor
John Taylor, Baron Kilclooney
John David Taylor, Baron Kilclooney, PC , is a former Ulster Unionist Party MP and a life peer. He was deputy leader of the UUP from 1995 to 2001, and a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly.-Career and family:...
she objected to what she perceived as his patronising style and stated "I am not your dear girl." She worked for the BBC in London in the early 1990s for four years. In 2009 she began to present the lunchtime Talk Back on Radio Ulster after .
In 2005 Wendy Austin was awarded an Honorary Degree
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
of Doctor of Letters (DLitt), University of Ulster
University of Ulster
The University of Ulster is a multi-campus, co-educational university located in Northern Ireland. It is the largest single university in Ireland, discounting the federal National University of Ireland...
, "for her contribution to broadcasting". She was named the Northern Ireland Radio Broadcaster of the year in the CIPR Awards 2006. Austin is Chair of the Arts and Business NI Advisory Committee, and is a National Trustee of the charity.