Jim Hawkins (radio presenter)

Summary

Jim Hawkins (born 1962[1][2]) is a BBC radio presenter.

Jim Hawkins
Born1962 (age 61–62)
Essex, England
OccupationBroadcaster
EmployerBBC Radio Shropshire
AwardsSony Silver Award, 2002

Biography edit

Personal life edit

Hawkins was born in Essex and brought up there and in Warwickshire, England.[3] He now lives in Shropshire.[4]

Career edit

Hawkins' broadcasting career began on a student radio station at Warwick University.[5] He worked for independent local radio station Mercia Sound from 1981 to 1983.[6] He joined BBC Radio 4 in 1984, writing and presenting the News Stand programme.[7] Hawkins has worked for several commercial and BBC local radio stations across the United Kingdom in various roles on both sides of the microphone,[7][8] including spells as a producer and manager.[8]

Hawkins has also worked for a disability-rights group and as a newspaper journalist, hotel restaurant pianist, and stagehand; at one point he ran the coconut shy on Brighton Pier.[8] During his career he has interviewed notable figures including Gordon Brown, Gene Simmons and Steve Cropper.[3][8]

Hawkins hosts a programme every weekday from 9 am to 12 noon on BBC Radio Shropshire called "Jim Hawkins in the Morning".[9] Hawkins uses Twitter to interact with listeners during the show,[5] having been persuaded to try Twitter after finding his Facebook experience disappointing.[5] Hawkins also hosts a Saturday night programme entitled "Saturday Night with Jim Hawkins" broadcast by BBC Shropshire, BBC Hereford & Worcester, and BBC Radio Stoke. The show was first broadcast on 4 April 2009 and concluded on 5 January 2013.[10] Since the December 2011 issue, on whose front cover he was pictured,[11] he has written a monthly column for Shropshire Life magazine.[12]

Awards edit

In 2002, Hawkins received a silver Sony Radio Academy Award in the "interactive" category, for his drive-time programme The Baldy Brothers on Century FM.[3][7][13] He was also highly commended at the BT sponsored Regional News and Current Affairs Awards.[7] Hawkins was one of five shortlisted for the 2006 Sony Radio Academy Speech Broadcaster of the Year Award.[14]

References edit

  1. ^ "Jim Hawkins Diary". BBC Radio Shropshire. Retrieved 9 September 2009.
  2. ^ Jim Hawkins. "Fat Losers! The BBC Shropshire Weight-Loss Weblog". BBC. Retrieved 26 March 2010.
  3. ^ a b c "Jim Hawkins". BBC Radio Shropshire. Retrieved 9 September 2009.
  4. ^ Hawkins, Jim (17 November 2011). "Introducing Jim Hawkins!". Shropshire Life. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
  5. ^ a b c "Radio star bringing Shropshire together". Shropshire Star. Archived from the original on 17 July 2009. Retrieved 10 September 2009.
  6. ^ "KPS.ORG.UK Mercia Sound Presenter – Jim Hawkins". kps.org.uk. Retrieved 3 April 2010.
  7. ^ a b c d "JIM HAWKINS is appearing in TRAMLINES as himself". Livid Film Productions. Archived from the original on 4 October 2009. Retrieved 10 September 2009.
  8. ^ a b c d "BBC Hereford & Worcester feature". BBC. 12 September 2006. Retrieved 10 September 2009.
  9. ^ "Jim Hawkins Diary". BBC Radio Shropshire. Retrieved 9 September 2009.
  10. ^ "BBC – BBC Shropshire Programmes – Saturday Night with Jim Hawkins – Episodes coming up". BBC. Retrieved 3 April 2010.
  11. ^ "Shropshire Life Single Issues". Shropshire Life. Archant: Cover. December 2011. ISSN 1469-3941.
  12. ^ Hawkins, Jim (December 2011). "On The Record". Shropshire Life. Archant: 23. ISSN 1469-3941.
  13. ^ "Sony Radio Academy Awards Winners 2002". Sony Radio Academy Awards. Archived from the original on 9 January 2003. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
  14. ^ "Sony Radio Academy Awards 2006: nominations". The Guardian. 28 March 2006. Retrieved 23 March 2012.

External links edit

  • BBC Hereford & Worcester feature
  • 'Jim Hawkins's diary' (BBC Shropshire)
  • Hawkins on Twitter