John Barnes (English broadcaster)
Encyclopedia
John Barnes is a radio broadcaster and journalist for the BBC
.
He was born in Dudley
, England
in 1961.
He began his career as a freelance broadcaster at BRMB
in Birmingham
and then moved to the highly regarded experimental BBC
service WM Heartlands in East Birmingham between 1989 and 1991.
Barnes was involved in the campaign for community radio and was News Editor of the UK's first community radio station, Wear FM in Sunderland.
He later broadcast with the Chiltern Radio Network at Northants 96
, Chiltern FM and Severn Sound
.
He was the launch manager of Welsh commercial station Radio Maldwyn
and News Editor of 97.4 Rock FM
and Red Rose 999 in Preston, Lancashire.
While at Rock FM, Barnes co-ordinated the award winning EMAP Radio
response to the IRA bombing of Manchester
.
The bomb had taken Manchester's Key 103
and Piccadilly Magic 1152
off air.
Barnes arranged an emergency news service for the Manchester stations and a replacement radio service from a studio in Preston
His more recent career has been at the BBC
where he has broadcast at BBC Hereford and Worcester
, BBC Radio Berkshire
and currently presents the Late Show on BBC Radio Lancashire
, which is now simulcast to BBC Radio Manchester
.
Barnes can be seen playing a chef in the video for the single "Bye Bye Baby" by the electronic London band Temposhark
which was released in November 2009.
John has lived in North Lancashire for the last 15 years.
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
.
He was born in Dudley
Dudley
Dudley is a large town in the West Midlands county of England. At the 2001 census , the Dudley Urban Sub Area had a population of 194,919, making it the 26th largest settlement in England, the second largest town in the United Kingdom behind Reading, and the largest settlement in the UK without...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1961.
He began his career as a freelance broadcaster at BRMB
Brmb
brmb is a local radio station based in Birmingham, UK, owned and operated by Orion Media. The station broadcasts on 96.4 FM, DAB Digital Radio in the West Midlands and online...
in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
and then moved to the highly regarded experimental BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
service WM Heartlands in East Birmingham between 1989 and 1991.
Barnes was involved in the campaign for community radio and was News Editor of the UK's first community radio station, Wear FM in Sunderland.
He later broadcast with the Chiltern Radio Network at Northants 96
Northants 96
Heart Northants was a local commercial radio station serving Northamptonshire.The station broadcasted on 96.6 FM from studios in Northampton town centre, via the transmitter located in the Kingsthorpe area...
, Chiltern FM and Severn Sound
Severn Sound
Heart Gloucestershire is an Independent Local Radio station that broadcasts to Gloucestershire, England. The station now has just two programmes a day broadcasting live from Gloucestershire with the majority of its output being the same as most other stations in the Heart network, owned by Global...
.
He was the launch manager of Welsh commercial station Radio Maldwyn
Radio Maldwyn
Radio Maldwyn - The Magic 756 was a local commercial radio station serving Mid Wales and the English border counties. Their transmitter site is currently based a few miles outside of Newtown, Powys.-History:...
and News Editor of 97.4 Rock FM
97.4 Rock FM
97.4 Rock FM is an Independent Local Radio station broadcasting to Lancashire, North West England and some parts of North Wales. Its output is mainly contemporary pop and current chart hits. The station is owned & operated by Bauer Radio and forms part of Bauer's Place Network of stations...
and Red Rose 999 in Preston, Lancashire.
While at Rock FM, Barnes co-ordinated the award winning EMAP Radio
EMAP Radio
Bauer Radio is a UK-based division of Bauer Media Group.The Bauer network is divisible into two main groups, the Bauer Place and Bauer Passion units, with Place consisting of locally-focused services primarily broadcast on FM/AM and local digital platforms, and Passion consisting of national and...
response to the IRA bombing of Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
.
The bomb had taken Manchester's Key 103
Key 103
Key 103 is an Independent Local Radio station broadcasting to the city of Manchester and the north west of England. Its output is principally contemporary pop and dance music. Formerly owned by Trans World Communications, EMAP and now by Bauer Radio, Key 103 is part of Bauer's Place Network of...
and Piccadilly Magic 1152
Piccadilly Magic 1152
NB Piccadilly Radio re-directs here. See also Key 103Piccadilly Magic 1152 , began broadcasting as Piccadilly Radio, which was Manchester's first commercial radio station.-Early years:...
off air.
Barnes arranged an emergency news service for the Manchester stations and a replacement radio service from a studio in Preston
His more recent career has been at the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
where he has broadcast at BBC Hereford and Worcester
BBC Hereford and Worcester
BBC Hereford and Worcester is the BBC Local Radio service for the English counties of Herefordshire and Worcestershire. It broadcasts from its studios in both Worcester and Hereford on 104 , 104.4 104.6 and 94.7 FM; as well as 738 and 1584 MW on AM...
, BBC Radio Berkshire
BBC Radio Berkshire
BBC Radio Berkshire is the BBC Local Radio service for the English county of Berkshire, as well as parts of North Hampshire, including Basingstoke. Radio Berkshire broadcasts on 94.6 , 95.4 , 104.1 and 104.4 FM from its studios at Caversham Park near Reading. The 104.1 FM signal is the strongest...
and currently presents the Late Show on BBC Radio Lancashire
BBC Radio Lancashire
BBC Radio Lancashire is the BBC Local Radio service for the county of Lancashire, in North West England. It began as BBC Radio Blackburn on 26 January 1971 on 96.4FM, then adding 854 kHz AM in 1972 and changing to its current name on 4 July 1981...
, which is now simulcast to BBC Radio Manchester
BBC Radio Manchester
BBC Radio Manchester is a BBC Local Radio station broadcasting to Greater Manchester in North West England. It broadcasts 24 hours a day from studios at MediaCityUK in Salford Quays via a transmitter at Holme Moss, with a small repeater at Saddleworth covering Tameside and Saddleworth...
.
Barnes can be seen playing a chef in the video for the single "Bye Bye Baby" by the electronic London band Temposhark
Temposhark
Temposhark is an English electronic rock band, formed in London and Brighton by singer-songwriter Robert Diament. Temposhark are best known for their songs Bye Bye Baby, Joy, It's Better To Have Loved and Not That Big; a duet with singer Imogen Heap which appears on their 2008 debut album The...
which was released in November 2009.
John has lived in North Lancashire for the last 15 years.