Richard Wilkins (TV presenter)
Encyclopedia
Richard Stephen Wilkins is a television
presenter.
Wilkins is currently the Nine Network
's Entertainment editor for Today
.
, Wilkins graduated from teacher's college, majoring in English and Music. Wilkins (or Richard Wilde as he was then known) became one of New Zealand's top pop stars and PolyGram
signed him to a worldwide deal.
In 1980, he brought his band Wilde And Reckless to Australia
and released some singles and a six track EP and toured with Grace Jones
. He left the music stage to work behind the scenes as Promotions and Marketing Manager for Sydney radio stations 2Day FM
and 2UW (which is now known as Mix 106.5
), when he then moved to television.
Wilkins is the Entertainment Editor for the Nine Network
, and was the original host of Australian series of MTV
when it was broadcasted on Nine, hosted a game show
called Keynotes
in 1992. Keynotes at the time was a summertime replacement for Sale of the Century
. In 1999 he hosted the Australian version of Entertainment Tonight
and for almost ten consecutive years since inception (minus the 1999–00 event), hosted the Sydney New Year's Eve telecast.
Wilkins files daily reports on Today
, presents the Nine Network's coverage of The Academy Awards, and covers the Oscars and Golden Globe red carpets and other special events.
On 16 April 2007, on Today, he was paid tribute for his 20 years service to the Nine Network and footage of his involvement over the years was aired.
On 7 July 2007, Wilkins presented at the Australian leg
of the Live Earth
concert.
Reporting live on the deaths of Farrah Fawcett
and Michael Jackson
on 26 June 2009, Wilkins erroneously reported the death of actor Jeff Goldblum
on Today, although later in the program this was verified as a hoax. This was later joked about by Jeff Goldblum
and Stephen Colbert
on The Colbert Report.
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
presenter.
Wilkins is currently the Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
's Entertainment editor for Today
Today (Australian TV program)
Today and Weekend Today are Australian breakfast television programmes, the show is often referred to as The Today Show. The show has been broadcast live by the Nine Network each morning since 1982...
.
Career
In New ZealandNew Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, Wilkins graduated from teacher's college, majoring in English and Music. Wilkins (or Richard Wilde as he was then known) became one of New Zealand's top pop stars and PolyGram
PolyGram
PolyGram was the name of the major label recording company started by Philips from as a holding company for its music interests in 1945. In 1999 it was sold to Seagram and merged into Universal Music Group.-Hollandsche Decca Distributie , 1929-1950:...
signed him to a worldwide deal.
In 1980, he brought his band Wilde And Reckless to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and released some singles and a six track EP and toured with Grace Jones
Grace Jones
Grace Jones is a Jamaican-American singer, model and actress.Jones secured a record deal with Island Records in 1977, which resulted in a string of dance-club hits. In the late 1970s, she adapted the emerging electronic music style and adopted a severe, androgynous look with square-cut hair and...
. He left the music stage to work behind the scenes as Promotions and Marketing Manager for Sydney radio stations 2Day FM
2Day FM
Not to be mixed up with Today FM in Ireland.2Day FM is a commercial FM radio station broadcasting in Sydney, Australia, on a frequency of 104.1 MHz, and part of Austereo's Today Network.- Transmission :...
and 2UW (which is now known as Mix 106.5
Mix 106.5
Mix 106.5 is a commercial radio station in Sydney, Australia and is owned by the Australian Radio Network...
), when he then moved to television.
Wilkins is the Entertainment Editor for the Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
, and was the original host of Australian series of MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
when it was broadcasted on Nine, hosted a game show
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
called Keynotes
Keynotes
Keynotes was a game show created in Australia. According to the host's patter, the aim of the game was for "two teams of players, to try to put the right words in the right songs and see how well they can follow the bouncing ball to solve our puzzle song."...
in 1992. Keynotes at the time was a summertime replacement for Sale of the Century
Sale of the Century (Australian game show)
$ale of the Century was an Australian game show that aired on the Nine Network from 14 July 1980 – 29 November 2001. Tony Barber hosted an early version of Sale of the Century under the title of Temptation from 1970–1976, and was also the initial host of Sale, replaced by Glenn Ridge in 1991...
. In 1999 he hosted the Australian version of Entertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight is a daily tabloid television entertainment television news show that is syndicated by CBS Television Distribution throughout the United States, Canada and in many countries around the world. Linda Bell Blue is currently the program's executive producer...
and for almost ten consecutive years since inception (minus the 1999–00 event), hosted the Sydney New Year's Eve telecast.
Wilkins files daily reports on Today
Today (Australian TV program)
Today and Weekend Today are Australian breakfast television programmes, the show is often referred to as The Today Show. The show has been broadcast live by the Nine Network each morning since 1982...
, presents the Nine Network's coverage of The Academy Awards, and covers the Oscars and Golden Globe red carpets and other special events.
On 16 April 2007, on Today, he was paid tribute for his 20 years service to the Nine Network and footage of his involvement over the years was aired.
On 7 July 2007, Wilkins presented at the Australian leg
Live Earth concert, Sydney
The Live Earth concert in Australia was held at Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney on 7 July 2007, in front of around 45,000 people. It was the first of the Live Earth concerts to kick-off the day-long event & promoted by Michael Chugg, Amanda Pelman of Chugg Entertainment, Joe Segreto of IMC /...
of the Live Earth
Live Earth
-Background:Founded by Emmy-winning producer Kevin Wall, in partnership with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, Live Earth was built upon the belief that entertainment has the power to transcend social and cultural barriers to move the world community to action...
concert.
Reporting live on the deaths of Farrah Fawcett
Farrah Fawcett
Farrah Fawcett was an American actress and artist. A multiple Golden Globe and Emmy Award nominee, Fawcett rose to international fame when she first appeared as private investigator Jill Munroe in the first season of the television series Charlie's Angels, in 1976...
and Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
on 26 June 2009, Wilkins erroneously reported the death of actor Jeff Goldblum
Jeff Goldblum
Jeffrey Lynn "Jeff" Goldblum is an American actor. His career began in the mid-1970s and he has appeared in major box-office successes including The Fly, Jurassic Park and its sequel Jurassic Park: The Lost World, and Independence Day...
on Today, although later in the program this was verified as a hoax. This was later joked about by Jeff Goldblum
Jeff Goldblum
Jeffrey Lynn "Jeff" Goldblum is an American actor. His career began in the mid-1970s and he has appeared in major box-office successes including The Fly, Jurassic Park and its sequel Jurassic Park: The Lost World, and Independence Day...
and Stephen Colbert
Stephen Colbert
Stephen Tyrone Colbert is an American political satirist, writer, comedian, television host, and actor. He is the host of Comedy Central's The Colbert Report, a satirical news show in which Colbert portrays a caricatured version of conservative political pundits.Colbert originally studied to be an...
on The Colbert Report.