Vernon Harwood is a British journalist and radio presenter.

Early career

Harwood first joined 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...

 in the 1980s as a reporter.

He originally presented BBC Radio Gloucestershire

BBC Radio Gloucestershire

BBC Radio Gloucestershire is the BBC Local Radio service for the English county of Gloucestershire, which started on 3 October 1988. It broadcasts from its studios in London Rd, Gloucester on 95 , 95.8 , 104.7 FM, 1413 in the Cotswolds & Forest of Dean AM and over the internet.-Transmitters:The...

's Breakfast show in the early 1990s and produced/presented numerous other programmes including 'Gloucestershire Question Time' and the BBC Points West/BBC Local Radio discussion show 'Person-to-Person'.

BBC English Regions career

In 1995 he made a full time move to television as a political reporter/producer on BBC West's 'Out of Westminster' programme. In 1997 he joined BBC Radio Oxford

BBC Radio Oxford

BBC Radio Oxford is the BBC Local Radio station for the English county of Oxfordshire, broadcasting on 95.2 FM via the Oxford transmitter and online. The station broadcasts live from the BBC's Summertown studios in Oxford between 5am and 7pm each weekday, for over 13 hours on Saturdays & 19 hours...

's & 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...

's merged service, BBC Thames Valley FM

BBC Thames Valley FM

BBC Thames Valley FM was a BBC Local Radio station covering the English counties of Oxfordshire and Berkshire, broadcasting between 1996 and 2000.-History:...

 as their Breakfast show host.

He remained on the show until 1998 when he became Head of Programmes, then Managing Editor of BBC Radio Gloucestershire

BBC Radio Gloucestershire

BBC Radio Gloucestershire is the BBC Local Radio service for the English county of Gloucestershire, which started on 3 October 1988. It broadcasts from its studios in London Rd, Gloucester on 95 , 95.8 , 104.7 FM, 1413 in the Cotswolds & Forest of Dean AM and over the internet.-Transmitters:The...

 and later BBC Wiltshire Sound.

Freelance

Harwood became a freelance producer & independent programme-maker in 2001, re-joining BBC Radio Gloucestershire that year to once again take over the Breakfast show. He also wrote a weekly column in The Citizen newspaper.

Current work

Since September 2005, Harwood has been the presenter/producer of the weekly rural affairs and farming programme Country Matters on BBC Radio Gloucestershire. The programme features regular contributions from local naturalist Brian Bailey. The show is broadcast every Sunday morning from 10-12 noon.

In addition to that, he is a regular holiday relief presenter on the station, has appeared on Network Radio including Radio 4 and Radio 5 Live & he also produces and presents occasional programmes on BBC Radio Oxford

BBC Radio Oxford

BBC Radio Oxford is the BBC Local Radio station for the English county of Oxfordshire, broadcasting on 95.2 FM via the Oxford transmitter and online. The station broadcasts live from the BBC's Summertown studios in Oxford between 5am and 7pm each weekday, for over 13 hours on Saturdays & 19 hours...

, 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...

 & BBC Somerset.