Nick Owen

For the BBC News journalist also born 1947, see Nicholas Owen (journalist).
Nick Owen

Owen talks to Luton Town supporters before a match at Kenilworth Road in 2014
Born Nicholas Corbishley Owen
(1947-11-01) 1 November 1947
Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, England
Nationality British
Occupation Broadcaster, newsreader
Years active 1974–present
Employer BBC
Television Good Morning with Anne and Nick (1992–96)
Midlands Today (1997–present)
Spouse(s) Jill Lavery (m. 1977–2009)
(Divorced)
Partner(s) Vicki Beevers
Children Four

Nicholas "Nick" Corbishley Owen[1] (born 1 November 1947) is an English television presenter and newsreader, best known for presenting the breakfast television programme TV-am and the BBC's local news show Midlands Today since 1997.[2] He is also the current chairman of Luton Town Football Club.

Early life and education

Owen was born in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, to father Bertie, a headmaster and Dunkirk veteran, and mother Esme (née Burton), a music teacher. He attended Kingsland Grange prep school, an independent boarding school in Shrewsbury which has since been renamed Shrewsbury High Prep School, between the ages of 7 and 13, then Shrewsbury School between the ages of 13 and 18. While at Kingsland Grange, Owen borrowed a Cliff Richard record from Bob Warman, who later went on to become the longest-serving regional news presenter on ATV and Central in the Midlands.[2] Also while there he would hand-write his own newspaper and take it to a copier to print, said to be his first experience of journalism.[3]

Owen completed his education at the University of Leeds where he obtained a BA (Hons) degree in Classics in 1970.

Early career

Owen's first job was as a graduate trainee on the Doncaster Evening Post.[2] After two years Owen moved to a job at the Birmingham Post, where he reported local news. He started working for the BBC's local radio station Radio Birmingham in 1973, as a news producer and later as Sports Editor. His first live broadcast was an early-morning news bulletin during the Les Ross show.

Television career

Owen joined ATV in 1978, where he worked as a sports reporter, commentator and presenter for ATV news. He covered the European Football Championships in 1980 and commentated on the World Cup in Spain in 1982. Owen also narrated the first series of Bullseye, the dart show that was presented by Jim Bowen.

When ATV became Central TV on 1 January 1982 and brought in a new dual news service for the east and west Midlands. Owen and Anne Diamond were chosen to present the new Central News East,[4] but neither presenter was ever seen on screen due to an industrial dispute at the new studios in Nottingham.[5][6]

Owen left Central in January 1982 to join TV-am as a sports presenter. After six weeks the station was in turmoil and Greg Dyke was brought in as director of programmes. Dyke moved Owen to become a main presenter of Good Morning Britain from 4 April 1983 and he was soon teamed up with Anne Diamond until 1986 when he left.[7]

Having left TV-am, he then became a presenter for ITV Sport remaining with them until 1993, presenting Midweek Sport Special and also presenting ITV's coverage of the 1988 Olympic Games, Euro 88 and the 1990 World Cup as well as the game show Sporting Triangles. Owen hosted a TV game show Hitman in the late 1980s.

From 1992 to 1996 he co-presented Good Morning with Anne and Nick on BBC One.[2]

In 2006, he was awarded the Baird Medal by the Royal Television Society, Midlands, for lifelong achievement in television.[2] He was also named UK Speaker of the Year in 2010 by the National Association of Speakers Clubs.

He is currently a presenter on Midlands Today, the BBC regional television news programme for the West Midlands.

Luton Town

A lifelong fan of Luton Town, Owen became the Chairman of the club when the Luton Town Football Club 2020 consortium purchased the club in 2008 following a period in administration. The club began the 2008—09 season with a thirty-point deficit, and were consequently relegated from the Football League to the Conference Premier on 13 April 2009.[8] However, Luton did win the Football League Trophy that year in front of 42,000 Luton fans at Wembley, despite being the lowest-placed team in the competition for the whole season.

Personal life

Owen married Jill Lavery in 1977 in Birmingham. The couple had four children together: Andy, Tim, Chris and Jenny, and lived together in Birmingham until August 2009, when they separated. They divorced in 2012.

Owen was the nephew of the oldest man in Britain, Reg Dean, until Dean's death on 5 January 2013.[9]

References

  1. ↑ "TV presenter Nick Owen honoured". BBC. 16 October 2006. Retrieved 24 December 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Biographies: Nick Owen – Presenter, BBC Midlands Today". BBC Press Office. May 2006. Archived from the original on 6 January 2009. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
  3. ↑ "Broadcasters reunite to recall schooldays". Shropshire Star. 16 September 2015. p. 4.Report by Naomi Penrose, referring to a revisit of Kingsland Grange School by Owen and Warman.
  4. ↑ Gosling, Kenneth (2 January 1982). "TV firm's launch disrupted by dispute". The Times. p. 3.
  5. ↑ Osman, Arthur (11 February 1982). "TV launch delayed again". The Times. p. 2.
  6. ↑ Osman, Arthur (24 February 1982). "Television dispute 'may take months to resolve'". The Times. p. 3.
  7. ↑ "TV presenter Nick Owen honoured". BBC News. 16 October 2006. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  8. ↑ Luton Town FC official web site Retrieved 21 July 2010
  9. ↑ "Reg Dean, Britain's oldest man, dies aged 110". BBC News. BBC. 7 January 2013. Retrieved 10 January 2013.

Publications

External links

Audio clips

Media offices
Preceded by
Alan Towers		 Presenter of Midlands Today
1997–Present 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
Business positions
Preceded by
Not known		 Chairman of Luton Town F.C.
2008–Present 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
Business positions
Preceded by
Not known		 President of Derbyshire County Cricket Club
2007–2009 		Succeeded by
Not known
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