Barry Cowan (1 February 1948 – 16 June 2004) was a high-profile journalist and broadcaster with BBC Northern Ireland. In 1974, he became the anchor of BBC Northern Ireland's flagship evening television news programme ''Scene Around Six'', which established him as a household name in Northern Ireland. This involved bringing the news into people's homes during some of the worst years of the

Northern Irish Northern Irish people is a demonym for all people born in Northern Ireland or people who are entitled to reside in Northern Ireland without any restriction on their period of residence. Most Northern Irish people either identify as Northern ...

Troubles The Troubles ( ga, Na Trioblóidí) were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it is sometimes described as an " ...

. In 1986, he became the first presenter of BBC Radio Ulster's popular '' Talk Back'' programme (he was succeeded by his close friend

David Dunseith David Dunseith (2 October 1934 – 29 June 2011) was a Northern Irish journalist and broadcaster with BBC Northern Ireland. He presented BBC Radio Ulster's ' Talkback' & 'Seven Days' programmes. His career spanned the troubles covering the turbu ...

in 1989) and also presented the station's ''

Good Morning Ulster ''Good Morning Ulster'' is the flagship Northern Irish radio breakfast programme broadcast on BBC Radio Ulster. The main presenting team is Sarah Brett and Chris Buckler: this core team is augmented with Joel Taggart, Mark Devenport, Declan Harv ...

'', ''Evening Extra'' and ''Seven Days'' programmes. In the early 1980s he left the BBC for a short period to present ''

Today Tonight ''Today Tonight'' is an Australian current affairs television program produced by the Seven Network. It aired from January 1995 to November 2019 in Adelaide and Perth. Editions in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne were previously produced befor ...

'' on RTÉ, for which he won a

Jacob's Award The Jacob's Awards were instituted in December 1962 as the first Irish television awards. Later, they were expanded to include radio. The awards were named after their sponsor, W. & R. Jacob & Co. Ltd., a biscuit manufacturer, and recipients ...

. Cowan died at the age of 56 after a long illness.

References

1948 births 2004 deaths BBC newsreaders and journalists Jacob's Award winners RTÉ newsreaders and journalists Place of birth missing {{BBC-tv-bio-stub