Dr Wendy Elizabeth Austin Hewitt (born November 19, 1951) is a former BBC journalist and broadcaster in
BBC Northern Ireland, and former presenter of BBC Radio Ulster’s current affairs programme ''Talkback''.
Austin began her career in journalism at ''
The Belfast Telegraph
The ''Belfast Telegraph'' is a daily newspaper published in Belfast, Northern Ireland, by Independent News & Media. Its editor is Eoin Brannigan. Reflecting its unionist tradition, the paper has historically been "favoured by the Protestant pop ...
'', leaving in 1976 to join the fledgling
Downtown Radio
Downtown Radio is a Hot Adult Contemporary music radio station based in Newtownards, County Down, that serves all of Northern Ireland using a network of AM, FM and DAB transmitters.
As of December 2022, the station has a weekly audience of 3 ...
, and later that year moving to the BBC where she was a television reporter before moving into radio presentation.
From 1981 she was involved in the breakfast time ''Good Morning Ulster'' reporting and presenting, before moving to the newly created Breakfast Time on BBC TV. Other radio shows followed - Morning Extra and Wendy After Lunch, before a move to BBCR4 in London, presenting PM Woman's Hour and The Exchange. She returned to present GMU in the early 1990s. On one occasion on ''Good Morning Ulster'' while interviewing former
Ulster Unionist Party
The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) is a unionist political party in Northern Ireland. The party was founded in 1905, emerging from the Irish Unionist Alliance in Ulster. Under Edward Carson, it led unionist opposition to the Irish Home Rule m ...
deputy leader
John Taylor she objected to what she perceived as his patronising style and stated "I am not your dear girl." In 2009 she began to present the lunchtime ''Talk Back'' on Radio Ulster, then in 2015 launched BBC R Ulster's Inside Business.
In 2005 Wendy Austin was awarded an
Honorary Degree
An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hon ...
of Doctor of Letters (
DLitt
Doctor of Letters (D.Litt., Litt.D., Latin: ' or ') is a terminal degree in the humanities that, depending on the country, is a higher doctorate after the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree or equivalent to a higher doctorate, such as the Doctor ...
),
University of Ulster
sco, Ulstèr Universitie
, image = Ulster University coat of arms.png
, caption =
, motto_lang =
, mottoeng =
, latin_name = Universitas Ulidiae
, established = 1865 – Magee College 1953 - Magee Un ...
, "for her contribution to broadcasting". She was named the Northern Ireland Radio Broadcaster of the year in the CIPR Awards 2006. Austin was Chairperson of the Arts and Business NI Advisory Committee and a UK Trustee of the charity.
Wendy was awarded an MBE in the
2012 Queen's Birthday Honours
The Birthday Honours List 2012 was released on 16 June 2012 in the United Kingdom. on 11 June 2012 in Australia on 4 June 2012 in New Zealand,[Banbridge
Banbridge ( , ) is a town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies on the River Bann and the A1 road and is named after a bridge built over the River Bann in 1712. It is situated in the civil parish of Seapatrick and the historic barony of Iv ...]
,
County Down. She was previously married to Peter Hutchinson, with whom she had three children, Niall, Kerry and Clare. She lives in
Dromore, County Down
Dromore () is a small market town and civil parish in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies within the local government district of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon. It is southwest of Belfast, on the A1 Belfast–Dublin road. The 2011 ...
.
Crime NI
Wendy Austin as of 15 March 2022 is with Dearbhail McDonald presenting a New Monthly Program on BBC NI Known as Crime NI in Partnership with
Crimestoppers
Crime Stoppers or Crimestoppers is a community program that helps people to provide anonymous information about criminal activity. Often managed by non-profit groups or the police, it operates separately from the emergency telephone number sy ...
The series will also offer regular crime prevention and traffic safety advice
"Crime NI"
''BBC NI'', 16 March 2022
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Austin, Wendy
British women radio presenters
British women television presenters
Living people
Members of the Order of the British Empire
Radio personalities from Northern Ireland
1951 births