Nik Gowing

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Nik Keith Gowing (born 1951) is a British television journalist. Since 1996 he has been the main presenter on the BBC's international news and current affairs channel, BBC World. He was educated at the Simon Langton Grammar School in Canterbury and Latymer Upper School in London, followed by Bristol University.

A foreign affairs specialist and presenter at ITN from 1978, Gowing became Diplomatic Editor for the flagship Channel 4 News from 1989. During his time with the BBC, Gowing has since presented The World Today (1996 - 2000), Europe Direct, HARDtalk, Dateline London, as well as Simpson's World. He won a BAFTA in 1981 for his exclusive coverage of the imposition of martial law in Poland and won a medal at the New York Television Festival for his nightly coverage of the 1991 Gulf War.

At the time of the death of Princess Diana in 1997, Gowing anchored coverage for over seven hours, reportedly only having had 41.5 minutes sleep before being driven back to Television Centre to present. BBC World was being simulcast for the first ever time with the BBC domestic channel BBC One, making up a global audience of around half a billion, to whom he announced her death.

Gowing's coverage of the aftermath of the September 11th 2001 attacks won the 2002 Hotbird Award. He had been on air for six hours.

Gowing presents Asia Today/World News Today, shown 1600-1700 GMT.

[edit] Personal life and early career

Nik is the son of Professor Margaret Gowing, author of the two volume work 'Independence and Deterrence: Britain and Atomic Energy, 1945-52', who died in 1998. After attending grammar schools in London and Canterbury, Gowing read geography at Bristol University.

At University he worked on local radio then joined Thomson Regional Newspapers in Newcastle.

He and his wife Judy have two children and live in West London.

[edit] Published work

The Wire, 1988

A novel about the infiltration of the secret police into Poland's Solidarity movement,based on Gowing's extensive knowledge of Solidarity's activities

The Loop, 1993

A thriller, again based on Gowing's first-hand journalistic experience, set in the new Russia. A highly-decorated KGB colonel, who fought to defend the communist system, must survive in a world of turmoil and anarchy