Pamela Ballantine

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Pamela Ballantine

Born	20 October 1958 (1958-10-20) (age 49)
Occupation	UTV Live presenter and reporter

Pamela Ballantine (née Rolston, born 20 October 1958, Belfast)^[1]^[2] is a Northern Irish television presenter and journalist. She is currently a presenter and reporter for UTV Live.

Pamela began her broadcasting career at Downtown Radio. She began at the station as a secretary, and gradually moved on to reading and reporting for the Downtown newsroom, as well as presenting her own programme and covering for other programmes on the station. She later worked for BBC Radio Ulster as a morning presenter.^[3] She moved to UTV as a continuity announcer and newsreader in 1983.^[4]

In the late 1980s, Pamela became UTV's Agricultural Correspondent, reporting for Farming Ulster and Six Tonight. Pamela also presented Six Tonight as a stand-in for Kate Smith, and in January 1993, she became one of the main presenters on UTV Live at Six. By 1999, Pamela switched her presenting duties from the UTV Live newsdesk to the sofa of UTV Life, a half-hour programme focusing on lifestyle features and light-hearted reporters shown before UTV Live at 18.00, which soon merged with the main news bulletin UTV Live. Pamela remains one of the main presenters and reporters on the 17.30-18.00 segment of the main evening bulletin, which was relaunched as a separate programme, UTV Life, in September 2007, and since December 2006, she has returned to presenting daytime UTV News bulletins.

In 1993, Pamela also became one of the regular reporters and presenters for UTV's rallying series, RPM, where she has reported on races across Ireland and throughout the world. In her spare time, she has acted as a co-driver in competitive car rallies across Ireland. Pamela has also presented UTV gameshows Ulster Schools Quiz and Hot Pursuits.

Pamela was formerly married to Downtown Radio presenter John Paul Ballantine.^[5]