| Jim Hawkins | |
|---|---|
| Born | Essex, England, UK |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Broadcaster |
| Employer | BBC Radio Shropshire |
| Awards | Sony Silver Award, 2002 |
| Website | |
| jimhawkins.co.uk | |
Jim Hawkins (born 1962[1][2]) is a BBC radio presenter.
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Hawkins was born in Essex and brought up there and in Warwickshire in England.[3]
Hawkins' broadcasting career started on a student radio station at Warwick University.[4] He worked for independent local radio station Mercia Sound from 1981 to 1983.[5] He joined BBC Radio 4 in 1984, writing and presenting the News Stand programme.[6] Hawkins has worked for various commercial and BBC local radio stations across the United Kingdom in various roles on both sides of the microphone,[6][7] including spells as a producer and manager.[7]
Hawkins has also worked for a disability-rights group and as a newspaper journalist, hotel restaurant pianist, and stagehand; and at one point ran the coconut shy on Brighton Pier.[7] During his career he has interviewed notable figures such as Gordon Brown, Gene Simmons and Steve Cropper.[3][7]
Hawkins hosts a programme every weekday from 9 am to 12 noon on BBC Radio Shropshire called "Jim Hawkins in the Morning".[8] Hawkins uses Twitter to interact with listeners during the show,[4] having been persuaded to try Twitter after finding his Facebook experience disappointing.[4] Hawkins also hosts a Saturday night programme entitled "Saturday Night with Jim Hawkins" broadcast by BBC Shropshire, BBC Hereford & Worcester, and BBC Radio Stoke.[9]
In 2002, Hawkins received a silver Sony Radio Academy Award, in the "interactive" category, for his drive time programme The Baldy Brothers on Century FM.[3][6][10] He was also highly commended at the BT sponsored Regional News and Current Affairs Awards.[6] Hawkins was one of five people who were shortlisted for the 2006 Sony Radio Academy Speech Broadcaster of the Year Award.[3][6][7]