John Barnes (English broadcaster)

John Barnes is a radio broadcaster and journalist for the BBC. He was born in Dudley, England in 1961.

He began his career as a freelance broadcaster at BRMB in Birmingham and then moved to the highly regarded experimental BBC service WM Heartlands in East Birmingham between 1989 and 1991.

He was involved in the campaign for community radio and was News Editor of the UK's first community radio station, Wear FM in Sunderland. He later broadcast with the Chiltern Radio Network at Northants 96, Chiltern FM and Severn Sound.

He was the launch manager of Welsh commercial station Radio Maldwyn and News Editor of 97.4 Rock FM and Red Rose 999 in Preston, Lancashire.

While at Rock FM, he co-ordinated the award winning EMAP Radio response to the IRA bombing of Manchester. The bomb had taken Manchester's Key 103 and Piccadilly Magic 1152 off air. He arranged an emergency news service for the Manchester stations and a replacement radio service from a studio in Preston

His more recent career has been at the BBC where he has broadcast at BBC Hereford and Worcester, BBC Radio Berkshire and was the presenter of the Late Show on BBC Radio Lancashire, which was simulcast to BBC Radio Manchester up to the end of March 2013. He is now the BBC reporter for Lancaster and Morecambe Bay.

Barnes is a Lieutenant Commander in the Maritime Volunteer Service and the National Communications Manager of the organisation.

He can be seen playing a chef in the video for the single "Bye Bye Baby" by the electronic London band Temposhark which was released in November 2009.

Barnes has lived in North Lancashire for the last 20 years.

References

• "Living in the other Red Rose County", BBC Online, November 23, 2003
• "The Secret History of Curling", BBC Online, 2006