Barbara Sturgeon is a British radio presenter and winner of two

Sony Radio Award The Radio Academy Awards, started in 1983, were the most prestigious awards in the British radio industry. For most of their existence, they were run by ZAFER Associates, but in latter years were brought under the control of The Radio Academy ...

s for a show she presented on

BBC Radio Kent BBC Radio Kent is the BBC's local radio station serving the county of Kent. It broadcasts on FM, DAB, digital TV and via BBC Sounds from studios at The Great Hall in Royal Tunbridge Wells. According to RAJAR, the station has a weekly audie ...

during the 1980s. Sturgeon subsequently presented an early weekend morning programme for

BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the List of most-listened-to radio programs, most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 14 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the sta ...

in 1992/93, but returned to Radio Kent subsequently, where she presented a lunchtime current affairs show until leaving the station in 2004.

Career

Sturgeon's broadcasting career began in 1983 when she joined BBC Radio Medway (later BBC Radio Kent) and presented reports for the BBC from Northern Ireland during the height of

the Troubles The Troubles () were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted for about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it began in the late 1960s and is usually deemed t ...

, and a Teabreak feature. She went on from this to front the Drivetime show for BBC Radio Kent, as well as a Sunday request show, before presenting her own lunchtime current affairs show, ''The Barbara Sturgeon Show''. The programme covered a broad range of topics, from political and social issues to more light-hearted subjects, as well as human interest stories. Among topics covered on the show were a debate on the Zeebrugge Inquiry, held following the 1987 Zeebrugge ferry disaster. Sturgeon also hosted election coverage for the station. The lunchtime show garnered Sturgeon the

Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at Sony City in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The Sony Group encompasses various businesses, including Sony Corporation (electronics), Sony Semiconductor Solutions (i ...

Local Radio Personality of the Year Award in both 1987 and 1988. She was again nominated for the Award in 1989 for a programme which featured live coverage of a human birth. Following the success of her lunchtime show, she later presented BBC Radio Kent's ''News and Current Affairs Breakfast Show'', before moving to BBC Radio 2 in 1992, where she spent two years presenting an early breakfast show on Saturday and Sunday mornings. In the 1990s, Sturgeon returned to BBC Radio Kent to host another lunchtime show, following a format similar to that of her original programme. One of the topics covered on the show was that of animal welfare, and in 1998, she was awarded the

RSPCA The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) is a charity operating in England and Wales which promotes animal welfare. The RSPCA is funded primarily by voluntary donations. Founded in 1824, it is the oldest and largest a ...

Local Media Award for this. In 2004 following twenty years with the BBC, Sturgeon left BBC Radio Kent to pursue other projects inside and outside the media.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sturgeon, Barbara Year of birth missing (living people) Living people British radio DJs British radio personalities BBC Radio 2 presenters