Chris buckler biography
Chris Buckler is a BBC Ireland correspondent and presenter of Good Morning Ulster. Originally from Helen’s Bay, he attended Queen’s University Belfast and the University of Ulster, and worked for the Belfast Telegraph before joining the BBC.
How did your media career come about?
While I was studying at Queen’s University in Belfast I bluffed my way into reporting for what was then BCR (Belfast Community Radio). I heard they were starting a new evening speech programme so I contacted the station directly and they gave me a chance to put together radio packages. I didn’t have any experience other than writing a few articles for student newspapers but they gave me an opportunity.
I went out with a tape recorder and a microphone and found a story. When I went back to the radio station they helped me to package it and then it just became a regular slot. Twice a week I was responsible for providing a five minute radio report – for which I was paid the princely sum of £7.50 per package.
When the station became the more commercial Belfast Citybeat they put all the speech content into a nightly two hour timeslot presented by a fledgling talent called Stephen Nolan. They had no-one to produce the show so they asked me. I ended up working five nights a week while I continued my studies at Queen’s and later the University of Ulster. It was the best opportunity I could have been given. Every night there was a two-hour programme where both Stephen and I had free reign to do what we wanted. We did light features, heavy interviews and controversial debates – literally anything we wanted. It was a rare and genuine opportunity to experiment on-air and learn how to make radio programmes.
From there I started working for the Belfast Telegraph and then I won a place on the BBC’s news trainee scheme. The training was second-to-none and that led to a permanent job in the BBC working for Radio Ulster, BBC Newsline and later network news. The other Belfast trainee that year was Published: 17 February 2020 Most recently Chris Buckler has been BBC News’ Washington Correspondent while Sarah Brett has hosted her own late night discussion programme on BBC Radio 5 live. Adam Smyth, Head of BBC News NI, says: “Following a competitive process, we are pleased to confirm Sarah and Chris as the new voices of breakfast news on BBC Radio Ulster. While they have each gone on to forge impressive careers across the BBC, they have remained passionate about news and events Northern Ireland and they bring with them a wealth of broadcasting experience. They will make a formidable pairing and we’re excited to see what they bring to the programme and station.” Sarah Brett joined BBC Radio Foyle in the 2004 as a reporter. Five years later in April 2009, she began hosting her own programme on BBC Radio Foyle - The Sarah Brett Show. For the following five years Sarah was familiar voice on BBC Radio Ulster and Foyle and went on to present BBC Radio Foyle’s award-winning Breakfast programme with Enda McClafferty. Since 2014, Sarah has been presenting on BBC Radio 5 live, having presented a wide range of programmes including Afternoon Edition, 5 live Drive and the Sarah Brett show. She wrote and presented the podcast - Beast Of Man With Kevin Pietersen on BBC Sounds. Born in Northampton, Sarah Brett moved to Donegal when she was four years old. She studied journalism at the North West Regional College, Londonderry, before writing for newspapers including the Sunday Tribune, The Irish News and The Belfast Telegraph. Chris Buckler joined the BBC in 1999 as a news trainee and went on to present and report for BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Newsline. In 2008 he joined BBC network news as North of England Corres Good Morning Ulster is the flagship Northern Irish radio breakfast news programme BBC Radio Ulster, broadcast weekdays from 6:30 am to 9 am and produced by BBC News Northern Ireland. The main presenting team is Sarah Brett and Chris Buckler: this core team is augmented with Joel Taggart, Mark Devenport, Declan Harvey and Jayne McCormack. Good Morning Ulster based Studio 4 at the BBC's Broadcasting House in Belfast. Unlike the other main studios at Broadcasting House, Studio 4 sits within the newsroom itself. In November 2019 Noel Thompson and Karen Patterson both announced they would be stepping down from Good Morning Ulster, effective from January 2020. It is often cited as one of the most listened to breakfast radio programmes in Northern Ireland. .Sarah Brett and Chris Buckler to host BBC Radio Ulster’s breakfast news programme
They will make a formidable pairing and we’re excited to see what they bring to the programme and station.— Adam Smyth
Good Morning Ulster
Regular features
Previous presenters
References
External links