Brian Perkins

Brian Perkins is the former head news reader on BBC Radio 4. He also reads news items of interest during The News Quiz.

He was born in Wanganui in New Zealand, and all of his relatives are New Zealanders, although they refer to England as home. His mother, who played on the local radio station 2XA , gave him a taste "of the fantasy of radio".

He first started working in 1962 in Christchurch on radio stations of the NZBS, 3YA 3YC and sometimes on 3ZB . In those days all the work was continuity functions. When he came to Wellington at the end of 1962 he started reading the news both on television and on radio. The NZBS put him in at the deep end and introduced him to many forms of radio including compiling programmes, commmentary and other functions.

In 1964 he moved to London, and was given a role announcing and newsreading for the BBC.

A keen musician, he began by learning the cello and changed to a double bass. While in London he attended the Guildhall School of Music. In 1969 he went back to New Zealand to play the double bass with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. Nine years later he returned to Britain to work exclusively for BBC Radio 4.

He believes in giving news in a clear and concise way. He was once voted the third most popular voice on British radio.

As of early 2005, he can still be heard reading the news on BBC Radio 4 from time-to-time.