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TV newsman reflects on time as weekly reporter

A well-known television news reporter has spoken of his fond memories of working for a local newspaper.

BBC and ITN journalist Nicholas Owen worked as a reporter on the weekly Northcliffe title the Surrey Mirror as a teenager.

Nicholas, who is now one of the most recognisable faces in broadcasting, has written a memoir of his life and career.

On a visit to the newsroom this week he told staff: “I have the fondest memories of working for the Surrey Mirror. I really enjoyed my local newspaper days. I lived in the area, I got to love it, and enjoyed the whole business of getting stories.”

After four years at the title, he migrated to Fleet Street, working on the Evening Standard, the Daily Telegraph, and the Financial Times.

His 30-year TV career began at the BBC in 1981, and was followed by 17 years as a presenter at ITN. A career highlight was his additional role as royal correspondent at ITN from 1994 to 2000.

He said the opportunity to do that sort of job was a privilege and an opportunity to travel around the world.

Said Nicolas: “It was a time of great ferment in the royal family, with the death of the Princess of Wales and everything that came from that. The Queen was a very active royal, and we still had the Queen Mother.

“The Diana story was such a big one. It was the biggest story of the TV age – not the most important, but the biggest. TV was just beginning to go global, Diana was the most famous person in the world, and I was the correspondent at the heart of it for one of the two big news channels in the UK.”

The memoir, priced £9.95, is published by Blenheim Press on February 10.

 

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  • January 30, 2012 at 12:08 pm
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    Nick was one of the good guys in those days. Book should be worth a riveting read.

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