Colin Sykes

Colin trained in Sheffield as a newspaper journalist and went on to work for weekly and evening publications in Stockport and Oldham for seven years. After working freelance for a commercial radio station in Manchester he joined the BBC as a reporter at Radio Manchester. He went on to produce the station's Breakfast Show and then moved to take on a similar role at Radio Sheffield. During his time there he spent 12 months at Westminster producing one of the first local radio political programmes for six stations in Yorkshire and the North East. He then returned to Radio Manchester as News Editor and then Deputy Manager in charge of presentation and station sound. He became one of the BBC's first Bi Media Editors managing correspondents working across television, radio and online in the North West. He went on to produce BBC North West Tonight before switching front of camera as the region's Environment and Transport Correspondent becoming a familiar face in the area for 15 years. As well as his journalism, Colin worked on many projects at the BBC including the transition to a new state of the art TV studio for North West Tonight and BBC Breakfast at MediaCity Salford. Leaving the Corporation after 30 years, he became a trainer for the BBC Academy before arriving at the University of Sheffield where he works across television and radio on the MA Broadcast Journalism course as well as teaching on other undergraduate courses.