Brian Bows Out

BBC stalwart, Brian Perkins, has resigned from his post at Radio 4, ending a news-reading career spanning 4 decades. The Guardian describes the resignation of NZ-born broadcaster as a loss: “Perkins’ voice has come to symbolise Radio 4’s calm authority”. As well as returning to NZ to play double bass for the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Perkins enjoyed a cult status on British television’s Dead Ringers impressionist show where his smooth tones were generously lampooned. Says Ringers writer, Laurence Howarth; “We have done him right from the start. He’s the heart of the show, one of the cornerstones, so this news is almost unthinkable.”