John Kennedy O'Connor
Encyclopedia
John Kennedy O'Connor is an author, entertainment and political commentator, based in the United States. Born in North London, United Kingdom, he has written, reported and broadcast for numerous media organizations, as well as writing, creating and producing media events for a number of international corporations all over the world. In 2005, Carlton Books published his book The Eurovision Song Contest - The Official History, in conjunction with the European Broadcasting Union
, initially produced in English, German, French, Swedish, Dutch and Danish editions, with a separate English publication in Australia. A Finnish version followed in 2007 as did a Russian version in 2009. The book has been updated, expanded and reprinted three times in the UK, the 2010 edition published by Carlton Books, UK, in April 2010. ISBN 978-1-84732-521-1. The first edition of the book, published to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Eurovision Song Contest
in Kiev
, was listed in the Top 10 book sales of both Amazon UK and Amazon Germany in May 2005, after being featured during the broadcast during an inset with the contest hosts Maria Efrosinina
and Pavlo Shylko.
O'Connor has been the American correspondent for digital station Gaydar Radio
in the UK, reporting for the Neil and Debbie Breakfast Show. During Eurovision 2009 season, he also covered live reports for the station on gay issues in Moscow, reporting in the same role from Oslo 2010. He reported for Sky News on the gay march held on May 17, 2009 in the Russian capital. O'Connor has regularly reported for the UK TV channel Sky News
and for Fox News in New York and ERT in Athens to the UK, and has been a guest on BBC World News and BBC News 24
on TV and “Today” on BBC Radio 4
with John Humphrys
, BBC Radio 2
's Steve Wright in the Afternoon with host Steve Wright and actress Brooke Shields
on Radio. He has also contributed to many other BBC Radio
programmes, including BBC Radio 5 Live
, The Big Toe Show on BBC Radio 7, BBC Radio Scotland
, numerous local BBC Radio stations including guest spots with Nicky Campbell
, Judi Spiers, Richard Bacon, Paul Henley
, Ted Robbins
, Liz Kershaw
and featured on the BBC World Service
and LBC Radio. UK Channel 4
's Jon Snow
interviewed O'Connor live from Chicago when news of a scandal relating to the Eurovision Song Contest 1968
broke in May 2008.
In May 2009, O'Connor was the featured guest on “Russia Today's” interview TV programme, Spotlight, timed to coincide with the release of his first Russian language book. The same week, he guested on BBC World Service's daily magazine show Europe Today, hosted by Paul Henley
, and the Maltese TV magazine show Xarabank, all broadcast live from Moscow, Russia.
In May 2010, O'Connor appeared with Justin Lee Collins
on UK Channel Five, advising Collins on his quest to represent a country at the Eurovision Song Contest 2010
in the show Eurovision: A Song For Justin. During the 2010 contest in Oslo, Norway, O'Connor appeared on Aljazeera TV, BBC World News & BBC News Channel with James Dagwell
on E24 and after a one-on-one interview, won PopMaster
on BBC Radio 2
's Ken Bruce
show, playing against Paddy O'Connell
in a Eurovision spoof of the regular feature. He also featured across ITV News
and BBC Local Radio
live from Oslo. In 2011, O'Connor featured in the documentary The Secret History of Eurovision
, shown in More4
in the UK.
Oikotimes.com ran a series of seven articles written by O'Connor in January 2011, tracing the history of Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest. Concurrently, the UK Daily Mail
, reporting on the BBC's selection of the group Blue to sing for Britain in Eurovision 2011
, quoted from an article written by O'Connor for ESCInsight.com.
In Ireland, he has guested on Key 101 FM Radio with Eurovision winners Dana
and Paul Harrington, RTE1's Rattlebag, Newstalk Radio and regularly contributes to BBC Radio Ulster
.
In Australia, O'Connor has become a regular contributor to various ABC Radio National programmes, including the now defunct Perspective programme, hosted by producer Sue Clark, providing commentary on British and International Politics as well as popular culture issues. Amongst other stories, O'Connor reported on the underlying racism of the 2008 US General Election, Gordon Brown
's accession as British Prime Minister and the international media coverage of the Australian federal election, 2007, for the programme. He has also regularly appears on ABC's Radio National Breakfast
Show with Fran Kelly
and many local radio stations in Australia and was the featured guest on an hour long special on the Triple J
ABC station.
In 2006, O'Connor was featured in the UK editions of Metro
for their "60 Seconds Interview" column. In 2007, O'Connor contributed on camera items for both the Associated Press
and Reuters
for broadcast, in addition to video spots on AOL
's Big Story. Online, he has been interviewed by ESCToday.com and Oikotimes.com about the Eurovision Song Contest
.
O'Connor's written work has been published in the United Kingdom in (amongst others) the Sunday Express, Daily Mail
, Radio Times
, Private Eye
, Northern Woman and The News of the World. In the United States, he had a syndicated column originating in San Francisco, primarily published in Playlands magazine, a local guide to entertainment and has been interviewed by The Guardian
, The New York Times
, The San Francisco Chronicle, The San Jose Mercury News, The Houston Chronicle and other American daily papers. He has been profiled in Meetings & Conventions Magazine.
European Broadcasting Union
The European Broadcasting Union is a confederation of 74 broadcasting organisations from 56 countries, and 49 associate broadcasters from a further 25...
, initially produced in English, German, French, Swedish, Dutch and Danish editions, with a separate English publication in Australia. A Finnish version followed in 2007 as did a Russian version in 2009. The book has been updated, expanded and reprinted three times in the UK, the 2010 edition published by Carlton Books, UK, in April 2010. ISBN 978-1-84732-521-1. The first edition of the book, published to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
in Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
, was listed in the Top 10 book sales of both Amazon UK and Amazon Germany in May 2005, after being featured during the broadcast during an inset with the contest hosts Maria Efrosinina
Maria Efrosinina
Maria "Masha" Efrosinina , , is a Ukrainian television host.-Overview:Graduating from a high school with a gold medal , Efrosinina enrolled into the Department of Foreign Languages in the Kiev University to graduate as an interpreter of the English and Spanish languages.In 19 she debuted on the...
and Pavlo Shylko.
O'Connor has been the American correspondent for digital station Gaydar Radio
Gaydar Radio
GaydarRadio is a British digital radio station for gay men, lesbians and gay friendly people. It is available on DAB multiplexes in London and Brighton and also online. It broadcasts 24 hours a day, with live programming from 5am to midnight during the week, 7am to midnight at weekends.-Format:The...
in the UK, reporting for the Neil and Debbie Breakfast Show. During Eurovision 2009 season, he also covered live reports for the station on gay issues in Moscow, reporting in the same role from Oslo 2010. He reported for Sky News on the gay march held on May 17, 2009 in the Russian capital. O'Connor has regularly reported for the UK TV channel Sky News
Sky News
Sky News is a 24-hour British and international satellite television news broadcaster with an emphasis on UK and international news stories.The service places emphasis on rolling news, including the latest breaking news. Sky News also hosts localised versions of the channel in Australia and in New...
and for Fox News in New York and ERT in Athens to the UK, and has been a guest on BBC World News and BBC News 24
BBC News 24
BBC News is the BBC's 24-hour rolling news television network in the United Kingdom. The channel launched as BBC News 24 on 9 November 1997 at 17:30 as part of the BBC's foray into digital domestic television channels, becoming the first competitor to Sky News, which had been running since 1989...
on TV and “Today” on BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
with John Humphrys
John Humphrys
Desmond John Humphrys , is a Welsh-born British author, journalist and presenter of radio and television, who has won many national broadcasting awards...
, BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
's Steve Wright in the Afternoon with host Steve Wright and actress Brooke Shields
Brooke Shields
Brooke Christa Shields is an American actress and model. Some of her better-known movies include Pretty Baby and The Blue Lagoon, as well as TV shows such as Suddenly Susan, That '70s Show and Lipstick Jungle....
on Radio. He has also contributed to many other BBC Radio
BBC Radio
BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company...
programmes, including BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries...
, The Big Toe Show on BBC Radio 7, BBC Radio Scotland
BBC Radio Scotland
BBC Radio Scotland is BBC Scotland's national English-language radio network. It broadcasts a wide variety of programming, including news, sport, light entertainment, music, the arts, comedy, drama, history and lifestyle...
, numerous local BBC Radio stations including guest spots with Nicky Campbell
Nicky Campbell
Nicholas Andrew Argyll "Nicky" Campbell is a Scottish radio and television presenter and journalist. He is known for his time presenting on programmes such as the consumer affairs programme Watchdog...
, Judi Spiers, Richard Bacon, Paul Henley
Paul Henley
Paul Henley is a British radio and television journalist. He has worked for the BBC since 1992 and contributes to programmes such as Crossing Continents for BBC Radio 4. He was a runner up in the Foreign Press Awards in 2005. He attended the Royal Grammar School, Newcastle and Fitzwilliam College,...
, Ted Robbins
Ted Robbins
Ted Robbins is an English comedian, actor, broadcaster, radio DJ, radio personality, voice-over artist and television personalityRobbins currently presents a morning show on BBC Radio Lancashire from 9am - 11am on weekdays....
, Liz Kershaw
Liz Kershaw
Liz Kershaw is a UK radio broadcaster.-Early career:The elder sister of fellow broadcaster and world music exponent Andy Kershaw, she began her career as a pop journalist for the Yorkshire Post before joining Leeds station Radio Aire, where her brother also worked for a time.While in Leeds, she...
and featured on the BBC World Service
BBC World Service
The BBC World Service is the world's largest international broadcaster, broadcasting in 27 languages to many parts of the world via analogue and digital shortwave, internet streaming and podcasting, satellite, FM and MW relays...
and LBC Radio. UK Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's Jon Snow
Jon Snow
Jon Snow is an English journalist and presenter, currently employed by ITN. He is best known for presenting Channel 4 News.He was Chancellor of Oxford Brookes University from 2001 to 2008.-Early life:...
interviewed O'Connor live from Chicago when news of a scandal relating to the Eurovision Song Contest 1968
Eurovision Song Contest 1968
The Eurovision Song Contest 1968 was the 13th Eurovision Song Contest. The contest was won by the Spanish song "La, la, la", performed by Massiel....
broke in May 2008.
In May 2009, O'Connor was the featured guest on “Russia Today's” interview TV programme, Spotlight, timed to coincide with the release of his first Russian language book. The same week, he guested on BBC World Service's daily magazine show Europe Today, hosted by Paul Henley
Paul Henley
Paul Henley is a British radio and television journalist. He has worked for the BBC since 1992 and contributes to programmes such as Crossing Continents for BBC Radio 4. He was a runner up in the Foreign Press Awards in 2005. He attended the Royal Grammar School, Newcastle and Fitzwilliam College,...
, and the Maltese TV magazine show Xarabank, all broadcast live from Moscow, Russia.
In May 2010, O'Connor appeared with Justin Lee Collins
Justin Lee Collins
Justin Lee Collins, commonly known as JLC, is an award-winning English comedian and television presenter.A Bristolian, he's well known for his strong West Country accent, shaggy appearance and colourful shirts....
on UK Channel Five, advising Collins on his quest to represent a country at the Eurovision Song Contest 2010
Eurovision Song Contest 2010
The Eurovision Song Contest 2010 was the 55th annual Eurovision Song Contest, broadcast from the Telenor Arena in Bærum, Greater Oslo, Norway. It was the third time Norway had hosted the contest, having previously done so in 1986 and 1996. The 2010 winner was Germany with Lena singing "Satellite",...
in the show Eurovision: A Song For Justin. During the 2010 contest in Oslo, Norway, O'Connor appeared on Aljazeera TV, BBC World News & BBC News Channel with James Dagwell
James Dagwell
James Dagwell is a British journalist. He was brought up in Devon, South London and Crowborough.-Education:Dagwell was educated at Beacon Community College, a state comprehensive school in the town of Crowborough in East Sussex, followed by Royal Holloway at the University of London, in Central...
on E24 and after a one-on-one interview, won PopMaster
PopMaster
PopMaster is a popular music quiz on the Ken Bruce Show on BBC Radio 2. It usually takes place at around 10:30 a.m. on weekday mornings.-Structure:...
on BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
's Ken Bruce
Ken Bruce
Kenneth Robertson Bruce is a British broadcaster known for his programme on BBC Radio 2, which is broadcast on weekdays from 9:30am until 12 noon.-Early life and career:...
show, playing against Paddy O'Connell
Paddy O'Connell
Guy Patrick Bennett O'Connell , known as Paddy O'Connell, is an English television and radio presenter, working mainly for the BBC....
in a Eurovision spoof of the regular feature. He also featured across ITV News
ITV News
ITV News is the branding of news programmes on the British television network ITV. Since 1955, ITV's news bulletins have been produced by Independent Television News . The channel's news coverage has won awards from the Royal Television Society, Emmy Awards and BAFTAs. Between 2004 and 2008, the...
and BBC Local Radio
BBC Local Radio
BBC Local Radio is the BBC's regional radio service for England and the Channel Islands, consisting of 40 stations. They cover a variety of areas with some serving a city and surrounding areas, for example BBC Radio Manchester; a county, for example BBC Radio Norfolk; an administrative region for...
live from Oslo. In 2011, O'Connor featured in the documentary The Secret History of Eurovision
The Secret History of Eurovision
The Secret History of Eurovision is a television documentary produced by Brook Lapping Productions and Electric Pictures in association with Screen Australia, charting the history of the Eurovision Song Contest and its impact on European political and social structure...
, shown in More4
More4
More4 is a digital television channel, run by British broadcaster Channel 4, that launched on 10 October 2005. It is carried on Freeview, on satellite broadcasters Freesat and Sky, UK IPTV broadcaster TalkTalk TV and on UK cable network Virgin Media and in the Republic of Ireland cable networks...
in the UK.
Oikotimes.com ran a series of seven articles written by O'Connor in January 2011, tracing the history of Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest. Concurrently, the UK Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
, reporting on the BBC's selection of the group Blue to sing for Britain in Eurovision 2011
Eurovision Song Contest 2011
The Eurovision Song Contest 2011 was the 56th annual Eurovision Song Contest and was won by Eldar & Nigar performing "Running Scared" for Azerbaijan. The event took place in the Esprit Arena in Düsseldorf, Germany, following Germany's win in the previous year...
, quoted from an article written by O'Connor for ESCInsight.com.
In Ireland, he has guested on Key 101 FM Radio with Eurovision winners Dana
Dana Rosemary Scallon
Dana Rosemary Scallon , known in her singing career simply as Dana, is an Irish singer and former Member of the European Parliament ....
and Paul Harrington, RTE1's Rattlebag, Newstalk Radio and regularly contributes to BBC Radio Ulster
BBC Radio Ulster
BBC Radio Ulster is one of two Northern Irish BBC radio stations, the other being BBC Radio Foyle located in the city of Derry. BBC Radio Ulster is located at Broadcasting House in the Ormeau Avenue area of Belfast city centre...
.
In Australia, O'Connor has become a regular contributor to various ABC Radio National programmes, including the now defunct Perspective programme, hosted by producer Sue Clark, providing commentary on British and International Politics as well as popular culture issues. Amongst other stories, O'Connor reported on the underlying racism of the 2008 US General Election, Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
's accession as British Prime Minister and the international media coverage of the Australian federal election, 2007, for the programme. He has also regularly appears on ABC's Radio National Breakfast
Radio National Breakfast
Radio National Breakfast is a national early morning news programme in Australia. The programme is broadcast live in the eastern states on the ABC Radio National network. It can also be listened to online...
Show with Fran Kelly
Radio National Breakfast
Radio National Breakfast is a national early morning news programme in Australia. The programme is broadcast live in the eastern states on the ABC Radio National network. It can also be listened to online...
and many local radio stations in Australia and was the featured guest on an hour long special on the Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
ABC station.
In 2006, O'Connor was featured in the UK editions of Metro
Metro (Associated Metro Limited)
Metro is a free daily newspaper in the United Kingdom published by Associated Newspapers Ltd . It is available from Monday to Friday each week on many public transport services across the United Kingdom.-History:The paper was launched in London in 1999, and can now be found in 14 UK urban centres...
for their "60 Seconds Interview" column. In 2007, O'Connor contributed on camera items for both the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
and Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
for broadcast, in addition to video spots on AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
's Big Story. Online, he has been interviewed by ESCToday.com and Oikotimes.com about the Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
.
O'Connor's written work has been published in the United Kingdom in (amongst others) the Sunday Express, Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
, Radio Times
Radio Times
Radio Times is a UK weekly television and radio programme listings magazine, owned by the BBC. It has been published since 1923 by BBC Magazines, which also provides an on-line listings service under the same title...
, Private Eye
Private Eye
Private Eye is a fortnightly British satirical and current affairs magazine, edited by Ian Hislop.Since its first publication in 1961, Private Eye has been a prominent critic and lampooner of public figures and entities that it deemed guilty of any of the sins of incompetence, inefficiency,...
, Northern Woman and The News of the World. In the United States, he had a syndicated column originating in San Francisco, primarily published in Playlands magazine, a local guide to entertainment and has been interviewed by The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, The San Francisco Chronicle, The San Jose Mercury News, The Houston Chronicle and other American daily papers. He has been profiled in Meetings & Conventions Magazine.
External links
- http://www.russiatoday.com/About_Us/Programmes/Spotlight/2009-05-14/480744.html
- http://www.abc.net.au/rn/perspective/stories/2007/1960948.htm
- http://www.abc.net.au/rn/perspective/stories/2006/1792537.htm
- http://www.abc.net.au/rn/perspective/stories/2006/1659737.htm
- http://www.abc.net.au/rn/perspective/stories/2007/2095018.htm
- http://www.metro.co.uk/fame/interviews/article.html?in_article_id=13555&in_page_id=11