My
first appearance on Mercia was in January 1983...when I was
brought in
to be a guest on Dave Simms early evening programme.
I was a student at Warwick University, and used to come in occasionally
to talk about student issues, and give advice on such matters.
Soon after I
was taken on to compile and present the 10:30 pm sports
news several days
a week, for which I was paid the princely sum of
five quid a night. I also
worked on Sportacular with Stuart Linnell
on Saturday afternoons.
My work for Mercia increased, and my university work decreased
- and I was
eventually taken on full time in September 1984,
quitting Warwick before
completing my degree.
I had a strange mixture of roles: trainee news journalist, sports reporter,
and
presenter of the heavy metal programme Maximum Volume: The Rock
Show.
I also filled in as a presenter on many other programmes such as
Night Express.
I loved my time at Mercia, and the big break in journalism the station offered
me. Peter Lowe was my first News Editor, and 20 years later we are still
close friends, and both work at Sky News. But the highlight was obviously
the 1987 FA Cup Final, when I broadcast from the Wembley pitch, and was
in the changing rooms with the Sky Blues after they won the FA Cup.
I'm still a Coventry supporter, attending matches whenever I can with
Neil White -- another ex-Mercia part-time sports reporter. I joined the
BBC in December 1987, later presenting East Midlands Today - where my
boss was Peter Lowe again.
I
joined Sky News in 1995, becoming Sports Editor, and since early
2002
have been based in Washington as their United States Correspondent. I've
had the thrill of reporting from all over the world, including recently from
Iraq and Afghanistan -- but I've never enjoyed a day more than
Coventry v
Spurs that glorious May day in 1987. Mind you, the parade through the city
a day later was a close second.
Kevin.Sykes@kps.org.uk 
Page updated
Saturday, February 14, 2009
