Tim Arnold (newsreader)

Timothy Arnold (born 1960) was the first solo news anchor on Sky News in the UK.

Born in Slough, he joined the Windsor, Slough and Eton Express newspaper in 1979 as an indentured apprentice, and a chance conversation with disc jockey Tony Prince resulted in an invitation to edit Radio Luxembourg's English language news bulletins on a freelance basis. A teleprinter breakdown meant he had to read one bulletin by telephone, and he therefore became the first journalist ever to read a bulletin on the station.

Tim worked for a number of radio and television stations before moving to Plymouth Sound Radio in 1983, where he eventually became assistant head of news, and relaunched the flagship evening news and current affairs programme, Plymouth Sound Reports.

He moved to BBC Belfast as a reporter in 1987, where he gained a world exclusive when he discovered and interviewed the priest acting as the intermediary between the Royal Ulster Constabulary and the Provisional IRA (extremist Catholics) over the dispute surrounding the burial of Larry Marley. The paramilitary had been murdered by a Loyalist (extremist Protestant)hit squad. The RUC had prevented paramilitary displays at Marley's funeral on two occasions, leading to confrontations between the security forces and the IRA. For two nights, there was rioting on the streets of Belfast. Marley was eventually buried on the third day.

Tim then moved to London where he worked as a reporter for BBC TV's London Plus programme, under the inspirational guidance of output producer Neil Hughes, at the BBC's aging Lime Grove studios, and as a newsreader for the British Forces Broadcasting Service, BFBS.

He was invited to join the launch team of Sky News in 1989, where he was the first solo news anchor. He also reported on the IRA murder of Eastbourne MP Ian Gow, and was beaten up on camera during the poll tax riot in London's Trafalgar Square. Arnold's assailant was later jailed.

Tim left the station after it merged with British Satellite Broadcasting to become a freelance public relations consultant. He started Arnold Broadcast in 1997, dealing with crisis communications, media training, and corporate video productions. One of Arnold's main clients was the Port of London, where he advised the authority on the media implications of the government inquiry into the Marchioness disaster. He also advised the education department of the former Soviet republic of Georgia on how to deal with a free press after the fall of communism.

He was a co-founder of the business ethics group, the Corporate Social Responsibility Foundation, launched by international development secretary Hilary Benn MP in [2004] . He has also lectured in journalism in various universities in the UK and USA. The ABC network programme, The John Batchelor Show, called him "one of Europe's leading spin doctors."

In 2008, Tim joined [http://www.chelgate.com Chelgate] , London's leading crisis and issues public relations consultancy as communications director.

Arnold is married with two children and lives in his home town of Slough, between Heathrow Airport and Windsor Castle, in the picturesque Thames Valley.

Media

* [http://www.prweek.com/uk/search/article/811158/Ex-news-host-joins-Chelgate "PR Week": Ex-news host joins Chelgate: May 2008]

External links

* [http://www.arnoldstrategy.com Arnold Strategy]
* [http://www.chelgate.com Chelgate Public Relations]