F-H appoints ex-ITN Hawker head of broadcast

Ex-ITN journalist and producer, Jonathan Hawker, is joining Fleishman-Hillard in a newly-created head of broadcast position.

Hawker's role will include pitching and delivering broadcast stories, media training and advising on crisis management. He reports to UK managing director Paul Blackburn, and Simon Southgate, vice-president of corporate relations.

He was previously a political reporter at ITV, a position he took after working as a freelance, on shows such as Channel 4's Powerhouse and 5 News.

Of his decision to move into PR, Hawker said it was something he was looking to get into. 'I feel that the opportunities are enormous,' he said. 'The broadcast area is really set to grow in the next few years and I feel I can bring my skills and they will get used fully.'

He went on to say that his experience covering crises would be key to developing strategies for F-H's corporate clients. Hawker has covered events such as the Ladbroke Grove rail crash and the Estonia ferry disaster.

There are no plans to recruit a broadcast team at present. Hawker will work across the board with F-H's technical, corporate and consumer PR teams.

Hawker has 11 years experience in the broadcast news industry. He was named Anglo-German journalist of the year for his coverage of the fall of the Berlin Wall. In 1997 he returned to London for the general election, where he worked as a producer for Michael Brunson, ITN's political editor. Brunson has also moved into PR, joining Luther Pendragon (PR Week, 2 June).