Ed Doolan is one of the real characters that make living in the West Midlands what it is. That's meant in a good way - he's a presenter on BBC Radio WM, the local radio station for the West Midlands and Warwickshire. For 18 hours every week, Ed Doolan covers the issues that really matter, from health issues to consumer calls to current affairs. What's amazing is that he's been doing this almost continuously since 1974, and his show remains incredibly popular and influential.

The reason for this can only be adequately explained by the fact that Ed and his team help so many of the citizens of the region and bring to them both local and national politics, and a range of current affairs, spending the time and effort to deal with the topics properly without getting bogged down in jargon and without 'dumbing down'. Ed has a master touch for telling the listener what they need to know.

A possible explanation for the ease with which he appears to do this is his past career. Born in Sydney in 1941, Doolan was educated in Australia, then attended teaching college there and subsequently began a career as a schoolteacher. In 1962, he took up his first teaching post at Lidcombe School, Sydney, before moving to Edinburgh, Scotland in 1966, and teaching at Highgate School in London for three years until 1970. It is possible that his experience as a teacher is what enabled Ed to deal so effectively both with the public in general, and with the West Midlands' local government.

Radio Career

In 1970, Ed Doolan's career underwent a major change.