Steve Penk

Steve Penk (Born Stephen Penkethman in 1961) is a MUG British radio and TV presenter. Renowned for his wind-up calls, Penk has worked for various national and local radio stations. He started his radio career at Piccadilly Radio (subsequently rebranded Key 103) where he often stood in for Timmy Mallett. He then went on to work at Capital Radio presenting the mid-morning show, and moved to Virgin Radio to originally present drivetime, but never did and presented the breakfast slot after the departure of Chris Evans. Penk left Virgin after he was replaced at breakfast by Daryl Denham, and offered Drivetime.

After a year presenting the late shift on Capital Radio networked to a number of other stations, Penk returned to Manchester's Key 103, firstly presenting the weekday afternoon show, then following a schedule reshuffle, the mid-morning show before later taking over the weekend mid-morning show 9am-1pm and the 'Piccadilly Radio Years' on Sunday Night, picking up poor audience figures. However, he left at the end of 2006. Penk returned to the airwaves on Fox FM in Oxfordshire in March 2007 as its new breakfast show presenter. It was effectively a return to the station as his late show for Capital was simulcast on Fox. However, he announced on 15 January 2008 he would be leaving the station by March 2008 due to 'internal politics', although Fox denies this. As of 22 February 2008, Steve Penk is no longer at Fox FM due to "commuting difficulties".

He also presented TV Nightmares, The Way They Were and a few series of TV's Naughtiest Blunders which was taken over by Neil Morrissey (who narrated the show) on ITV.

One of his most famous prank calls was when he enlisted the impressionist Jon Culshaw to wind up the UK prime minister, Tony Blair.

On Thursday 4 September 2008, it was announced that Steve Penk had bought the entire share capital in the radio station 96.2 The Revolution and has big plans to make more acquisitions throughout the area. Almost immediately after the purchase, Mr. Penk made whole-scale changes both to the schedule and to the play list. The changes led to outrage from some listeners to the station and a mass walkout by its DJs. He controversially decided to appoint himself as host of the Breakfast Show. Penk has subsequently drawn criticism from around the North West for his "ruining" of 96.2 The Revolution, a radio station that he claimed was not "commercially viable" and so the play list was altered from an eclectic mix of music from all genres to a more "middle-of-the-road" format, similar to that of Heart FM.

In January 2010, Steve Penk was condemned by mental health charities for playing Van Halen's Jump on 96.2 The Revolution Breakfast Show at the request of a motorist stuck on the M60 due to a suicidal woman on a bridge. Shortly after, the woman jumped 30ft from the bridge, but only received minor injuries.

Television appearances

• Steve Penk's TV Nightmares
• Would I Lie To You? (Pilot)
• Russian Roulette
• Blankety Blank
• The Way They Were: Coronation Street Special
• TV's Naughtiest Blunders

External links

• Fox FM Biography
• DJ Penk quits Virgin Radio - BBC News 31/01/02
• Virgin drops Penk from breakfast show - BBC News 25/01/02
• Surprise call for PM - BBC News 21/01/98