Skip Navigation

Oor Ain Folk: Celebrating Helen Mark

19 February 2026

NVTV has announced details of Oor Ain Folk - a television special dedicated to the life and broadcasting career of Helen Mark MBE.

  • Sunday 22 February 
  • 8:20pm 
  • That's TV (Freeview channel 7 and Virgin 159)

Helen is one of the most recognisable voices in local broadcasting and a passionate advocate for Ulster-Scots culture.  

Oor Ain Folk charts Helen’s 38-year career in radio and television, reflecting on her distinctive storytelling voice, deep connection to place, and long-standing service to Ulster-Scots communities. The programme features personal reflections from Helen and highlights from her broadcasting journey, offering a moving portrait of a woman whose voice has become part of the cultural landscape.  

Known to audiences across the UK as the voice of BBC Radio 4’s Open Country, Helen has also been a central figure in regional broadcasting especially through her work on BBC Radio Ulster’s Kintra, where she has been bringing Ulster-Scots heritage, language and life to listeners for nearly two decades. Her broadcasting style, rooted in empathy, curiosity and respect for the people she meets, has earned her admiration from peers and audiences alike.  

In 2026, Helen was awarded an MBE in the King’s New Year Honours for her services to broadcasting and to the Ulster-Scots community.  

“Helen Mark has given a voice to people and places that are too often overlooked. With Oor Ain Folk, we wanted to reflect that same care and respect back to her, with a film that honours not just a career in broadcasting, but a lifetime of listening,” says Dean Hagan, NVTV.  

Funded by the Ulster-Scots Broadcast Fund, Oor Ain Folk will air on Sunday 22 February at 8.20pm on That’s TV (Freeview channel 7 and Virgin 159). It will also be on NVTV’s dedicated Ulster-Scots website and YouTube channel.