After a long and varied career in commercial and BBC Radio, including 12 years in charge of Radio Scotland, Jeff Zycinski wrote his light- hearted and affectionate memoir, The Red Light Zone (published by Lunicorn Press).  He also writes a blog about the reaction to the book and about current issues in broadcasting and journalism.  He has appeared as a contributor to arts and current affairs radio programmes. He is now working on a number of podcast-related projects and researching a new book.  Jeff lives in Inverness and is a board member of the Platform Arts group in Glasgow's Easterhouse, the place where he was born and where he spent what he describes as an idyllic childhood.

Jeff has lectured at the the University of the Highlands and Islands and has spoken to media and journalism students at colleges and universities across Scotland and as far afield as New York City. He recently developed a Scottish schools workshop on 'turning readers into writers' using the techniques  gleaned from comedy writers in Hollywood and his own experience in commissoning comedy formats for the BBC. It's aimed  at secondary school students supporting folio work in National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher.

Jeff is on the Scottish Book Trust Live Literature programme which allows festival organisers and schools to access funding to book authors.

Click on the link below to find out more.

Jeff offers professional media and publicity advice to businesses and organisations, enabling them to find the angle that will interest relevant publications or broadcasters. He offers a consultancy service to radio stations in fields such as news (story-finding), authentic presentation and format development. 

Jeff has supported other authors in chairing their book launch events and has appeared on panel discussions at events such as The Radio Academy, Celtic Media Festival, Creative Loop and Go North.

The Red Light Zone: "A must-read for anyone considering a career in the media" -  Gavin Docherty, The Scottish Daily Express.

"A boss with a brain, a heart and a funny bone too." - Kaye Adams

"a supreme anecdotalist, an excellent journalist, a very accomplished writer"

- Tom Morton, Scottish Review

"Entertaining, rambunctious" - Janet Boyle, The Sunday Post

"Like a Scottish Bill Bryson"

-Chatterbox Magazine