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Did Moira ever lead the Six O'Clock News? (July 2018)

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JW
JamesW
A few days ago I found this clip below where Moira Stuart (with the insert graphic being on the left) looks to be leading the Six? In those days I am sure the the insert was to the left of the main presenter and to the right of the second. I never ever remember her doing this and if so who would be with her - it must have been Chris Lowe or the late Jill Dando I guess?:-

http://euscreen.eu/item.html?id=EUS_6BBAC87E67184BAA8A99130888A55A86
IT
itsrobert Founding member
Having checked the BBC Genome database, it would seem Moira presented with Peter Sissons that day. I would very much guess that Peter would have led as he usually did. But you are right, the inset graphic definitely is the main presenter version. Strange!

Here's the link so you can check: https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules/bbcone/london/1990-10-08
AS
AlexS
I'd have thought any occasions where Moira did lead would have been as a result of last minute changes rather than planned so genome is unlikely to have it noted.
JW
JamesW
Thanks. I definitely it might have been last minute (e.g. someone going home ill). Also the BBC Genome isn't always right as I have matched it to some Youtube clips where the presenters for the particular day differ. Probably again down to last minute changes as you say.
JW
JamesWorldNews
Moira never did lead the Six. However, she did lead other bulletins from the principle anchors seat from the same studio and set, namely at weekends and for the signed programme Newsview. The former she would anchor with a sports presenter seated to her left. The latter she would anchor with another presenter seated to her right. On occasion, that other presenter (who would review the week in subtitles) could be a more "senior" presenter, if you catch my drift. Such as Chris Lowe, Andrew Harvey or Jennie Bond.

But as for the actual "Six" itself, Moira didn't lead as far as I can recall.

*Someone please slap me! I just now saw the original posters clip and it appears I am talking blox. Forgive me all.
TH
TomH
I have a very vague recollection of Moira leading the six with Jennie Bond in the other chair.
JW
JamesW
I know what you mean about the weekends but I have checked the date and it is a weekday. Also by then w/e programmes were coming from the newsroom set not N1. The time you refer to is pre the 1988 relaunch.
SW
Steve Williams
Having checked the BBC Genome database, it would seem Moira presented with Peter Sissons that day. I would very much guess that Peter would have led as he usually did.


He always did, because as he points out in his autobiography, he actually had it written in his contract that he would always be the senior presenter whenever he was on air. He says that Anna Ford once told him that he was the only presenter she would be willing to play second fiddle to, and he didn't have the heart to tell her she was actually contractually obliged to do that anyway.

That said, as he also points out, there wasn't much for the senior presenter to do on a programme like the Six. Other than saying good evening at the start and reading the headlines, in all other aspects they were a completely equal partnership because they would faithfully take it in turns to read a story, with no attempt made to give particular stories to any specific presenter or group similar stories together into a sequence. He says that if a story was inserted into the running order, they would still carry on taking it in turns so they would end up reading each other's planned stories for the rest of the news.

The flying fish fingers era Nine was probably the one with the most equal partnership, because one presenter got to say good evening and read the headlines at the start, but the other presenter would read the headlines and say goodnight at the end. Presumably this came about because when John Humphrys and Julia Somerville started on the Nine they were doing it on their own, and when it went double headed they didn't want either of them to feel like they'd been demoted.
BR
Brekkie
Must admit my childhood memories of the Six was that it was a pretty equal partnership on screen, and indeed more of a job share than a partnership.
NE
Newsroom
Having checked the BBC Genome database, it would seem Moira presented with Peter Sissons that day. I would very much guess that Peter would have led as he usually did.


He always did, because as he points out in his autobiography, he actually had it written in his contract that he would always be the senior presenter whenever he was on air. He says that Anna Ford once told him that he was the only presenter she would be willing to play second fiddle to, and he didn't have the heart to tell her she was actually contractually obliged to do that anyway.

That said, as he also points out, there wasn't much for the senior presenter to do on a programme like the Six. Other than saying good evening at the start and reading the headlines, in all other aspects they were a completely equal partnership because they would faithfully take it in turns to read a story, with no attempt made to give particular stories to any specific presenter or group similar stories together into a sequence. He says that if a story was inserted into the running order, they would still carry on taking it in turns so they would end up reading each other's planned stories for the rest of the news.

The flying fish fingers era Nine was probably the one with the most equal partnership, because one presenter got to say good evening and read the headlines at the start, but the other presenter would read the headlines and say goodnight at the end. Presumably this came about because when John Humphrys and Julia Somerville started on the Nine they were doing it on their own, and when it went double headed they didn't want either of them to feel like they'd been demoted.


I have to correct you on something here. The 'Lead' always conducted the 'LIVES' with that reflective lid they lifted from the box between both pres. There was blatant seniority back then at ITN and the BBC because it encouraged me to wriote my dissertation entitled 'Women working within the dominant patriarchy of tv news'. I interviewed Anna Ford, Julia Somerville, Kate Adie and Angela Rippon. They ALL told me there was a 'star system' at the BBC.

Moira, who was not journalistically trained never conducted lives unless she was the duty newsreader at the weekend which she was the weekend mainstay for many years. Breaking news as an example, but you only have to search on YouTube to realise the questions were standard.

And yes, Sissons was the only newsreader for would sit in the other with.
JW
JamesWorldNews
I recall one occasion only when Witchell did a LIVE from the second seat whilst Lawley was in the main seat. It was a day of frantic political news so they had many LIVES and spun the monitor around to the respective presenter who was conducting it.

But as I say, I think this happened once only.

I've just also remembered a very last minute change on either the Six or Nine when they had no voiceover for the Presenters names. It was only "The Six (or Nine) O'clock News from the BBC".

Again, if I'm not mistaken, this happened once only. If I'm not mistaken, it was Frances Coverdale who was the last minute presenter. She ended up being a semi permanent replacement on both bulletins after that.
RI
Richard
I recall one occasion only when Witchell did a LIVE from the second seat whilst Lawley was in the main seat. It was a day of frantic political news so they had many LIVES and spun the monitor around to the respective presenter who was conducting it.

But as I say, I think this happened once only.

I've just also remembered a very last minute change on either the Six or Nine when they had no voiceover for the Presenters names. It was only "The Six (or Nine) O'clock News from the BBC".

Again, if I'm not mistaken, this happened once only. If I'm not mistaken, it was Frances Coverdale who was the last minute presenter. She ended up being a semi permanent replacement on both bulletins after that.


Before 1996, BBC NI’s local news went out at 5:35, and finished at exactly 6pm, with no trails and no clock into the 6 o’clock News. In 1993 this created an issue because the Virtual World version of the 6 didn’t announce the presenters. After a week or so the Inside Ulster presenters were told to say who was presenting the 6,
Last edited by Richard on 7 July 2018 9:16am

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