"2005 NEWSCASTER OF THE YEAR"

Time to vote for this years favourites. This year's winner will be rewarded with a week's holiday at Joel's luxury Penthouse in Knightsbridge. (The runner up prize is two weeks at Joel's.........)

My votes (please, everyone stick to the same categories and don't add any more):

Best Newscaster Overall: ADRIAN FINIGHAN
Best Business Presenter: MANISHA TANK
Best Studio: CNN LONDON
Best regional presenter: SHEREEN NANJIANI
Best theme / music: SKY NEWS
Best On The Spot Anchor: LYSE DOUCET
Best Sports Presenter: ROB BONNET
Best Graphics: NEW SKY NEWS
Legend of the Year: MOIRA STUART
Wooden Spoon: GINNY BUCKLEY (sorry, Ginny........)
TV Forum Newsroom Thread of the Year: Naturally, "BBC World".

And finally......

News Presentation Moment of the Year: JULIA SOMERVILLE GUEST ANCHOR ROLE ON ITV EARLY EVENING NEWS AND HER CLOSING "HEY".

Can't be bothered with most, but as usual Jane Hill continues to impress. Does anyone think she's been offered anything else bigger than News 24, or are the BBC keeping her there to keep the quality of that channel up? I think she should be considered for a future replacement for Huw as main BBC anchor.

Best Newscaster Overall: RICHARD QUEST, CNN
Best Business Presenter: MARK HAINES, CNBC
Best Studio: SKY NEWS
Best regional presenter: ---
Best theme / music: SKY NEWS
Best On The Spot Anchor: NIK GOWING, BBC News
Best Sports Presenter: MARK McKAY, CNN
Best Graphics: FIVE NEWS
Legend of the Year: ALISTAIR YATES, BBC News
Wooden Spoon: ANDREA SANKE, CNN
TV Forum Newsroom Thread of the Year: "The NEW Central West and BBC Midlands thread"
News Presentation Moment of the Year: SKY NEWS RELAUNCH



I've got to say - I had real trouble answering the best graphics question. 2005 has been a shocking year for news graphics, I think. I don't like the new Sky News graphics (nor was I that impressed by the old ones either). I don't like the current BBC News graphics - the whole thing looks old now. I've always hated ITV News' graphics. CNN's graphics continue to look shocking. Channel 4 strikes me as bit too simple, and I'm not sure I like the colour scheme. Bloomberg is way too bland. CNBC Europe looks horrid, and although I liked the old CNBC US graphics, I hate what they've done with this week's relaunch. So, in the end I settled with Five News which, while far from brilliant, are probably the best on the box at the moment.

And while there's not a category for it, I'd really like to give an honourable mention to Aaron Brown who was unceremoniously dumped by CNN. I thought he was a good news anchor, and I hated the changes that were forced on to his show ultimately leading to him being given the flick in favour of the flavour of the month, Anderson Cooper.

Best Newscaster Overall: John Nicholson - ITV News Channel
Best Business Presenter: N/A
Best Studio: Sky News
Best regional presenter: Tim Curtis
Best theme / music: CNN's Your World Today
Best On The Spot Anchor: N/A
Best Sports Presenter: Jon Desborough
Best Graphics: ABC News - World News Tonight
Legend of the Year: Brian Williams NBC News
Wooden Spoon: James P Rubin, Sky News
TV Forum Newsroom Thread of the Year: The one were we all thought some massive news was going to break because presenters were wearing black
News Presentation Moment of the Year: Sky News, relaunching

Best Newscaster Overall: BILL TURNBULL (BBC)
Best Business Presenter: DECLAN CURRY (BBC)
Best Studio: SKY NEWS (SKY)
Best regional presenter: RANVIR SINGH (BBC NWT)
Best theme / music: BBC LONDON NEWS (BBC)
Best On The Spot Anchor: BILL TURNBULL (BBC)
Best Sports Presenter: ROB BONNET (BBC)
Best Graphics: SKY NEWS
Legend of the Year: BILL TURNBULL (BBC)
Wooden Spoon: KATE SILVERTON
TV Forum Newsroom Thread of the Year:"All Newsreaders Wearing Black, we are all going to die!!!"

And finally......

News Presentation Moment of the Year:
The BBC News Strike, leaving Akhtor Kahn, Susan Osman and Stephen Cole to present BBC1's main bulletins.

Best Newscaster Overall: Fiona Bruce
Best Business Presenter: Adrian/Adam (BBC Working Lunch)
Best Studio: SKY NEWS
Best Regional presenter:Susan Osman
Best theme/music: BBC WALES TODAY (David Lowe)
Best On the Spot Anchor: Mark Austin
Best Sports Presenter: Roger Johnson (BBC SOUTH)
Best graphics: SKY NEWS
Legend of the Year: Alistair Stewart
Wooden Spoon: James Rubin.
TV Forum Newsroom Thread of the Year: Sky News relaunch and beyound.

News Presentation Moment of the Year: Sir Trevor McDonalds signoff from ITV NEWS, with the 1992 theme playing out to the new graphics.

Best Newscaster Overall: JANE HILL
Best Business Presenter: DECLAN CURRY
Best Studio: SKY NEWS
Best regional presenter: FAYE BARKER
Best theme / music: BBC NEWS 24 COUNTDOWN
Best On The Spot Anchor: JON SOPEL
Best Sports Presenter: CHRIS HOLLINS
Best Graphics: SKY NEWS
Legend of the Year: MOIRA STUART
Wooden Spoon: JAMES RUBIN
TV Forum Newsroom Thread of the Year: SKY NEWS RELAUNCH

And finally......

News Presentation Moment of the Year: FORMER ITN PRESENTERS RETURN FOR ITV50 CELEBRATIONS.

Best Newscaster Overall: SHARON NÍ BHEOLÁIN (RTÉ)
Best Business Presenter: MANISHA TANK
Best Studio: SKY NEWS
Best regional presenter: N/A
Best theme / music: BBC WORLD including BBC NEWS 24's NEW COUNTDOWN
Best On The Spot Anchor: TIM WILLCOX
Best Sports Presenter: N/A
Best Graphics: BBC NEWS 24 and WORLD
Legend of the Year: ALASTAIR YATES and MOIRA STUART
Wooden Spoon: JAKE LYNCH
TV Forum Newsroom Thread of the Year: BBC WORLD and NEWSREADERS WEARING BLACK
News Presentation Moment of the Year: When BBC News 24 introduced the ridculously fast globe in the titles and everyone thought it was a mistake AND OF COURSE when all the presenters were wearing black that day!

Best Newscaster Overall: TIM WILLCOX
Best Business Presenter: MANISHA TANK
Best Studio: NEWS 24
Best regional presenter: ANNABEL TIFFEN
Best theme / music: NEWS 24 COUNTDOWN
Best On The Spot Anchor: CHRIS EAKIN
Best Sports Presenter: ROBIN BAILEY
Best Graphics: SKY NEWS RELAUNCH
Legend of the Year: ALISTAIR YATES
Wooden Spoon: JAKE LYNCH
TV Forum Newsroom Thread of the Year: BBC NEWS 24

Best Newscaster Overall: JANE HILL / TIM WILLCOX
(Too difficult to decide! Would make a great team IMO)
Best Business Presenter: MANISHA TANK
Best Studio: WALES TODAY or BBC NEWSLINE
Best regional presenter: JACKIE BIRD
Best theme / music: CHANNEL 4 NEWS
Best On The Spot Anchor: LYSE DOUCET
Best Sports Presenter: CHRIS HOLLINS
Best Graphics: CHANNEL 4 NEWS
Legend of the Year: [joke] STEPHEN COLE, for gallantly stepping in to cover during the BBC strike without making a fuss [/joke]
Wooden Spoon: JAKE LYNCH
(or if I could award it to a set, REPORTING SCOTLAND!)

Best Newscaster Overall : ADRIAN FINIGHAN
Best Business Presenter : DECLEN CURRY(BBC Breakfast)
Best Studio : BBC NEWS 24/ MIDLANDS TODAY
Best regional presenter : SUZANNE VIRDE (Midlands Today)
Best theme / music : CHANNEL 4 NEWS
Best On The Spot Anchor : LYSE DOUCET (Asian Tsunami reporting)
Best Sports Presenter : CHRIS HOLLINS
Best Graphics : CHANNEL 4 NEWS
Legend of the Year : MOIRA STUART
Wooden Spoon : NATASHA KAPLINSKY
TV Forum Newsroom Thread of the Year : Naturally, "The Weather Forecast" and "BBC World".

I'm been very decisive this evening...

Seeing as it's Christmas and that time of year...!

Best Newscaster Overall : Bill Turnbull
Best Business Presenter : Tanya Beckett (World Business Report)
Best Studio : BBC News 24
Best regional presenter : Sally Taylor (BBC South Today)
Best theme / music : Sky News
Best On The Spot Anchor : Bill Turnbull (Hurricane Katrina / July 7th)
Best Sports Presenter : Mike Bushell (BBC News 24)
Best Graphics : BBC News 24
Legend of the Year : Dan Corbett (not strictly news, but I think it counts...!)
Wooden Spoon : Layla Deybelge (I see her occasionally on ITV News and she seems to smile ALL the time, even during very serious stories)
TV Forum Newsroom Thread of the Year : The Weather Forecast Thread

Merry Christmas to one and all!