I occasionally pre-record/watch
ABC World News with Charles Gibson
which is rebroadcast overnight on BBC News 24.
Normally I don't mind it, it's quite interesting and some of the pres, while obviously more American than most, is quite unobtrusive and nice.
But for at least three weeks, Charlie Gibson has been off (illness? holiday?) and in his place we've had a rather cringeworthy woman who looked like she was off the front cover of
Vogue
and a man who is rather likeable but speaks very loudly. (The first is Elizabeth someone, I forget the second one's name.)
But what I want to know is why the programme still bears the legend
with Charles Gibson
when Charlie is nowhere to be seen! True, the announcer follows the 'This is
ABC World News with Charles Gibson
' sentence with a 'reporting tonight - [presenter's name]'.
Is this practice common? Is the name of Charles Gibson so important or prestigious that it remains even when someone else is sitting in?
Yes, that's common with US newscasts. The name is part of the brand. CBS has the "Evening News with Katie Couric" and NBC has the "Nightly News with Brian Williams". Whenever those newscasters are off, their names are still announced but with a second announcement of the substitute presenter. It's a bit like "Tonight with Trevor McDonald" in Britain. The name is part of the title.
I think the woman is Elizabeth Vargas, who used to be a co-anchor, before her co-host was severly injured in Iraq. I'm assuming Charles Gibson is on holiday, as late August is a big time for that.
In respect of US networks placing an emphasis on the anchor it is quite common place.
Lots of networks use the 'Reporting tonight' line when the anchor is off, indeed, many networks actually name their bulletins with the anchor in mind, hence ABC's World News with Charles Gibson.
It's just a convention of American news.
In respect of ABC, I find the title 'World News' quite laughable - I think the usual scoop of world news extends to two stories on US troops in Iraq. That aside, it does have a less intrusive and much more effective presentation.
One question I've been wondering a while actually, Is the initial opening first shot done on a green screen?
I'm rather bemused why American TV does this, as the main anchors seem to get alot of time off and looks unprofessional, granted the presenter maybe one of the main reasons why a viewer may watch, but it still looks shoddy.
I remember the day when Peter Jennings died and they still had the same opening titles and V/O, granted they did that as a tribute but it still didn't feel right.
I'm rather bemused why American TV does this, as the main anchors seem to get alot of time off and looks unprofessional, granted the presenter maybe one of the main reasons why a viewer may watch, but it still looks shoddy.
I remember the day when Peter Jennings died and they still had the same opening titles and V/O, granted they did that as a tribute but it still didn't feel right.
Though UK shows also do this - Sunday AM (i.e. the Sunday morning Andrew Marr show - featuring him heavily in the opening titles) has bee presented by Huw Edwards both during holidays and injury.
With it being the holidays, most of them have been taking their breaks. Also on the mornings shows. Most of them do seem to present each show more frequently then British presenters do (ie Mary and Mark on the ITV Evening News)
I occasionally pre-record/watch
ABC World News with Charles Gibson
which is rebroadcast overnight on BBC News 24.
Normally I don't mind it, it's quite interesting and some of the pres, while obviously more American than most, is quite unobtrusive and nice.
But for at least three weeks, Charlie Gibson has been off (illness? holiday?) and in his place we've had a rather cringeworthy woman who looked like she was off the front cover of
Vogue
and a man who is rather likeable but speaks very loudly. (The first is Elizabeth someone, I forget the second one's name.)
But what I want to know is why the programme still bears the legend
with Charles Gibson
when Charlie is nowhere to be seen! True, the announcer follows the 'This is
ABC World News with Charles Gibson
' sentence with a 'reporting tonight - [presenter's name]'.
Is this practice common? Is the name of Charles Gibson so important or prestigious that it remains even when someone else is sitting in?
Not sure who the man is you're talking about but I was TiVoing last week, along with the CBS Evening News, and last week Kate Snow who is a co-host of the weekend edition of Good Morning America, was covering.
If you watch the ABC World News Webcast, there are usually a lot more cover presenters used. Dan Harris and David Muir are amongst the usual batch of cover hosts. IN fact come to think of it, the man you're describing could be Dan Harris, he always talks like that.
I'm a little surprised that the continuity announcer even said that Charles Gibson was off.
It would usually be like it is on Anchorman..
e.g. "This is Channel 6 News with Ron Burgundy"
Newsreader "Good evening, Ron Burgundy is off tonight, I'm Veronica Corningstone".
It happens in the UK too, for example, Breakfast with Frost, with Peter Sissons.
Heaven and Earth with Gloria Hunniford, with Declan Curry
Tonight with Trevor Mc Donald, with Martin Bashir
As somebody else said, in the USA the newsreader IS the progoramme, more than, for example, the TIME of the progoramme. Perhaps this is something to do with the multiple time zones, therefore it is easier for people to associate the time of the programme in their timezone with a person's name.