BBC News: Presenters & Rotas

Chris Eakin's just popped up next to Carole in N6.

Inexperienced? she's only been at the BBC News for thirty years, mind you.

Inexperienced as a presenter, I meant. It seems they've dragged Huw Edwards in for the Ten.

Sorry but I really don't like Carole Walker as a presenter. She's not very natural. Awkward.

Sue Thearle doing the morning shift today. I wonder if that includes the national bulletin?

She should be!

Was Clive back in the studio yesterday from 7pm?

No, Annita was with Adam Parsons.

Fiona Armstrong presenting 1:00pm till 5:00pm today - and I must say she's doing very well on her own. Very warm and friendly, good newsreading voice and seems to be coping well with breaking news.

Until 5? Any particular reason? I would have thought someone else would come at 4 - still, the NC should really balance out the weekend shifts. When Maxine's off it seems as if the NC gains one extra presenter, which could easily be dealt with if the shifts were say 4-5 hours long each.

I'm only assuming this because Maxine does her shift from 10am till 5pm - an insane 7 hours on air! Sue was on until 1pm so it makes sense to assume that Fiona will be on till 5pm. Yes I definitely agree the shifts could be balanced better at weekends, but Maxine always does very long shifts - so perhaps they're just making the most out of the hours they can get out of her, and cutting out the cost of bringing in another presenter.

Presumably Maxine is contracted to do a certain number of hours and requested to do them all at weekends, hence the long shifts.

Maxine, when she's on, usually only does 10-4 on a Saturday, with random relief presenters doing 4-7. Today Sue Thearle did 10-1, Fiona Armstrong covered 1-4, now Adam Parsons is on from 4-7