The Newsroom

BBC News: Presenters & Rotas

(April 2008)

This site closed in March 2021 and is now a read-only archive
JW
JamesWorldNews
Karthi Gnanasegaram presented her last sports bulletin/slot from TV Centre last night, and she will now be permanent in Salford. She remarked on Twitter that it was quite fitting that she did her last bulletin from TVC alongside Emily Maitlis, as it was almost ten years to the day since they both started out together on BBC LDN.

IIRC, Karthi was the LDN sports presenter back in the day.............?

Also, nice to see Jamie Coomarasamy giving a special mention to Helen Fawkes on Twitter as well. Like many, I didn't realise that Helen had just undergone surgery for cancer. Everyone at the beeb on Twitter sending her their best wishes! Same here.
JA
Jaxford
bilky asko posted:
itsrobert posted:
Jaxford posted:

You do realise that Julia Somerville was one of the main presenters of the BBC's Nine O'Clock News and ITN's News at Ten for most of the 1980s and 1990s? You're talking about her as though she's just out of university. She coulkd do the Ten O'Clock News in her sleep. After all, she was reading flagship bulletins to millions of people (and many more millions than the network bulletins get now) when Fiona Bruce was still in nappies.


I understand your point. However, like you said, Julia presented the (BBC) Nine O'Clock News and the (ITN) News at Ten. She did this in the eighties and nineties. Back then she was great, but now we have the likes of Huw, Fiona, George, Sophie, Sian and Mishal. She had her time and now its time for others to come through the ranks. Why should she prevent somebody up and coming from presenting?

I know lots of you may dislike what I say, but this is just my opinion.


I don't think anyone would advocate fresh talent being held back in favour of keeping older presenters on air. However, these days news presenters are almost exclusively under 50 years old. The only network newsreaders I can think of who are over 50 are Huw Edwards (just), Mark Austin, Alastair Stewart and Jon Snow. Notice a pattern? All men. The experienced females have all long since been sidelined yet this doesn't seem to apply to blokes. Just because someone is older doesn't mean they're now incapable of doing their job, in fact they bring experience and authority. Your argument that keeping older presenters prevents young talent from emerging doesn't ring true when you look at the situation in the 1980s and 90s. Experienced newsreaders like Alastair Burnett and Sandy Gall stayed on network news into their 60s, yet young presenters (like Julia) still managed to emerge. Why can't there be a mix? Some old and some young? Wouldn't that be the best scenario?


There is a great mix of presenters of all ages and nationalities. It just so happens that most of the main presenters are aged between 40 and 50. Kirsty Wark is 57 and she is an amazing presenter who presents an excellent programme. What annoys me is why has Jeremy Paxman presented Newsnight for 20 years? Isn't it about time somebody else had a go? Somebody coming up the ranks.
EX
excel99
DrewF posted:
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/4202316/TV-Anna-Ford-in-swipe-at-Beeb.html

Apparently Julia Somerville only has 24 days a year in her contract. That's pretty rubbish really, and certainly suggests tokenism as Anna Ford says in the article above.

Just had a look on the BBC News Presenters site too - Julia did only 14 days on the News Channel in 2011 and 7 days on the bulletins. In comparison, Fiona Armstrong did 39 days on the News Channel and Carole Walker did 22 days.

Don't forget Julia also does Rip Off Britain

Jaxford posted:
itsrobert posted:

You do realise that Julia Somerville was one of the main presenters of the BBC's Nine O'Clock News and ITN's News at Ten for most of the 1980s and 1990s? You're talking about her as though she's just out of university. She coulkd do the Ten O'Clock News in her sleep. After all, she was reading flagship bulletins to millions of people (and many more millions than the network bulletins get now) when Fiona Bruce was still in nappies.


I understand your point. However, like you said, Julia presented the (BBC) Nine O'Clock News and the (ITN) News at Ten. She did this in the eighties and nineties. Back then she was great, but now we have the likes of Huw, Fiona, George, Sophie, Sian and Mishal. She had her time and now its time for others to come through the ranks. Why should she prevent somebody up and coming from presenting?

I know lots of you may dislike what I say, but this is just my opinion.

No one is suggesting she does the Ten every day, just occassionally when none of the main presenters are available. That would still leave plenty of chance for others

Jaxford posted:
What annoys me is why has Jeremy Paxman presented Newsnight for 20 years? Isn't it about time somebody else had a go? Somebody coming up the ranks.

They are not official relief presenters for Newsnight, but Stephanie Flanders and Mishal Hussain are appearing every now and then on Newsnight, so different talent is being tried out
CH
chris_rgu
excel99 posted:
DrewF posted:
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/4202316/TV-Anna-Ford-in-swipe-at-Beeb.html

Apparently Julia Somerville only has 24 days a year in her contract. That's pretty rubbish really, and certainly suggests tokenism as Anna Ford says in the article above.

Just had a look on the BBC News Presenters site too - Julia did only 14 days on the News Channel in 2011 and 7 days on the bulletins. In comparison, Fiona Armstrong did 39 days on the News Channel and Carole Walker did 22 days.

Don't forget Julia also does Rip Off Britain

Jaxford posted:
itsrobert posted:

You do realise that Julia Somerville was one of the main presenters of the BBC's Nine O'Clock News and ITN's News at Ten for most of the 1980s and 1990s? You're talking about her as though she's just out of university. She coulkd do the Ten O'Clock News in her sleep. After all, she was reading flagship bulletins to millions of people (and many more millions than the network bulletins get now) when Fiona Bruce was still in nappies.


I understand your point. However, like you said, Julia presented the (BBC) Nine O'Clock News and the (ITN) News at Ten. She did this in the eighties and nineties. Back then she was great, but now we have the likes of Huw, Fiona, George, Sophie, Sian and Mishal. She had her time and now its time for others to come through the ranks. Why should she prevent somebody up and coming from presenting?

I know lots of you may dislike what I say, but this is just my opinion.

No one is suggesting she does the Ten every day, just occassionally when none of the main presenters are available. That would still leave plenty of chance for others

Jaxford posted:
What annoys me is why has Jeremy Paxman presented Newsnight for 20 years? Isn't it about time somebody else had a go? Somebody coming up the ranks.

They are not official relief presenters for Newsnight, but Stephanie Flanders and Mishal Hussain are appearing every now and then on Newsnight, so different talent is being tried out


I'd like to see Sian doing newsnight now that she has left breakfast.
WE
Westy2
BBC WORLD posted:
Karthi Gnanasegaram presented her last sports bulletin/slot from TV Centre last night, and she will now be permanent in Salford. She remarked on Twitter that it was quite fitting that she did her last bulletin from TVC alongside Emily Maitlis, as it was almost ten years to the day since they both started out together on BBC LDN.

IIRC, Karthi was the LDN sports presenter back in the day.............?

Also, nice to see Jamie Coomarasamy giving a special mention to Helen Fawkes on Twitter as well. Like many, I didn't realise that Helen had just undergone surgery for cancer. Everyone at the beeb on Twitter sending her their best wishes! Same here.


Is Helen Fawkes the one that got kissed by 2 (I assume) lesbians live at a Gay Pride News OB. I remember something similar.
GE
Gareth E
Just to mention that Sophie Raworth presented Crimewatch this evening on BBC One . . .
JA
Jaxford
bbcsport posted:
Just to mention that Sophie Raworth presented Crimewatch this evening on BBC One . . .


Yes she did. I thought she was very good. Just as good as Kirsty. I suppose she's had some experience presenting Crimewatch Roadshow.
DS
Dan S
On the 11am shift this morning: Julian Worricker and Sue Thearle. A notably unusual Thursday late morning pairing.
JW
JamesWorldNews
Julian and Sue could very well be on tomorrow afternoon as well.
DS
Dan S
BBC WORLD posted:
Julian and Sue could very well be on tomorrow afternoon as well.


They make a good pairing. Infact I have a name for it: Suelian.
Last edited by Dan S on 23 March 2012 2:02pm - 2 times in total
BR
Bresca
Sally Bundock (news) and Tanya Beckett (business) co-presenting BBC World News this morning. Perhaps it would better with Tanya on the news segment?
JW
JamesWorldNews
Bresca posted:
Sally Bundock (news) and Tanya Beckett (business) co-presenting BBC World News this morning. Perhaps it would better with Tanya on the news segment?


Either/or, IMO. Both good. Tanya maybe a bit more associated with News News, than Sally.

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