BBC News: Presenters & Rotas

Surprisingly, it wasn't. I didn't see it, that's all. I am a human. I do make mistakes.

Anyway, it was a different link to a different site, namely Digital Spy, not The Guardian.

I don't think it's an incident but I guess in UK where PC is out of control it is considered to be an incident, just like when they fired that woman for calling a tennis player golliwog and she wasn't even on air.
I think he's lucky he wasn't fired too.

an innaccurate analysis of the two completely different stories, where abouts are you in the world btw, I always thought you were in scotland for some reason.

Been watching a bit of BBC World News lately and just had a question - how long do the weekend presenters shifts last? Owen Thomas seemed to be on quite a while today. Have to say there are some very good presenters on BBC World, and the channel also seems more lively when they have the double headed slot on weekday mornings.

Yea, I've managed to catch it more and more online recently. From what I've seen there are three shifts on a Saturday and Sunday with one presenter doing 6am-midday, one doing midday to 7pm and one doing 7pm-midnight (GMT)

Rather ironic that you have asked that question, because today's usual three shifts have been changed into just two presenting shifts. A very long marathon one for Owen Thomas (twelve bulletins so far starting at 6am and he's still on air for the 5pm London time bulletin) and - one assumes - the next anchor will take over at 6pm London time. Peter Dobbie seems to be missing today. Perhaps celebrating with the Irish the fact that they won the Grand Slam (we Scot's will use any excuse for a party). Owen - being a Welsh boy - may have lost the sweepstake in the newsroom and has to do all of today's bulletins as a punishment. LOL.

Owen Thomas did sterling work over the weekend - two 12 hour shifts. By 18.00 gmt on Sunday, he was looking exhausted. He does, however, bring a charming sparkle to his work.

I also do not enjoy the double headers with Dave and Lucy. It seems rather forced and rhythmless.

Oh I agree, we've not had good rhythm on the channel since the days of Lyse Doucet rapping the quarter past headlines.

I couldn't find a video anywhere so here's a copy if anyone's curious...

Chimp incident

If you ask me it's not nearly that bad, big storm in a teacup. Cringeworthy nonetheless though...

Good to see Ben Geoghegan presenting tonight. His apperances seem rare these days (I know he's seen often as a correspondent), but didn't he present a weekday slot on the channel quite regularly between 1999 and 2003?

Yes, he used to present the 0900-1300 weekday shift, initially with Jackie Hardgrave, and then with Joanna Gosling. When he stopped presenting, Philip Hayton took his place and eventually Joanna Gosling was replaced with Anna Jones and then Kate Silverton. Philip left and was replaced with Simon McCoy and eventually Carrie Gracie replaced Kate Silverton. There you go...a potted history of the 0900-1300 shift

Ben did quite a few weekend slots at Breakfast last year with either Susanna or Sonia. Not many people on the forum seemed to rate him at that.

Ben does appear more comfortable in a mainstream News Channel slot.