IT
Agreed. I've felt that BBC World has been, to some extent, lacking in personality since Adrian Finighan left three years ago. The majority of the presenters show little in the way of personality or humour for the bulk of the time and I think Owen is filling Adrian's shoes in this respect.
Excuse me but Television news is not a talk show (a Parkinson or Letterman product), stand-up comedy or a screen test for the latest Ridley Scott movie. The NEWS is the centre piece of the station and the presenters need to be sharp, accurate, insightful, clear , quick-thinking and presentable. They do not have to be funny. It's the news, comment,documentaries,etc that people switch on for. If you need a laugh, switch on Zimbabwe television.
I'm not talking about the presenter having a hearty laugh off the back of a report about starvation in Africa. I mean skilled presenters have the ability to have a joke after the last, usually quirky, story of the bulletin as well as reveal their personality in throws to and from business and sport presenters. It's what makes it watchable. I've always thought that Adrian Finighan is one of the best in the business - he can easily handle huge, serious news as well as being adept at lightening the atmosphere. There aren't many presenters as skilled as that. However, Owen Thomas is one of them.
itsrobert
Founding member
david price posted:
itsrobert posted:
cityprod posted:
Sorry, but the grin has gotta stay. It gives him a touch of character and distinctiveness. Yes, he's a good newsreader, with a lot of experience. And on a news channel, there needs to be just a touch of personality injected, not a lot otherwise it undermines the authority of the anchor, but a touch of personality just makes us as an audience connect to them a little bit easier, without affecting their sense of authority.
Jon Sopel and Simon McCoy are two good examples of newsreaders who can inject a touch of personality at the right time, without seeming unprofessional. Owen falls neatly into that category too. His credibility isn't undermined by the little personality traits that he has, like the grin.
Jon Sopel and Simon McCoy are two good examples of newsreaders who can inject a touch of personality at the right time, without seeming unprofessional. Owen falls neatly into that category too. His credibility isn't undermined by the little personality traits that he has, like the grin.
Agreed. I've felt that BBC World has been, to some extent, lacking in personality since Adrian Finighan left three years ago. The majority of the presenters show little in the way of personality or humour for the bulk of the time and I think Owen is filling Adrian's shoes in this respect.
Excuse me but Television news is not a talk show (a Parkinson or Letterman product), stand-up comedy or a screen test for the latest Ridley Scott movie. The NEWS is the centre piece of the station and the presenters need to be sharp, accurate, insightful, clear , quick-thinking and presentable. They do not have to be funny. It's the news, comment,documentaries,etc that people switch on for. If you need a laugh, switch on Zimbabwe television.
I'm not talking about the presenter having a hearty laugh off the back of a report about starvation in Africa. I mean skilled presenters have the ability to have a joke after the last, usually quirky, story of the bulletin as well as reveal their personality in throws to and from business and sport presenters. It's what makes it watchable. I've always thought that Adrian Finighan is one of the best in the business - he can easily handle huge, serious news as well as being adept at lightening the atmosphere. There aren't many presenters as skilled as that. However, Owen Thomas is one of them.
GS
Thanks for the clarification of what a "talk show" is.
You may think that the new is best delivered by automatons, but most viewers would disagree.
Gavin Scott
Founding member
david price posted:
Excuse me but Television news is not a talk show (a Parkinson or Letterman product)
Thanks for the clarification of what a "talk show" is.
You may think that the new is best delivered by automatons, but most viewers would disagree.
DP
Agreed. I've felt that BBC World has been, to some extent, lacking in personality since Adrian Finighan left three years ago. The majority of the presenters show little in the way of personality or humour for the bulk of the time and I think Owen is filling Adrian's shoes in this respect.
Excuse me but Television news is not a talk show (a Parkinson or Letterman product), stand-up comedy or a screen test for the latest Ridley Scott movie. The NEWS is the centre piece of the station and the presenters need to be sharp, accurate, insightful, clear , quick-thinking and presentable. They do not have to be funny. It's the news, comment,documentaries,etc that people switch on for. If you need a laugh, switch on Zimbabwe television.
I'm not talking about the presenter having a hearty laugh off the back of a report about starvation in Africa. I mean skilled presenters have the ability to have a joke after the last, usually quirky, story of the bulletin as well as reveal their personality in throws to and from business and sport presenters. It's what makes it watchable. I've always thought that Adrian Finighan is one of the best in the business - he can easily handle huge, serious news as well as being adept at lightening the atmosphere. There aren't many presenters as skilled as that. However, Owen Thomas is one of them.
Well, we will have to agree to disagree. However, if the Adrian Finighan you referred to is the same Adrian Finighan who currently works for CNN, then ,in my humble opinion, he is spectacularly over-rated.
itsrobert posted:
david price posted:
itsrobert posted:
cityprod posted:
Sorry, but the grin has gotta stay. It gives him a touch of character and distinctiveness. Yes, he's a good newsreader, with a lot of experience. And on a news channel, there needs to be just a touch of personality injected, not a lot otherwise it undermines the authority of the anchor, but a touch of personality just makes us as an audience connect to them a little bit easier, without affecting their sense of authority.
Jon Sopel and Simon McCoy are two good examples of newsreaders who can inject a touch of personality at the right time, without seeming unprofessional. Owen falls neatly into that category too. His credibility isn't undermined by the little personality traits that he has, like the grin.
Jon Sopel and Simon McCoy are two good examples of newsreaders who can inject a touch of personality at the right time, without seeming unprofessional. Owen falls neatly into that category too. His credibility isn't undermined by the little personality traits that he has, like the grin.
Agreed. I've felt that BBC World has been, to some extent, lacking in personality since Adrian Finighan left three years ago. The majority of the presenters show little in the way of personality or humour for the bulk of the time and I think Owen is filling Adrian's shoes in this respect.
Excuse me but Television news is not a talk show (a Parkinson or Letterman product), stand-up comedy or a screen test for the latest Ridley Scott movie. The NEWS is the centre piece of the station and the presenters need to be sharp, accurate, insightful, clear , quick-thinking and presentable. They do not have to be funny. It's the news, comment,documentaries,etc that people switch on for. If you need a laugh, switch on Zimbabwe television.
I'm not talking about the presenter having a hearty laugh off the back of a report about starvation in Africa. I mean skilled presenters have the ability to have a joke after the last, usually quirky, story of the bulletin as well as reveal their personality in throws to and from business and sport presenters. It's what makes it watchable. I've always thought that Adrian Finighan is one of the best in the business - he can easily handle huge, serious news as well as being adept at lightening the atmosphere. There aren't many presenters as skilled as that. However, Owen Thomas is one of them.
Well, we will have to agree to disagree. However, if the Adrian Finighan you referred to is the same Adrian Finighan who currently works for CNN, then ,in my humble opinion, he is spectacularly over-rated.
DP
I am so sorry you have no sense of humour
the eye posted:
Right, well that was a really ridiculous comment, how old are you? 90? Who wants to watch a stale news channel? No one, times are changing and I think its good to have a laugh every now and then about a news story.
I am so sorry you have no sense of humour
JW
http://www.rp-network.com/tvforum/uploads/mst.jpg
"And here is some Breaking News. A row has erupted over on the boards of TV Forum. Police are presently surrounding the forum and the Government is debating whether or not to call in the SAS to diffuse a potentially serious situation. The row appears to have started when one the the forum correspondents referred to CNN anchor Adrian Finighan as "spectacularly over-rated". This comment has sent shock waves through TV Forum Land. Supporters of Finighan are rallying in their thousands in Central London. The Prime Minister is expected to address the House of Commons on the issue later this evening. We will have more on this story in our next scheduled bulletin over on BBC1 at six o'clock. Good Afternoon."
"And here is some Breaking News. A row has erupted over on the boards of TV Forum. Police are presently surrounding the forum and the Government is debating whether or not to call in the SAS to diffuse a potentially serious situation. The row appears to have started when one the the forum correspondents referred to CNN anchor Adrian Finighan as "spectacularly over-rated". This comment has sent shock waves through TV Forum Land. Supporters of Finighan are rallying in their thousands in Central London. The Prime Minister is expected to address the House of Commons on the issue later this evening. We will have more on this story in our next scheduled bulletin over on BBC1 at six o'clock. Good Afternoon."
NE
Yes, news is news and when you put on a news channel, that's what you should expect. However, news is also a form of entertainment. Serious entertainment yes, but unless there's a massive story that you want to be informed about it's there, competing with everything else, to hold your attention for as long as possible. If this wasn't the case, there'd be no need for titles, flashy sets, 3-D graphics etc. That's why a good mix of presenters, some with personality, some with (often assumed ) gravitas is so important. At times, BBC World seem to forget this. And it's why likeable presenters, such as Martine Dennis, Jon Sopel, Owen Thomas and Simon McCoy make 24-hour news channels a more comfortable watch. If World War Three breaks out, then perhaps all you'd want is Nik Gowing for 24 hours. For the rest of the time mix it up or die.
WW
Excuse me but Television news is not a talk show (a Parkinson or Letterman product), stand-up comedy or a screen test for the latest Ridley Scott movie. The NEWS is the centre piece of the station and the presenters need to be sharp, accurate, insightful, clear , quick-thinking and presentable. They do not have to be funny. It's the news, comment,documentaries,etc that people switch on for. If you need a laugh, switch on Zimbabwe television.
Actually, people often decide to watch a particular channel in part because they like the personalities of its anchors.
I suppose that in ideal world, the journalistic content of news programming would be the only thing that would count, but that's not how things work in real life. True, a serious service aimed at well-educated viewers, such as BBC World News, is less dependent on personalities than some other, more populist news services, but in general, the packaging of TV news, which includes everything from graphics to the likeability of anchors, does matter. In fact, that's why this forum exists in the first place.
david price posted:
Excuse me but Television news is not a talk show (a Parkinson or Letterman product), stand-up comedy or a screen test for the latest Ridley Scott movie. The NEWS is the centre piece of the station and the presenters need to be sharp, accurate, insightful, clear , quick-thinking and presentable. They do not have to be funny. It's the news, comment,documentaries,etc that people switch on for. If you need a laugh, switch on Zimbabwe television.
Actually, people often decide to watch a particular channel in part because they like the personalities of its anchors.
I suppose that in ideal world, the journalistic content of news programming would be the only thing that would count, but that's not how things work in real life. True, a serious service aimed at well-educated viewers, such as BBC World News, is less dependent on personalities than some other, more populist news services, but in general, the packaging of TV news, which includes everything from graphics to the likeability of anchors, does matter. In fact, that's why this forum exists in the first place.
EY
I am so sorry you have no sense of humour
I wasn't trying to be funny? But I am so sorry you joined TV Forum.
david price posted:
the eye posted:
Right, well that was a really ridiculous comment, how old are you? 90? Who wants to watch a stale news channel? No one, times are changing and I think its good to have a laugh every now and then about a news story.
I am so sorry you have no sense of humour
I wasn't trying to be funny? But I am so sorry you joined TV Forum.
MH
haha
I don't undersatnd why people like Adrain Finighan. He is a good presenter, but there's nothing special about him.
BBC WORLD posted:
http://www.rp-network.com/tvforum/uploads/mst.jpg
"And here is some Breaking News. A row has erupted over on the boards of TV Forum. Police are presently surrounding the forum and the Government is debating whether or not to call in the SAS to diffuse a potentially serious situation. The row appears to have started when one the the forum correspondents referred to CNN anchor Adrian Finighan as "spectacularly over-rated". This comment has sent shock waves through TV Forum Land. Supporters of Finighan are rallying in their thousands in Central London. The Prime Minister is expected to address the House of Commons on the issue later this evening. We will have more on this story in our next scheduled bulletin over on BBC1 at six o'clock. Good Afternoon."
"And here is some Breaking News. A row has erupted over on the boards of TV Forum. Police are presently surrounding the forum and the Government is debating whether or not to call in the SAS to diffuse a potentially serious situation. The row appears to have started when one the the forum correspondents referred to CNN anchor Adrian Finighan as "spectacularly over-rated". This comment has sent shock waves through TV Forum Land. Supporters of Finighan are rallying in their thousands in Central London. The Prime Minister is expected to address the House of Commons on the issue later this evening. We will have more on this story in our next scheduled bulletin over on BBC1 at six o'clock. Good Afternoon."
haha
I don't undersatnd why people like Adrain Finighan. He is a good presenter, but there's nothing special about him.
DP
Nice one! I was pleased to see Talking MOvies back on World News with its own half-hour slot instead of 5 minute snippets being incorporated in some of the World News Today programmes. Tom Brooks is good. Whatever happened to Barry Norman? He was excellent.
The fans of News time humour must have loved Tim Wilcox last night (Wed 18.00 gmt). At the end of the programme he was so engulfed with laughter over some silly item that he was unable to deal with the more serious issue of the ECB decision to send the England cricket team first to Abu Dhabi ( today Thursday 4 Dec) and then back to India to
fulfil their two-test obligations to the BCCI.
BBC WORLD posted:
http://www.rp-network.com/tvforum/uploads/mst.jpg
"And here is some Breaking News. A row has erupted over on the boards of TV Forum. Police are presently surrounding the forum and the Government is debating whether or not to call in the SAS to diffuse a potentially serious situation. The row appears to have started when one the the forum correspondents referred to CNN anchor Adrian Finighan as "spectacularly over-rated". This comment has sent shock waves through TV Forum Land. Supporters of Finighan are rallying in their thousands in Central London. The Prime Minister is expected to address the House of Commons on the issue later this evening. We will have more on this story in our next scheduled bulletin over on BBC1 at six o'clock. Good Afternoon."
"And here is some Breaking News. A row has erupted over on the boards of TV Forum. Police are presently surrounding the forum and the Government is debating whether or not to call in the SAS to diffuse a potentially serious situation. The row appears to have started when one the the forum correspondents referred to CNN anchor Adrian Finighan as "spectacularly over-rated". This comment has sent shock waves through TV Forum Land. Supporters of Finighan are rallying in their thousands in Central London. The Prime Minister is expected to address the House of Commons on the issue later this evening. We will have more on this story in our next scheduled bulletin over on BBC1 at six o'clock. Good Afternoon."
Nice one! I was pleased to see Talking MOvies back on World News with its own half-hour slot instead of 5 minute snippets being incorporated in some of the World News Today programmes. Tom Brooks is good. Whatever happened to Barry Norman? He was excellent.
The fans of News time humour must have loved Tim Wilcox last night (Wed 18.00 gmt). At the end of the programme he was so engulfed with laughter over some silly item that he was unable to deal with the more serious issue of the ECB decision to send the England cricket team first to Abu Dhabi ( today Thursday 4 Dec) and then back to India to
fulfil their two-test obligations to the BCCI.