AN
There might be some potential applicants out in the BBC regions given the reduction in presenter headcount planned. Ditto lower-profile NC presenters.
OM
Riz Lateef and Sophy Ridge were both approached but are apparently not interested.
Applications are said to include "several interesting names” but no hints as to whom.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/get-me-riz-lateef-newsreaders-face-fits-as-pms-100-000-voice-83t5smjxb
Applications are said to include "several interesting names” but no hints as to whom.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/get-me-riz-lateef-newsreaders-face-fits-as-pms-100-000-voice-83t5smjxb
Quote:
Boris Johnson has tried to recruit Riz Lateef, the leading presenter on BBC London, to become the face of his government.
A senior Tory has revealed that Lateef was Johnson’s initial choice to front the government’s daily press conferences, which are due to start this autumn. The job comes with a salary of at least £100,000.
Work has already begun to turn a former colonial courtroom at 9 Downing Street into a television studio where the new spokesman will hold a televised briefing every tea time.
A senior Tory has revealed that Lateef was Johnson’s initial choice to front the government’s daily press conferences, which are due to start this autumn. The job comes with a salary of at least £100,000.
Work has already begun to turn a former colonial courtroom at 9 Downing Street into a television studio where the new spokesman will hold a televised briefing every tea time.
CM
It's going to be a hell of a ride.
From the government's perspective, it a brilliant idea. Prime time slot to put across what you want the country to hear and know about - lead by a decent speaker and broadcaster.
From the broadcasters perspective, this is going to be awful. Taking up time in the news agenda to broadcast it, being slated if they don't, being slated if they don't offer the opposition the right of reply and possibly clashing with schedules (assuming it's held at around 4/5/6/7).
This and the new Murdoch channel is seriously going to show an odd stretch for news channels...
From the government's perspective, it a brilliant idea. Prime time slot to put across what you want the country to hear and know about - lead by a decent speaker and broadcaster.
From the broadcasters perspective, this is going to be awful. Taking up time in the news agenda to broadcast it, being slated if they don't, being slated if they don't offer the opposition the right of reply and possibly clashing with schedules (assuming it's held at around 4/5/6/7).
This and the new Murdoch channel is seriously going to show an odd stretch for news channels...
SO
I have to say I’m a lot less excited than you. I’m sure these briefings will have a novelty factor to start with, but will possibly become quite procedural quite quickly.
Obviously the 5pm coronavirus briefings did extremely well until the latter weeks...but that was due to the circumstances of the time, and the gravity of what was being imparted.
The government would probably like your description for these press briefings as a ‘Prime time slot to put across what you want the country to hear and know about’, but ‘the country’ in the most part won’t see them. This will be niche viewing, apart from the odd clip on the news bulletins.
Indeed the sort of viewer who will watch the briefings in full on the news channels is the viewer who was already being reached by the government previously.
Also I don’t think the news channels will necessarily find it ‘awful’ to have to show them. It all helps to fill their airtime in the same way Sky shows Nicola Sturgeon’s daily briefings. Kay Burley is not incorrect to state that they won’t definitely show them if there’s other breaking news. But that’s no different to their position with PMQs, which they’ve occasionally interrupted.
It's going to be a hell of a ride.
From the government's perspective, it a brilliant idea. Prime time slot to put across what you want the country to hear and know about - lead by a decent speaker and broadcaster.
From the broadcasters perspective, this is going to be awful. Taking up time in the news agenda to broadcast it, being slated if they don't, being slated if they don't offer the opposition the right of reply and possibly clashing with schedules (assuming it's held at around 4/5/6/7).
This and the new Murdoch channel is seriously going to show an odd stretch for news channels...
From the government's perspective, it a brilliant idea. Prime time slot to put across what you want the country to hear and know about - lead by a decent speaker and broadcaster.
From the broadcasters perspective, this is going to be awful. Taking up time in the news agenda to broadcast it, being slated if they don't, being slated if they don't offer the opposition the right of reply and possibly clashing with schedules (assuming it's held at around 4/5/6/7).
This and the new Murdoch channel is seriously going to show an odd stretch for news channels...
I have to say I’m a lot less excited than you. I’m sure these briefings will have a novelty factor to start with, but will possibly become quite procedural quite quickly.
Obviously the 5pm coronavirus briefings did extremely well until the latter weeks...but that was due to the circumstances of the time, and the gravity of what was being imparted.
The government would probably like your description for these press briefings as a ‘Prime time slot to put across what you want the country to hear and know about’, but ‘the country’ in the most part won’t see them. This will be niche viewing, apart from the odd clip on the news bulletins.
Indeed the sort of viewer who will watch the briefings in full on the news channels is the viewer who was already being reached by the government previously.
Also I don’t think the news channels will necessarily find it ‘awful’ to have to show them. It all helps to fill their airtime in the same way Sky shows Nicola Sturgeon’s daily briefings. Kay Burley is not incorrect to state that they won’t definitely show them if there’s other breaking news. But that’s no different to their position with PMQs, which they’ve occasionally interrupted.
Last edited by Soupnzi on 30 August 2020 3:25am
BB
I can't really see these press briefings getting too much extra coverage. These sorts of daily briefing with the press have been happening behind closed doors for years. I wouldn't be surprised if once COVID-19 has dropped out the headlines, we'll find that we might see small sections in reports of these briefing in reports, and that's it.
All it's doing is taking a private briefing, and making it public.
All it's doing is taking a private briefing, and making it public.
HO
I’m not entirely sure I understand why they’re looking for a broadcaster specifically. Reading scripted broadcasts on BBC London News, or knowing the right questions to ask politicians every Sunday is very different to fielding unseen questions live on TV flawlessly and in a way that both sticks to an agreed message and puts the PM/Downing Street in a positive light. Would they not be better going after someone with politician experience (even a former MP, given the level of political experience they’d have) or someone who has been spokesperson for a large corporation like Tesco or British Airways? Seems like the interest from broadcast journalists is always going to be slim, and might not recruit the best person for this (waste of a) position.
BR
Late afternoon or primetime is awful for all concerned - no chance in hell it'll be aired outside of the news channels and not great for democracy either to have them going on whilst the Commons is in session.
A morning slot may be less glamorous but avoid clashing with the afternoon action in Parliament and more chance they'll be carried on BBC2, and indeed all news channels who I suspect won't air these routinely live anyway.
A morning slot may be less glamorous but avoid clashing with the afternoon action in Parliament and more chance they'll be carried on BBC2, and indeed all news channels who I suspect won't air these routinely live anyway.
HC
And that's if the broadcasters themselves will want to show it. As others have said, after the 'first flame' of novelty value has worn off, it'll just be boring statements on proceedural events from the various Whitehall departments, and if there's nothing to say or announce, then a few well chosen and easily defendable or not actually answering the questions put to them -
-all of which, will quickly bore the BBC/Sky News and they'll just end up recording it and choose any juicy bits and put it out later on.
Which will annoy the Government/No 10 DS, and don't put it past Prime Minister Cummings, and Deputy Prime Minister Johnson, to then lean very, very heavily on Ofcom via the DCMS to make the live broadcast on designated news channels part of the broadcasting code.
-all of which, will quickly bore the BBC/Sky News and they'll just end up recording it and choose any juicy bits and put it out later on.
Which will annoy the Government/No 10 DS, and don't put it past Prime Minister Cummings, and Deputy Prime Minister Johnson, to then lean very, very heavily on Ofcom via the DCMS to make the live broadcast on designated news channels part of the broadcasting code.