The Newsroom

Newsround 40 years

John Craven (April 2012)

This site closed in March 2021 and is now a read-only archive
JA
Jamesypoo
Brekkie posted:
bilky asko posted:
SomeRandomStuff posted:
BBC WORLD posted:
Oh, I don't know they're all that bad. There is one boy who is on these days (I believe his name is Ricky something or other. He is actually rather good, I feel.

OK. He may not wear a Fair Isle sweater or have a Trimphone (remember them?) positioned just behind his aft, but he can indeed deliver an autocued statement.

Is anything else required?

We all know the real reasons why you like Ricky... and to be fair its not unjustified. However, since Lizo Mazumbafitness and The Squeaky Mouse Lady, the Newsround presenters just havent been up to the quality of their predecessors.

John Craven = Legend


Jake Humphrey has done quite well from it.

I think he only ever did Sportsround. I'd say the last credible journalist to come from Newsround was Matthew Price.


He was the main presenter of Newsround for a short time just after Ellie left I think.

IT
itsrobert Founding member
SWatson7 posted:
Brekkie posted:
bilky asko posted:
SomeRandomStuff posted:
BBC WORLD posted:
Oh, I don't know they're all that bad. There is one boy who is on these days (I believe his name is Ricky something or other. He is actually rather good, I feel.

OK. He may not wear a Fair Isle sweater or have a Trimphone (remember them?) positioned just behind his aft, but he can indeed deliver an autocued statement.

Is anything else required?

We all know the real reasons why you like Ricky... and to be fair its not unjustified. However, since Lizo Mazumbafitness and The Squeaky Mouse Lady, the Newsround presenters just havent been up to the quality of their predecessors.

John Craven = Legend


Jake Humphrey has done quite well from it.

I think he only ever did Sportsround. I'd say the last credible journalist to come from Newsround was Matthew Price.


The problem isn't with Newsround as such but Matthew Price left around the time that news channels started to take off, and following that it was only a matter of time before the bigger bulletins looked a little closer to home for their newest signings. Its unlikely we'll ever see another Julie Etchingham or Krishnan Guru-Murthy come through Newsround.


Yes, but I don't think it's anything to do with the emergence of news channels. I think the problem is that Newsround - like most programmes - has become dumbed down over the past 10 years. During the 70s, 80s and when I was watching the programme in the 90s, Newsround addressed its young viewers akin to the main network news, just in a more accessible manner. Looking back at old programmes on YouTube, the scripts are much more serious and the presenters treated the viewers as intelligent children. Nowadays, Newsround's presenters are fairly patronising and their delivery is much more 'chatty' than it was in years gone by. I don't think it's out of the question that another Etchingham couldn't come from Newsround; I think the problem is that Newsround just doesn't pick the same type of presenters as it did. The likes of Lizo, Ellie Crisell and Sonali Shah have spent so long 'talking down' to children that they can't shake off the annoying habit and therefore are unable to make the transition to adult news programmes. The likes of Matthew Price, Krishnan and Julie Etchingham never had that problem to begin with.
BA
bilky asko
Just to add another name into the mix, Adam Fleming was on Newsround until 2009, and he's now on the Daily Politics.
BR
Brekkie
itsrobert posted:
Yes, but I don't think it's anything to do with the emergence of news channels. I think the problem is that Newsround - like most programmes - has become dumbed down over the past 10 years. During the 70s, 80s and when I was watching the programme in the 90s, Newsround addressed its young viewers akin to the main network news, just in a more accessible manner. Looking back at old programmes on YouTube, the scripts are much more serious and the presenters treated the viewers as intelligent children. Nowadays, Newsround's presenters are fairly patronising and their delivery is much more 'chatty' than it was in years gone by.

It is kind of the opposite of what it set out to be now. I guess the turning point like with the decline of Blue Peter was when they suddenly decided that CBBC was aimed at 6-12 year olds. Indeed has the policy been changed since the axing of Switch?
JW
JamesWorldNews
When I googled John Cravens Newsround Theme Music, I eventually got to know that it was composed and performed by Ted Heath and His Band.

Obvious question: is that *the* Ted Heath, of Downing Street, or is there another one who composes News jingles?
DS
Dan S
BBC WORLD posted:
When I googled John Cravens Newsround Theme Music, I eventually got to know that it was composed and performed by Ted Heath and His Band.

Obvious question: is that *the* Ted Heath, of Downing Street, or is there another one who composes News jingles?


If you scroll down slightly on this article (in the first paragraph), it mentions Ted Heath the big band leader, not the grumpy Prime Minister.

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/andrewmcfbrown/100119528/a-bafta-for-newsround-the-programme-all-children-want-to-switch-off/

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