RT
Anyone watching the Nines over the past few days? One gets something of a treat in the form of a sadly increasingly rare appearance on the part of Anthony Murnane. He is simply surperb.
Not only is he the best newsreader RTÉ has, he is a newscaster of international standard - truly the ultimate professional. His articulation so utterly precise, his clarity of diction unrivalled, his accent as neutral as it comes, his handling of questions and links confident and credible, his off-the-cuff remarks eloquent and apt, his tone so always supremely appropriate, his tailoring pristine
He introduces a freshness and relevance that is unheard of beyond Bryan Dobson. He embodies the best elements of all RTÉs newscasters whilst eschewing their faults: Dobson's credibility and ability to handle anything, Anne Doyle's gravitas, Anne Cassin's smoothness and ease of performance, and the dignity of Ken Hammond.
Indeed his only fault is his tendency to get too engrossed in the autocue; his eyes regularly lock in the middle of a story as he deals with the inevitable 'mid-link slump' in finding an engaging tone. But a mere quibble that can be ironed out. Also his closing catch-phrase "we just have time to remind ourselves of the main story again" is decidedly irritating, but hey, we all have at least one fault
I note he has just been made Deputy Foreign Editor in the past few weeks, but for crying out loud someone give this man the Six One over the summer months, in anticipation of a Nine takeover upon Doyle's descension from the throne. He is also the sole candidate remotely capable as a replacement for Dobson, and ought to be groomed to that effect.
Not only is he the best newsreader RTÉ has, he is a newscaster of international standard - truly the ultimate professional. His articulation so utterly precise, his clarity of diction unrivalled, his accent as neutral as it comes, his handling of questions and links confident and credible, his off-the-cuff remarks eloquent and apt, his tone so always supremely appropriate, his tailoring pristine
He introduces a freshness and relevance that is unheard of beyond Bryan Dobson. He embodies the best elements of all RTÉs newscasters whilst eschewing their faults: Dobson's credibility and ability to handle anything, Anne Doyle's gravitas, Anne Cassin's smoothness and ease of performance, and the dignity of Ken Hammond.
Indeed his only fault is his tendency to get too engrossed in the autocue; his eyes regularly lock in the middle of a story as he deals with the inevitable 'mid-link slump' in finding an engaging tone. But a mere quibble that can be ironed out. Also his closing catch-phrase "we just have time to remind ourselves of the main story again" is decidedly irritating, but hey, we all have at least one fault
I note he has just been made Deputy Foreign Editor in the past few weeks, but for crying out loud someone give this man the Six One over the summer months, in anticipation of a Nine takeover upon Doyle's descension from the throne. He is also the sole candidate remotely capable as a replacement for Dobson, and ought to be groomed to that effect.