BBC 1 announcer this morning?

Steve, you're having a larf arn't you?
BBC making funny quips! its not in the remit.
I'd like to see and hear you having a go at split second continuity, the clock is something the beeb announcer's really have to battle with!

I caught the 10pm announcement on BBC ONE Wales last night during CIN to find no music and a static shot of the Bollywood ident. Accident or deliberate, it actually looked good.

I think many of the announcements on the BBC fall into the 'off the cuff' remit take last nights intro into the late film.

As someone who works in the radio industry I am quite used to split second timing and clock watching on a daily basis

I applaud you on your radio work and ability to 'talk up to the news on the hour' but when you are up against 'split second timing' and you have at least two transmission controllers shouting into your headphones and you are linking into a networked programme on a networked channel, having to work with an automated transmission playout system with no margin for error and having the abiltiy to do all of that and sound cohesive and off-the-cuff, no one does it better than the ITV1 squad.

I am amused by the use of the phrases "ITV1 squad" and "no margin for error" in the same sentence!

What about the BBC Nations then, where the announcer is also vision mixing and directing at the same time?

Yes, but surely that only equates to one or two links in an evening, i.e. into the news programmes doesn't it?

No, actually it equates to every junction on BBC One and from mid morning until the Learning Zone on BBC Two.

The announcer/director is in control of the transmission automation and mixing desk, frequently having to react to last-minute network junction changes (even those which happen DURING the junction) as well as writing and delivering scripts and tackling minor technical problems as well.

Oh yes, and they have the Network director and the Network announcer in their cans, and of course any gallery talkback from studios which they're about to opt.

Oh yes... and there's the split-second timing!

Shows what you know... try every BBC ONE junction between 0600 and 0230 (and BBC TWO 0830-0030), 365 days a year, where most evenings the director is also recording a feed of programmes to transmit later, writing scripts and making graphics...

Now remind me how difficult the life of an ITV announcer is...

Yes Yes, but one can hear that they are under pressure, it is inevitable that if you load too much on any one individual in this kind of environment, the 'on-air' product suffers. Who are these cor-blimeys the beeb employs anyway? Give me the class and quality of the ITV mob anyday, I could mention such names as Peter Lewis, Tom Edwards, Trish Bertram etc ....but then you wouldn't know what I'd be talking about would you!!

Of which of the BBC Nations are you a regular viewer?

I watch BBC West on terratorial TV but can catch any of the regions on Sky Digi and have to say, not one of them captures my imagination....they're all as bland as each other. I've even heard a few of the reporters doing the link into the BBC 10 O' clock news.