NB
hence the reason you heard Malcolm Eynon on the hirohito youtube clip
For a very long time, it was part of both ITV and BBC announcer's contractual duties to read news bulletins. From the very start of ITV, announcers read the news and when news magazines became popular, it was still the case that an announcer would come into the studio to read the bulletin. That was the case at STV until long after I left. When I joined BBC Scotland, announcers were all bi-media and we did TV and radio shifts, the latter included reading all the news bulletins including the 7 and 8am plus the six and the ten. This changed when Radio Scotland decided announcers were no longer necessary. Given that the television Announcer-Directors in the Nations have a very much greater technical/operational workload now, it would be rather impractical to have us read news as well.
hence the reason you heard Malcolm Eynon on the hirohito youtube clip
TJ
It used to be the case that announcers at the BBC's island sites (ie those that were not Network Production Centres) would not only read the news, but operate the output as well. This was in the '70s and early '80s, the announcer had a self-op desk and control over opting and a limited set of inputs.
SP
Not only the island sites. Plenty of examples online, Alistair Yates in Brum and John Mundy in Manchester doing in vision news and closedown sequences, self operated.
Last edited by Steve in Pudsey on 8 October 2016 9:54am
SW
Well, indeed, those were still the days when the news was just that, the news - a straight read, which could be done by the announcer. Indeed many newsreaders up until fairly recently were basically announcers in their own right, they had a good voice and could read a script effectively, rather than having any formal journalistic training. Moira Stuart was famously probably the last example of that on the Beeb. But now even the shortest bulletin has live interviews and reports, and there aren't people in newsrooms whose only job is to read stuff out.
And of course in the past it was much harder to get on the air, these days you can broadcast from everywhere. And at the Beeb there's always a newsreader available because the news is always on. There's loads continuity announcers used to do that there's no need to do any more. There's plenty of examples on YouTube of BBC1 broadcasting the football results between programmes, no need to do that now because you can find that out from a million other places.
That's part of the issue with an announcer giving news - its not the reading of it that's the issue, it's having the 'copy' ready to read out.
Well, indeed, those were still the days when the news was just that, the news - a straight read, which could be done by the announcer. Indeed many newsreaders up until fairly recently were basically announcers in their own right, they had a good voice and could read a script effectively, rather than having any formal journalistic training. Moira Stuart was famously probably the last example of that on the Beeb. But now even the shortest bulletin has live interviews and reports, and there aren't people in newsrooms whose only job is to read stuff out.
And of course in the past it was much harder to get on the air, these days you can broadcast from everywhere. And at the Beeb there's always a newsreader available because the news is always on. There's loads continuity announcers used to do that there's no need to do any more. There's plenty of examples on YouTube of BBC1 broadcasting the football results between programmes, no need to do that now because you can find that out from a million other places.
TT
ttt
... which is all a very good account detailing why continuity announcers in their current form are an anachronism and should be axed completely.
CAs were presenters, newsreaders, very often had technical jobs to do as well (and in some cases headed up presentation departments) and were often ambassadors for their station.
Modern CAs are none of these. There only to provide a semblance of 'tradition' (as mentioned by posters on here) but why? They're not even needed for technical breakdowns any more. Total waste of time and resources.
CAs were presenters, newsreaders, very often had technical jobs to do as well (and in some cases headed up presentation departments) and were often ambassadors for their station.
Modern CAs are none of these. There only to provide a semblance of 'tradition' (as mentioned by posters on here) but why? They're not even needed for technical breakdowns any more. Total waste of time and resources.
LL
London Lite
Founding member
France doesn't have CA's. (On the channels I watch at least). I watch a lot of French television and it doesn't bother me that there isn't a CA.
They use on-screen graphics at the end of each programme to announce the next programme or trailers.
They use on-screen graphics at the end of each programme to announce the next programme or trailers.
TC
Sorry, pal but you're way behind the times. BBC Nations employ Announcer-Directors who do all the playout as well. Neither time nor resources wasted.
... which is all a very good account detailing why continuity announcers in their current form are an anachronism and should be axed completely.
CAs were presenters, newsreaders, very often had technical jobs to do as well (and in some cases headed up presentation departments) and were often ambassadors for their station.
Modern CAs are none of these. There only to provide a semblance of 'tradition' (as mentioned by posters on here) but why? They're not even needed for technical breakdowns any more. Total waste of time and resources.
CAs were presenters, newsreaders, very often had technical jobs to do as well (and in some cases headed up presentation departments) and were often ambassadors for their station.
Modern CAs are none of these. There only to provide a semblance of 'tradition' (as mentioned by posters on here) but why? They're not even needed for technical breakdowns any more. Total waste of time and resources.
Sorry, pal but you're way behind the times. BBC Nations employ Announcer-Directors who do all the playout as well. Neither time nor resources wasted.
SP
Tony, I hope you won't be offended if I suggest that the role you and your colleagues have is not typical of modern continuity announcers? You are, arguably, a director who just happens to do the announcements live, rather than play a pre-recorded anno (or cue somebody else)?
I think ttt's point could have some merit pretty much everywhere other than the BBC nations, where the announcer's only real duty is announcing. Compared to the old days of the announcers at TV Centre self-opping the junctions the technical aspect of the role is much reduced.
I think ttt's point could have some merit pretty much everywhere other than the BBC nations, where the announcer's only real duty is announcing. Compared to the old days of the announcers at TV Centre self-opping the junctions the technical aspect of the role is much reduced.
JE
Jez
Founding member
I remember on HTV Wales the announcers reading news bulletins. Im not sure which bulletins they read but i seem to remember there being a bulletin at 9.25am straight after TVAM (in the days before regional opt outs during breakfast tv) which was read by an announcer and possibly the late bulletins.
AN
Going back to Granada - one thing that's always stuck with me is that, whenever the CA read the news during the blue and silver arrow era, they always seemed to end with the music from the previous look.
RO
Jez, that was also the case at Tyne Tees, certainly from 1987 when schools programmes moved to Channel 4, until about 1989, when they did a link up with the Albert Dock for This morning, when the bulletin was moved to 09:55.
I don't recall STV doing a post TV-am 0925 bulletin in the 1987 - 1989 era, as I thought they just ran trailers.
I don't recall STV doing a post TV-am 0925 bulletin in the 1987 - 1989 era, as I thought they just ran trailers.