What has happened to ITV Continuity?

Well, new year - new thoughts etc.
Here's a little question for you to ponder over.
What has happened to ITV Continuity ? (You know - those little gems that would spurt from someones lips between the programmes)

It has become dull, uninteresting, highly predictable and lacks any form of imagination. Is it me, or have the links been 'toned down' ?
Whatever the new direction, it just DOES NOT sell the programme any more. Back in the days of good old regional identity - the announcers really gave the channel they worked for a real sense of passion. Now it's become a sausage machine with no feeling.
For goodness sake, bring back the likes of Trish Bertram, Glen Thompsett (LWT) Graham Bannerman, Fiona Goldman, Mark Lipscombe (Carlton London) Paul Veysey (Central) Philip Banks (HTV) Maggie Mash (YTV) and others who had a real passion for what they did and knew how to communicate. Tune in now and it all washes over one's head with a Thames Estuary slant!
ITV used to lead the way in television presentation, but I'm not so sure anymore.

Dont Trish and Glen now work for five or am I thinking of different people? Anyway, Id say those two are the best around, making jokes with their links into fives cheesy imports like Sunset Beach and Sons and Daughters.

I think you are thinking of Glen Allen ( ex BBC and UK Gold). Glen Thomsett can still be heard on the occasional ITV shift ( 1, 2 or 3) and reads the news alot in the Meridian region. Trish from LWT is mainly at Five ( looks like she swapped one Glen for another!) but still does the occasional ITV shift and ITV trailers.
yes I'd noticed the ITV announcers had adopted a more low key style. Wonder what's going on?

..oh, and I don't get the estuary accent thing either ...don't mind regional accents but yoof speak doesn't really do it for me

A little bird tells me that the ITV team are under the worst sort of management pressure at the moment - "leaders" who make it clear they don't think much of what you're doing, but who also don't have any positive suggestions as to what it is they DO want. Result = demoralised workforce.

Exactly the same happened at BBC TV Centre some years ago, with the same bad results both on and off air.

Does that mean there are changes afoot? This lot have only been there since the change to ITV1 3 years ago or so...I wonder who will go and who will stay?

They'll follow their previous policy, I expect.

Those on the highest salaries will go and those on the lowest will be allowed to stay.

The quality will, therefore, deteriorate even further.

The powers-that-be will then decide that live continuity isn't worth bothering with and some (un)lucky soul will be wheeled in on the third of each month, for £3.50 a go, to record a month's worth of stuff at a time.

When the public finally stop noticing the recorded bits, they'll save the last £3.50 a month by replacing all the continuity time with YET another commercial.

End of story.

So let the people who are experts in their field (ie. the announcers) do their jobs properly. It would pay dividends.

far too simple!

I see they are advertsising on ITV.com for new announcers. Interesting.

To save time for those interested the ad's here - and the closing date is today!

Oh dear oh dear, perhaps thats why they sound so depressed. They know that they are being replaced.

Does that mean the rebrand of the channels wont take place till next month then if they are only advertising now for announcers?

I have to say, some of the present lot are totally horrendous. I agreed with an earlier post that said bring back the old announcers - the quality of five really does show up the ITV lot.

I notice though at the bottom they have put the address as LWT...? Surely that should just be ITV? If they themselves don't know what to call their buildings and channels - what chance do the rest of us have?