Not to mention that in the Tyne Tees area we were told that Crimefighters was in Sheffield, clearly referring to the YTV version of the programme which of course we don't get here.
They really are an utter disgrace aren't they?
The sad fact is that the vast majority of viewers don't even listen to the anno's - it washes over them. Much like DAZ washing powder being poured from a box. It's only the odd few tv 'fanatics' that spot these little differences. Sad but true!
I know, I used to be an anno.
Me too and I worked on the strict understanding no one listened, fewer cared and I paid the bills.
It's as I've always said though, if you can't be arsed to do it properly don't bother at all.
US TV stations get by quite happily without announcers. Annos only serve to break the flow, and if you take away the "informative" part of their job (ie giving out correct information) they are a total waste of time.
I think a certain nameless Tyne Tees announcer got it right in the early 90s... after several weeks of deriding Prisoner Cell Block H he was asked by his manager to tone down his remarks a bit as they were sick of some sad old fool phoning up every Thursday night and hassling the security guard.
Going on the basis of "if you haven't anything constructive to say don't say anything at all", the following week he was heard to loudly "click" his mike on over a static ident slide, wait 3 seconds and loudly click it off again.
Interesting that research/focus groups always show that people would miss the announcers between the programmes if they were taken away. Try watching American or Australian tv - half the time you don't know whats coming next , or when programmes start you've no idea what they are, and there's no sense of event if something big is about to launch.
Admittedly a bad announcer is a total irritant but good ones add to the mood, feel and identity of a station. Channel Fours are a positive asset, whereas some of ITVs are quite often the opposite.
