The Wales Thread

That's silly, Jez, it's not the same thing at all. The studios, location, stories, local knowledge, producers, graphics, employer - everything is different for a newsreader in Cardiff and in Birmingham. The weather on the other hand is just a 2 minute bulletin with common graphics, a pretty common area [weather doesn't vary much across Midlands/Wales/West], and all you need is weather knowledge and presenting knowledge and it's fine! Ruth would go to Brum very easily.



I think one day last week there were three different presenters in the three regions, I'm pretty sure that happened. And I'd say that James Wright is a Wales presenter who gets shown on West and Central when Charlie and Emma aren't there. So he's clearly the replacement for them -- I was just playfully speculating if maybe one day Ruth would do it if James didn't. Let's face it, if all 3 of them are ill, who would be left!

And no, it was Charlie in all 3 regions this evening -- so it happens mid-week too!

TV Dragon I didnt mean it in that context - I meant it would be strange having a well known HTV presenter doing Central Weather! James and Joanna appear on Cen but they are hardly as well known on HTV as Ruth is.

The chances of James, Charlie and Emma being sick on the same day are not high but if it did happen I expect Joanna Rice would be called in too - and if she was also sick or unavailable Su Evans would do it.

People on Central would be wondering who the hell Ruth was if she turned up - remember we saw her on the news years before she presented the weather.

I never said there couldnt be the same presenter mid week on all three regions - all I said was at the weekend they ALWAYS have the same presenter on all three and therefore Ruth gets away with not working weekends while Charlie, Emma and James slave away doing the three regions!

I wonder why they both having Ruth in the first place - wouldnt it make more sense to have Charlie and Emma doing the weather for all 3 regions all the time with Jo Rice or James on occasionally! i expect that will happen as Carlton want to save money.

Poor Ruth relegated to light reports on HTV News

I really honestly don't think many people would notice or care to be honest, especially if it's just for a day. They're more likely to notice when they change the graphics etc, and it's not as if Ruth has a strong Welsh accent to be throwing them off course!

And on Wales Today yesterday, we had Tom Schaffernaker -- he's never been on WT to my knowledge before, and he wasn't introduced as to where he's come from etc, Bob just introduced his name and away he went! Usually when Derek is off, Sara hands over to someone at the Network weather centre [not the on-duty one as s/he would be busy doing the national forecast after the 6 Recap in England], and they do the weather for Wales, from London -- often it's former WT girl, Helen Willetts.



I honestly thing Jo and Su [has she got something against the letter "e"? ] have left the weather presenting team now, so it would have to be good old Ruth!



Well I think it's nice Wales have their own weather presenter all to themselves. Sounds a bit selfish, but hey ITV-1 isn't very regional any more, so we may as well cling onto what we have left, now that we share our weather presenters too!

LOL wouldnt it be funny if Ruth turned up on Central Weather tommorow - id have to eat humble pie LOL

And now you come to mention it Dillwyn appreared on HTV West to fill in for Joanna on occasions - I remember one night she said "And Dill will be with you tommorow" LOL and his accent is Welsh so maybe Ruth would appear on Cen but I cant see it myself.

Where did James Wright come from? He just started to appear out of the blue?

I think its nice we have a presenter all to ourselves yes but we have 2 (James and Ruth) James is technically HTV Wales, just fills in for Charlie on Cen.

But we could have someone a lot more capable than Ruth - she isnt as good as the others - Emma and the others have years more experience.

LOL -- Jez, have you noticed that you nearly always post twice!

Are you gonna reply and defend your precious Ruth then?

Maybe the reason James fills in on Cen rather than Ruth is cos he is a lot more capable and Ruth couldnt cope with doing Cen and HTV West as well as Wales

But Ruth was part of THE FERRET for many years - knocking on the doorsteps on big nasty people demanding threats and showing people up on tv!

Surely if she can do this - the weather much be much harder to present?

I'd suggest the reason why Ruth doesn't do as many weather bulletins on HTV as James does is because perhaps that's what she requested. She does a couple of reports a week for the news, and a couple of weather shifts a week and perhaps other work-related projects, and then gets the rest to spend with her new husband in her new home. Not a bad set up, and as you both say, she's a familiar friendly face to Welsh viewers, which is a valuable commodity, and certainly was when the HTV presenters were abruptly taken away in January last year.

There was a LIVE Principality Cup Draw on BBC1Wales and S4C both opting out of a live programme to cover the draw.

The person presenting the programme spoke in both Welsh and English! It was great to actually hear some welsh in the BBC after all this time!

Also the very polite and accurate news presenter on ITV1Wales mentioned that Soccer Sunday could be seen on ITV1Wales tomorrow! At last a news reader that recognises the channel they are broadcasting on! (much better than 'on this channel')

Also the newsreader namechecked Charlie Neil whom was presenting the weather next! Ive never seen the HTV News namecheck who is presenting the weather before - is that a first and the way its going to be in the future?

Who was the presenter on HTV News - Yes ive heard Lucy on the 6pm bulleting saying "up next the weather with James or Ruth, occasionally but not often