I assume that Julian Simmons' contract with UTV must have a clause in it that allows him to announce his links in-vision (which the other announcers may don't have, and since 1999, most of their continuity duties have switched to out-of-vision). Perhaps someone who has a clearer or less speculative idea can confirm or refute that - I'd love to know if the rest of the UTV continuity team have an option to do their links in-vision (especially for the new trio).
As long as Julian is an employee of UTV, they will most likely still make use of IVC links when he is on duty. I doubt that unless another announcer is recruited who also expresses a desire to keep going with it, that situation will not change, so IVC at UTV won't come to an end until Julian leaves the station for the last time.
Additionally, NI audiences tend to be more traditional in their ways, and Julian's appeal has not died off over his career at UTV. Whether you find it irritating and cringeworthy or not, his style is popular with the audience in NI and nationally - there is a Julian Simmons Appreciation Society on Facebook with people of all ages as members, seems to be mainly ex-pats (myself included) who seem to miss something that you don't find in other parts of the UK or the world - something that reminds you of home.
Given that he has based his career on what started as a joke 20 years ago to fill time before an episode of Coronation Street, you either get Julian or you don't, but, as they say often here, "he hasn't gone away, you know", and I doubt that will be the case, probably until Julian decides to retire, whenever that will be.
He did introduce the wrong programme in one of his links earlier tonight, though...
A similar point, do UTV viewers actually like Julian's style? It seems awfully dated and must be cringeworthy to anyone under 40
It only really seems dated to someone unused to the style of announcing though.
If any of the other stations had retained IVC they'd be as popular as ever, I'm sure. They were only axed country-wide for political and cost reasons. No-one could seriously believe that NE viewers actually preferred a cheap tacky gold 3 on every link rather than the familiar team in Newcastle for example.
I have family in NI and they just refer to him as a "f******* nut". He seems to be received well over there still.
As long as Julian is an employee of UTV, they will most likely still make use of IVC links when he is on duty. I doubt that unless another announcer is recruited who also expresses a desire to keep going with it, that situation will not change, so IVC at UTV won't come to an end until Julian leaves the station for the last time.
Why would a continuity announcer have so much power though. Frankly he's lucky he's still in the job considering announcers have been axed in most of ITV's other regions.
Why would a continuity announcer have so much power though. Frankly he's lucky he's still in the job considering announcers have been axed in most of ITV's other regions.
You underestimate the power of a recognised face in branding.
Frankly this is the *real* reason IVC was trashed. Too much power in individuals' hands. All this old-fashioned tosh was a smoke-screen.
As long as Julian is an employee of UTV, they will most likely still make use of IVC links when he is on duty. I doubt that unless another announcer is recruited who also expresses a desire to keep going with it, that situation will not change, so IVC at UTV won't come to an end until Julian leaves the station for the last time.
Why would a continuity announcer have so much power though. Frankly he's lucky he's still in the job considering announcers have been axed in most of ITV's other regions.
Didn't Bill Steel at Tyne Tees also have a clause in his contract that enabled his links to remain in-vision although for the rest of the time most other annoucers had to appear Out of Vision?
Anyway back to UTV and although I am all in favour of In-vision I do think Julian's style is very old fashioned and at time cringeworthy - I wonder if he is on borrowed time.
I always thought that when ITV2 started and had in-vision they had it right.
Why on earth do UTV still have in-vision continuity?
As an outsider it just seems so tacky, cheap and quite vain really. Is there any proof it's what the viewers of UTV want?
It might seem dated now but I used to love the in vision continuity HTV Wales did. It would be considered old fashioned now I guess. it will be 15 years tommorow since HTV Wales scrapped in vision announcers (the same time as the new franchises came into effect)
> Didn't Bill Steel at Tyne Tees also have a clause in his contract
> that enabled his links to remain in-vision although for the rest
> of the time most other annoucers had to appear Out of Vision?
Bill did have such a clause in his contract, he confirmed it to me in an
email a few months back. Having said that, TTTV never moved towards OOV
announcements, although there was a time in 1990 when they generally did not
use IVC between 7.00 and 10.00 weekdays for some reason. Bill did not appear
during those times any more than anyone else -- it only lasted a few months.
> it will be 15 years tommorow since HTV Wales scrapped in vision announcers
I thought HTV continued with IVC into 1993? I'm sure I've seen clips with the
newer logo in the background -- or was that West?
> Didn't Bill Steel at Tyne Tees also have a clause in his contract
> that enabled his links to remain in-vision although for the rest
> of the time most other annoucers had to appear Out of Vision?
Bill did have such a clause in his contract, he confirmed it to me in an
email a few months back. Having said that, TTTV never moved towards OOV
announcements, although there was a time in 1990 when they generally did not
use IVC between 7.00 and 10.00 weekdays for some reason. Bill did not appear
during those times any more than anyone else -- it only lasted a few months.
> it will be 15 years tommorow since HTV Wales scrapped in vision announcers
I thought HTV continued with IVC into 1993? I'm sure I've seen clips with the
newer logo in the background -- or was that West?
Not sure about West but HTV Wales had no IVC from 1993. I assumed West was the same. They also dropped the names "HTV Cymru Wales" and "HTV West" on idents and just had HTV.