In the United Kingdom, continuity announcers are people who are employed to introduce programmes on radio and television networks, to promote forthcoming programmes on the station, to cross-promote programmes on the broadcaster's other stations where applicable and, sometimes, to provide information relating to the programme just broadcast.
The six analogue terrestrial television channels in the UK (BBC One, BBC Two, ITV1, Channel 4, S4C and Channel 5) make use of continuity announcers, and for most of the time, continuity announcements are presented live. Continuity announcers can also be found on digital and satellite channels, but most of these channels make use of pre-recorded announcements.
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The BBC mainly use live announcers on its flagship television channels BBC One and BBC Two, and mainly use pre-recorded announcements on its digital channels (apart from BBC News and BBC Parliament, which do not use announcers at all). Separate continuity for BBC One & BBC Two in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is provided by regional announcers who also double as transmission directors. BBC Wales announcers also direct Wales Today news bulletins during breakfast, mid-afternoon and late night.
Presently, the only national radio station to use continuity announcers is BBC Radio 4, where many of the announcing staff also act as newsreaders and also introduce the station's Shipping Forecast. Until about 1990, BBC Radio 2 used continuity announcers (separate from newsreaders) for its weekend and evening output, but these have long disappeared. Similarly, BBC Radio 3 has downgraded the former role of its announcers in favour of a new style of presenter. Continuity announcers played a much heavier role on the pre-1967 Home Service, Light Programme and Third Programme (and other services on the last-named's frequency). Announcing staff for Radio Scotland, Radio Wales, Radio Ulster and Radio Cymru double as newsreaders and technical operators.
Since 2003, continuity announcements for BBC television channels are broadcast from Red Bee Media's Broadcast Centre in White City, London with regional continuity teams based in the regional broadcasting centres in Glasgow, Cardiff and Belfast providing links for the regional variations of BBC One and BBC Two. CBBC and CBeebies continuity now airs from studios at MediaCityUK in Salford Quays - up until September 2011, CBBC presentation was broadcast from a small studio in the East Tower of BBC Television Centre while CBeebies presentation was pre-recorded at Teddington Studios. The announcing team for BBC Radio 4 work from a suite of studios on the 7th floor of Broadcasting House in London.
Historically, BBC announcers mostly spoke with Received Pronunciation, but the range of accents heard has widened considerably in recent years, and the general tone has become more informal.
Andrew Martin, an expert from the BBC Archives, described continuity announcements as "an essential part of television," which "actually tell us quite a lot about the style, the kind of attitudes of television in their particular era."[1]
In-vision continuity announcers, who appeared on screen between programmes, were a staple part of television broadcasts from the very earliest days of television, because "there was a need for linking material between programmes just to kind of announce them." In the early days of television, it was almost like a variety bill in the theatre... [and when] an item would come on, somebody had to say what it was often listing an entire evening's up-coming programming in one link.[2][2]
The early announcers became "celebrities in their own right," often receiving considerable amounts of fan mail, as they were among the most recognisable on-screen individuals, appearing every day, at the start of an era when television celebrity was really invented. Early in-vision announcers included Leslie Mitchell, formerly a newsreel announcer, Elizabeth Cowell and Jasmine Bligh who famously re-opened the television service in 1946. The early continuity announcers were auditioned, as "they had to look good but they also had to speak well", not solely because of the class divide, but because clear speaking was crucial to their role.[2]
It is believed that in-vision continuity was last used during the peak viewing hours on BBC TV in the early 1960s, with a link into the Eurovision Song Contest 1963 the last-known example of the corporation's use of in-vision continuity (as well as existing out-of-vision continuity) across the national network.
Between the late 1960s and circa 1980, many of the BBC's English regions provided their own continuity on weekday evenings, including in-vision presentation - particularly at closedown. Regional in-vision continuity was still used by BBC South in Southampton, BBC Midlands in Birmingham and BBC North West in Manchester by the time English regional continuity was phased out. From 1998 to 2001, the Northern Ireland regional service on BBC Choice used in-vision continuity links.[3]
The presentation of children's programmes had in-vision continuity from its instigation until 1965. The best-known children's in-vision continuity face was that of schoolgirl Jennifer Gay, one of the Children's Hour announcers, who introduced such favourites as Muffin the Mule between 1949 and 1953.[4]
In-vision continuity was re-introduced as part of Children's BBC/CBBC) on 9 September 1985. From then until 1994, this came from the main BBC1 continuity suite itself, referred to as "The Broom Cupboard" and introduced by various presenters including Phillip Schofield, Andy Crane and Andi Peters; Since then, it has come from larger, specialised studios. As of September 2011, presentation for both CBBC and CBeebies originates from the BBC's MediaCityUK studios in Salford Quays following the BBC Children's department move from London.[5][6]
In February 2008, BBC Three introduced in-vision continuity links, in the form of live links with presenter Jose Vanders and recorded links with BBC Three viewers. For a time, the BBC Three website offered viewers the opportunity to record links for programmes. The live in-vision links were dropped after only a few months although live out-of-vision continuity during peak time returned in September 2011.
On 19 September 2008, the Scottish Gaelic-language digital channel BBC Alba launched with in-vision continuity from the channel's sole announcer, Fiona MacKenzie. A second in-vision announcer, Moira MacDonald, was appointed in July 2009. All continuity links are pre-recorded in Stornoway and transmitted from BBC Scotland's headquarters in Glasgow.[7]
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Lynsey Young |
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(BBC One/BBC Two) |
Ken Mitchell, John Phillips, Morag Robertson, Anne Scott |
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(BBC One/BBC Two) |
Geraint White |
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(BBC One/BBC Two) |
Mark Simpson, Roy Willighan |
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(BBC One/BBC Two/ CBBC Channel) |
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(BBC One/BBC Two/ CBeebies Channel) |
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Arlene Fleming, Charlotte Green, Jim Lee, Annie McKie, David Miles, Rory Morrison, Neil Nunes, Howard Philpot, Susan Rae, Vaughan Savidge, Neil Sleat, Alan Smith, Zebedee Soanes, Diana Speed |
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BBC Two Network |
Peter Bolgar, Lucy Bolger, Stephanie Bower, John Braben, John Brand, Tim Brinton, Peter Brook, Rosemary Brooks, Michael Burley, Christine Burn, Alma Cadzow, Alison Cairney, Douglas Cameron, Amanda Carlton, Duncan Carse, Andy Cartledge, Kay Cavendish, Pauline Cavilla, Judith Chalmers, Mark Chapman, Maggie Clewes, Crispin Clover, Kathy Clugston, Charles Colville, Jim Colvin, Jayne Constantinis, Elizabeth Cowell, Carol Crawford, Dan Damon, Chris Denning, Mark Devlin, Mark Doolan, Ben Edwards, Polly Elwes, Brian Empringham, John Escolme, Martin Everard, Malcolm Eynon, Jumoke Fashola, Adrian Finighan, Arlene Fleming, Michael Gamble, Jennifer Gay, Sarah Gentry, Claire Gibb, John Glover, Peter Gourd, Donald Gray, Anne Gregg, Monica Grey, Peter Haigh, Bruce Hammal, McDonald Hobley, David Hoffman, Olga Hubiczka, June Imray, Nikki James, Natalie Jaque, Kenneth Kendall, Martin King, Halyna Kozak, Sally Lawrence, Chris Loosemore, Francis Lyne, Heather Lynn, Alex MacIntosh, Roseanne MacMillan, Kenneth MacOnochie, Steve Madden, Michael Maine, Mary Malcolm, Manju Malhi, Vicki Marriot, Keith Martin, Trevor Maskell, Alex Mason, Roger Maude, Andrea McDowell, Vera McKechnie, Bernard McNab, Noelle Middleton, David Miles, John Mills, Leslie Mitchell, Martin Muncaster, Tim Nichols, Charles Nove, Yvonne O'Grady, Meryl O'Keffe, James Orlando, Paul Owen, Mel Oxley, Mary Parker, Isla Paton, Sylvia Peters, Ian Phillips, Nicola Phoenix, Valerie Pitts, Tony Raymont, David Reed, Rachael Robertson, Liz Robinson, Clive Roslin, Reg Sanders, Michaela Saunders, Phillip Schofield, Avis Scott, Hannah Scott-Joynt, Brian Sharpe, Clem Shaw, Peter Shoesmith, Winifred Shotter, Valerie Singleton, Alyson Slorach, Mary Small, Zebedee Soanes, Michael Speake, Nick Spilman, Ian De Stains, Lorna Stevens, Cathy Stewart, Michael Stirrup, Richard Straker, Vivien Stuart, Juliet Stubbing, Andy Taylor, Russell Taylor, Guy Thomas, Linda (Lu) Thomas, Pauline Tooth, Sheila Tracey, John Trevor, Sasha Twining, Simon Vance, Mark Waddington, Patrick Walker, Sarah Ward, Colin Ward-Lewis, Gillian Webb, Jane Westrop, David Wheal, Robin Whitting, Nan Winton, Jane Wymark |
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(BBC One/ BBC Two) |
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(BBC One/ BBC Two) |
Adrian Finighan, Rob Finighan, Mari Griffith, Mark James, Steve James, Geraint Jones, Robin Jones, Frank Lincoln, Lyn Morgan, Jamie Owen, Gary Price, Richard Rees, Deloni Roberts, Mike Sweet, Peter Twist, Nia Wyn-Jones |
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(BBC One/ BBC Two) |
Alasdair Hutton, Roy Larmour, Walter Love, Edgar Martin, Stephen Montgomery, Michael Nunan, David Olver, Ann Osborough, Gillian Porter, Judith Rebbick, Kerry Turner, Linda Wray |
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(BBC One/ BBC Two/ CBBC Channel) |
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(BBC One/ BBC Two/ CBeebies Channel) |
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Jonathan Lampon, Jenny Lane, Pennie Latin, Laurie Macmillan, Bryan Martin, Patrick Muirhead, Jamie Owen, Brian Perkins, Andy Rushton, Clive Roslin, Jane Steele, Moira Stuart, Catriona Young |
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All announcements for ITV plc-owned stations on ITV1 and Channel Television, and for ITV2, ITV3 and ITV4 come from the company's main transmission facilities at Technicolor in Chiswick, with separate teams of continuity announcers based at STV's headquarters in Pacific Quay, Glasgow and UTV's headquarters at Havelock House, Belfast.
Most announcements broadcast on ITV are conducted live, while overnight announcements and occasional regional continuity on ITV1, and continuity for ITV2, ITV3 and ITV4 is often pre-recorded. All of ITV plc's announcers work on a freelance basis.
STV uses live continuity during the evening (between around 17:00 and 05:30) with daytime announcements pre-recorded by the duty prime time announcer during their shift. A separate team of out-of-vision announcers present the station's overnight strand The Nightshift live each night. STV-branded presentation is utilised throughout the station's broadcast hours with transmission manned by technical staff in Glasgow 24 hours a day.
UTV continuity is broadcast live during prime time, typically from 19:00 to 00:00. In-vision continuity links often feature during the evening. No daytime continuity is provided, except for emergency situations. Some of UTV's announcing staff also present late night and short news bulletins. Overnight, UTV transmission is handed over to ITV1's overnight service.
The consolidation of ITV companies during the 1990s and 2000s led to the closure of transmission and continuity facilities at some ITV company studios:
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ITV region
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ITV company at time of last known announcement
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Date of last known announcement
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Transmission moved to Yorkshire Television in Leeds in 2004. |
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Transmission moved to Leeds in early September 1993 (probably September 4); All non-live presentation fed from Leeds starting 1 January 1993.[10] |
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HTV West |
2000 for West (regional continuity moved to Meridian Broadcasting in Southampton). |
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The use of on screen continuity announcers was common on ITV when each region had a distinct identity and their own transmission and continuity facilities. During the 1980s and 1990s, many regional companies abandoned the use of in-vision continuity announcers:
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ITV region
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ITV company
at time of last known in-vision announcement |
Date of last known in-vision announcement
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London Weekend Television |
LWT: probably the end of 1982. |
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Previously dropped in 1970 (at the same time as Yorkshire following the Trident takeover), reintroduced in 1971.[10] |
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Their predecessors, TVS dropped in-vision in the daytime and evening in September 1987, but in-vision links continued for Late Night Late until 1991.[16] |
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HTV West |
West: circa 1994.[17] |
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The only ITV companies which have never used in-vision continuity are Carlton Television (London) and Westcountry Television, who both began broadcasting in January 1993.
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The Nightshift: Adele Cunningham, Liam Dolan, Laura Keenan, Hayley Matthews, Jim Symon |
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Verity Lines, Helen McDermott (1979-c.1989), Caroline Oldrey, Graham Rogers, Drew Russell, Paul Seed, Peter Shoesmith, Michael Speake (1975–1989, 1999–2000), Paul Thompson (1994–1998) |
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Sue Radford (1988–1995) |
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Margaret Pritchard (late 1970s-1992), Sue Powell-Reed (late 1970s-1992) |
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Alec Taylor (1968–1977), Glen Thompsett (1987–2002), Roger Tilling (c.1997-2002)[18] |
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Meryl O'Keefe (1958–1960), Christopher Robbie, Colin Weston |
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Colin Weston |
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Jonathan Morrell, Nick Oliver, Karen Petch, Bob Preedy, Pam Royle, Kathy Secker (1978–1983; 1991–1996), Lyn Spencer (1975–1979; 1989–1993), Annie St John (1983–1987), Bill Steel (1980–1996), Neville Wanless, Colin Weston, Stephen Whitlock |
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Tracey-Anne Griffiths (1991–1996), John O'Hara (c.1975-1984), Bill Smyth (1978–1987), Marc Mallett (2007–2009), Peter Marshall (1967–1969), Adrienne McGuill (1959–1969), Frank Mitchell (1987–1993), Barbara Palmer (c. 1985-1992), Gillian Porter, Robin Taylor (1993–2009), Audra Thomas (1997–2007; 2008–2009), Joanne Woods (c.1978-1987) |
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Judi Spiers (1977–1981), Ian Stirling (1975–1981) |
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Paul Lally, Peter Lewis, Keith Martin, Maggie Mash (1988–2002), Nick Oliver, Karen Petch, Bob Preedy (1988–2002), Earl Richmond, Graham Roberts, Ian De Stains, Roger Tilling (1998–1999), Colin Weston, Stephen Whitlock |
Channel 4 employs continuity announcers on its network of stations; Channel 4, E4, Film4 and More4. All announcements come from Red Bee Media in White City, London. Since 2009, Red Bee have provided playout facilities for Channel 4.
Channel 4 used links featuring the announcer on-screen for a brief period following its launch in 1982, mainly at closedown. The station briefly reprised the use of in-vision continuity links for a short period from 1996, used mainly in evening transmissions.
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Channel 4 |
E4 |
Freelance announcers |
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Ali Ballantyne |
Veronica Hyks |
S4C announcers provide live out-of-vision continuity links from the channel's headquarters in Llanishen, Cardiff.
S4C used in-vision continuity throughout broadcast hours from launch in November 1982 until around 1991.
In-vision presentation continues to be utilised during S4C's children strands, Cyw (for young children) and Stwnsh (for older children). Stwnsh links are mostly conducted live whereas Cyw links are mostly pre-recorded. Characters and presenters from S4C's Cyw output occasionally appear as guest announcers.
Children's presentation is produced by the independent production companies Boomerang (Planed Plant/Cyw in-vision links) and Cwmni Da (Cyw).
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S4C |
Stwnsh |
Cyw |
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S4C |
Planed Plant |
Planed Plant Bach (now Cyw) |
Channel 5 use announcers on its network of stations; 5*, 5USA and Channel 5. All announcements come from Channel 5's headquarters in London.
Channel 5 has only used on-screen announcers as part of its children's strand, Milkshake!.
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Channel 5 |
Milkshake! |
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Channel 5 |
Milkshake! |
Sky1 out-of-vision continuity is broadcast live in the evening with pre-recorded links broadcast during the day and overnight, largely voiced by long-serving announcer Claire Sturgess.