That 9am newsreader

[Guest]

I've heard her a few times now, Lucy somebody, and she hurriedly garbled her way through the 9am news again this morning. She always sounds as though she's half asleep. I always thought that clear diction was a basic requirement for a news presenter, but clearly that is no longer the case, at least at the BBC.

[Karafan]

Interestingly, I read an article recently about the radio weather forecasters and how it is impossible for the human brain to accurately recall more than a tiny snatch of the information imparted - and I thought it was just me!

[ardcarp]

Try the French Shipping Forecast on France Inter at around 8pm (7pm our time).
It covers most of our sea areas, plus the West coast of France, Spain and most of the Med in about two minutes flat. Native French-speakers find the gabble almost incomprehensible, and as for trying to remember any of it.......

[french frank]

And then there were the Tannoy announcements on British Rail stations: a burst of noise giving you vital information such as a platform change - and passengers looking enquiringly at each other.

[VodkaDilc]

By coincidence, I was shocked by another news bulletin this morning - either at 8am or 9am on R4 - where a reference was made to the flooding around Tewkesbury Cathedral. Should BBC R4 make such errors?

[VodkaDilc]

Interestingly, I read an article recently about the radio weather forecasters and how it is impossible for the human brain to accurately recall more than a tiny snatch of the information imparted - and I thought it was just me!

I find that I mentally switch off when they begin at the other end of the country and then come too as the bulletin ends.

[Tevot]

Re British rail tannoys FF ...if Alan Partridge was making the announcements I wouldn't be surprised

[DracoM]

Stations lamnets:
[a] the gentleman who glooms his way through the station announcements on Preston Stn in a HUGE acoustic and ALWAYS allows his voice to tail off when giving the platform number - arguably the second most important piece of info for a station that has no fewer than seven to lose oneself over, and is one of the busiest stations in the North at a series of major rail junctions. No consonants at all, just a sort of long, lowing presence.
[b] the EXASPERATING female voice that is East Midlands Trains. We get "EaST MidlanDS TRainS Service", followed by 'cawllin' at...' No G, and ludicrous over emphases on final S's, even more baffling since she always drops the 'g' in calling'.

[mangerton]

By coincidence, I was shocked by another news bulletin this morning - either at 8am or 9am on R4 - where a reference was made to the flooding around Tewkesbury Cathedral. Should BBC R4 make such errors?

Errmm...... no. I heard that at 8 am too. And as has been pointed out, the weather forecasters are, without exception, a disgrace.

[amateur51]

Errmm...... no. I heard that at 8 am too. And as has been pointed out, the weather forecasters are, without exception, a disgrace.

Is it the forecasters' fault or that of the producers? I get the impression, certainly on Today on R4, that the forecaster is given, say, two minutes in which to compress what might otherwise take 5 minutes. Surely a decent forecast should be a) comprehensible and b) comprehensive. but no, we have to leave time for the s*dding programme trails.

Bring back Jack de Manio - at least he used to get a laugh

[mangerton]

Is it the forecasters' fault or that of the producers? I get the impression, certainly on Today on R4, that the forecaster is given, say, two minutes in which to compress what might otherwise take 5 minutes. Surely a decent forecast should be a) comprehensible and b) comprehensive. but no, we have to leave time for the s*dding programme trails.

Bring back Jack de Manio - at least he used to get a laugh

The thing that I have noticed is that they all seem to use the same phraseology. It's as if there is a script which they all have to follow, filling in the blanks as appropriate. One that I find particularly grating is "As we head through the course of the day/afternoon/whatever"..... I've heard this as many as five times in one forecast. What is wrong with "During the...."?

There's seven words saved at a stroke.

The trails of course are sacrosanct, and have to remain so, as they serve a useful purpose. How otherwise would we know when to switch off?