Television News. Nothing's more important.

News. It's just so important.

I have to say I have a weakness for the overblown drama of television news. A huge thumping theme tune, MASSIVE,  global  graphics, the adrenaline of the  "BREAKING NEWS" super, "From ITN...News At TEN." "From CNN headquarters in Atlanta...this is the World Tonight,"  "we cross live to Beirut to join our diplomatic editor Tim Marshall..." It's pure entertainment. I love it.

Moira Stuart - a newsreader on the BBC was one who completely missed the point. There's a touch of interest in the fact that she's been quietly moved to one side, helped by some diversionary comments from Director-General Mark Thompson, on MediaGuardian (log-in required), that newsreaders in their purest form are dying out.

I'm afraid I won't mourn Moira Stuart's departure. She completely missed the 'TV news is entertainment'  point, having read the news pretending to be asleep for 15 years. Either that, or she had a very heavy cold. I'll back Thompson all the way (that'll mean a lot to him) as long as multi-tasking journalists / presenters don't lose the drama.

Great TV news moments / links / stuff in my head:
Diana is dead, BBC News
Library of 'idents' here at TV Ark. A gold mine.
The News At Ten opening titles. Sir Alistair Burnet. Something big happened every night
The Day Today. Class. Chris Morris has always got it.
Anna Ford
Peter Jennings, Dan Rather, the whole American thing of "evening news-caster is God."
The guy wiping his eyes in '63 announcing JFK's death.

+ loads more 

Comments

[Ben Gotto Smith]

Did you ever catch the opening credits of Brasseye? Top exaggeration of over-dramatic news credits.
And a lovely detail at the end as the studio lights went down on the host instead of just shuffling his papers...