Susanna is a former Wave FM (Blackpool) journalist who moved to Border Television as an in-vision continuity announcer. She later became a producer/presenter at Border Television. In the mid-1990s, Susanna was also an in-vision announcer at UK Gold.
Duncan, Kay
Kay was a Grampian Television in-vision continuity announcer (1980). She was later an Aberdeen-based drama teacher.
Duncanson, John
John was born in Prestwick. After a BBC course in broadcasting, his first TV appearance was as a continuity announcer on ABC Television (early 1960s), the weekend contractor for the north of England and the Midlands.
…Axton, Ian
Ian presented the pan-regional bulletins for Meridian within GMTV and the south opt-out bulletins late-morning and lunchtime.
Ballantine, Pamela
Pamela’s broadcasting career started off in radio: she read the news on Downtown Radio in the early 1980s. She also presented on BBC Radio Ulster. Pamela’s first appearance on Ulster Television – as a continuity announcer – was in 1984. As part of the announcer’s role, she also read the news.
She left the announcing team around the start of the new franchise period in 1993 and went on to co-anchor the station’s main news programme. She presented the lifestyle and leisure programme UTV Life (1999 – 2009). In May 2009, Pamela returned to UTV’s continuity department, after seventeen years. As well as the announcing role, she was also a relief weather presenter. A year later, her staff contract with the station was not renewed. Press reports claimed UTV had told Ballantine that her role was no longer available and had offered her freelance work which she later accepted.
Pamela continues to freelance at the station and act in an ambassador role. Since 2016, she has presented the new incarnation of UTV Life.
Thomas, Linda
Linda was a BBC Radio 2 announcer (1981 – 1982) and a BBC TV network announcer (1982 – 1983). She also worked as a Channel 4 and TVS announcer (late-1980s). She voiced BBC TV programme trails (1988).
Wanless, Neville
Neville was born in Wallsend-on-Tyne. He began his working life as a financial director in his father’s engineering company. He did National Service and was stationed in Germany in the Royal Horse Artillery.
…Haslam, Pete
Pete joined the Yorkshire Television announcing team in November 1999; he went part-time in late-2000. Based at the northern transmission centre in Leeds, his voice was also heard in the Tyne Tees, Border and Granada regions. Pete also became the voice of all Granada Media Group trailers for Granada, Yorkshire, Tyne Tees, Border, Anglia, Meridian and LWT. Pete’s voice was also heard on the ITV Night Network; he would pre-record the announcements on tape in Leeds; the tape was then despatched to LWT in the overnight van for transmission that particular weekend.
By January 2006, Pete was the last professional announcer in Leeds and he was still voicing regional trailers on a freelance basis.
Pete spoke to Showreel in January 2006 about other projects: “Since leaving YTV full-time, I’ve appeared in several radio plays, alongside Maggie and, in one, with Redvers. I’m currently working on a pilot radio thriller series Into the Shadows as writer, producer and actor, and I’m still around, doing the occasional bit of presenting for music-based radio stations.
“I’ve been in radio since the mid-1970s, starting at Radio City (Nottingham Hospital Radio). After much hard work, I managed to get the green light to form Millside Hospital Radio at the King’s Mill Hospital, Sutton-in-Ashfield, near Mansfield, in October 1989. Joined Viking FM shortly after that, as commercial producer/writer/voiceover. Also worked on air on YRN’s (Yorkshire Radio Network) Classic Gold AM service.
“I can still be heard throughout the country and abroad, on various commercial radio stations, as voiceover. I also write and voice radio commercials for the Lincs FM Group (in fact I was the first voiceover on air at Lincs FM, on their first ad break on day one, in 1992). Well known for versatility when it comes to commercials, all sorts of voices, from old men (and old women!!!) through to wacky, character sound-a-likes and singers, which keeps me active!!! (It’s also very useful when it comes to radio plays!!!)”
Layzell, Alastair
Alastair is a former Channel Television in-vision continuity announcer (1970s and 1980s). He went on to start his own independent production TV company in 1988 after leaving Channel Television. Since then he has produced and directed hundreds of documentaries which have been aired by networks worldwide. He is also active in island life – he co-founded Save Jersey’s Heritage in 1990 and has been Chairman of The National Air Pageant since 1997. He is a former deputy of Jersey and stood again in the senatorial elections of 2003.
Lavender, Maggie
Maggie Lavender is a senior announcer for Scottish Television. Before joining STV, she was based at Glasgow Airport, presenting morning reports for Flightwatch. Her voice was also heard in the Grampian TV area for a number of years prior to its rebranding as STV.
Maggie is also a trained actress.
Smith, Oliver
Oliver has been a continuity announcer on Turner Classic Movies, BBC America, Sci-Fi Channel and The History Channel. He has also voiced trails for television including BBC, ITV, Sky, UKTV Gold and Zone Thriller.
Raison, Caroline
Caroline was an announcer with Anglia in the 1970s and 1980s and a newsreader on About Anglia (1977 – 1982), often alternating with veteran John Bacon.