Lesley was a long-serving Grampian Television in-vision continuity announcer (dates TBC) and occasional programme presenter.
Brown, Malcolm
Malcolm trained as an announcer on HTV West in the late-1960s and early 1970s before moving to Granada in 1972. He stayed with the company until 1982 when he moved south to join franchise winners TVS. Malcolm made the very first announcement on TVS on 1st January 1982, and remained as a voice-only announcer after in-vision continuity was dispensed with in the mid-1980s. He also acted as MC for TVS’ final programme Goodbye to All That.
Malcolm was later heard reading letters out on BBC Radio 4’s Feedback. He also spent time as a disc jockey on London’s easy-listening radio station Magic FM.
Balshaw, Samantha
(Formerly Samantha Howkins). Samantha was a TSW in-vision continuity announcer and assistant transmission controller. She moved to London to work for Carlton in 1993 and then for Meridian in Southampton. In 2003, eight years after joining Meridian, Samantha took some time off to look after her children. In 2006, she joined Sky as a transmission controller, working on the movie channels.
Hockin, Bruce
Bruce Hockin retired from his job as HTV News anchorman in 1996, but still holds the record as ITV’s longest-serving newsreader, with more than thirty continuous years in the job.
He started his television career with HTV’s predecessor, TWW, and moved over to Harlech to front the west of England regional news magazine Report in 1968. HTV later changed the programme’s name to HTV News but Hockin remained in the main presenter’s chair, working with numerous co-presenters over the years, including Jan Leeming, Alison Holloway, Richard Wyatt, Sue King, and Patricia Yorston.
Hockin had a particular interest in crime busting, and for many years fronted the HTV West version of Police Five. After officially retiring from the company, he continued to write and present the weekly Crimestoppers slot. Although retired, Bruce is president of the Bristol Hospital Broadcasting Service. Bruce has been known to make occasional broadcasts on there himself! Bruce also serves as a director on Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Avon and Somerset Crimestoppers boards. He is also a patron of the Skin Cancer Research Fund.
White, Stewart
Stewart’s broadcasting career began with a very short pre-programme announcement on the BBC World Service. He went on to work at BBC Radio Brighton and later BBC Radio Derby, where he produced and presented various news and entertainment programmes.
…Cartner, Allan
Allan was one of the Border TV veteran announcers, working at the station from 1961 to 1988. He is well-remembered for his authority and clarity when reading the news on Border; he was also the voice of the station’s start-up sequence. As well as being a main announcer on Border, Allan also did some work for Tyne Tees TV during the 1970s.
…Marriott, Andy
Andy was an LWT out-of-vision announcer (1990s). He also announced for Central Television. He’s also a radio presenter.
Sherwin, Allan
Allan was a continuity announcer for Central. In 2008, he was the series producer on Through the Keyhole (BBC).
Young, Lynsey
Lynsey graduated from the University of Manchester. She began her broadcasting career co-presenting and producing the Breakfast Show for Heart 106.2 (January 1997 – February 1997). She then became a national reporter (October 1997 – December 1999), fronting travel news on Kiss 100, Virgin Radio, TalkSport, Magic 105.4 and GMTV.
…Cockburn, Peter
Peter was an ATV (London) in-vision continuity announcer (1955 – 1959).
McKenzie, John
John is a former in-vision announcer with Granada TV. He also announced for Carlton Television (London) (May 2000 – October 2002). He went on to study to be a journalist.
Foster, Charles
Every station has an announcer that everyone remembers and actor Charles Foster performs that role for Granada Television, where he was one of the main in-vision announcers throughout the 1970s and 1980s. One of the old school, the avuncular Foster had great warmth and a terrific on-screen presence. As well as announcing for Granada, Foster also narrated several schools programmes for the company, as well as being the voiceover man on game shows such as Connections.
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