Showreel

Continuity Announcer/Director

Blackmore, Guy

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Australian-born former pirate radio disc jockey (known as Jim Gordon, or Jumbo Jimmy Gordon during his time on Radio Caroline North), who went on to become an in-vision continuity announcer for Thames Television, a relief announcer at Southern TV and also a voice-only announcer on the BBC.

Sadly, Guy died of lung cancer in 2000.

McLean, Kerry

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Formerly Kerry Turner. Kerry joined the BBC in 1993, and during her first six years there, she worked on some of the corporation’s flagship news and current affairs radio programmes: Good Morning Ulster on BBC Radio Ulster; Good Morning Scotland on BBC Radio Scotland; and the Today programme on BBC Radio 4. That was followed by stints in various sections of the BBC World Service, before returning home to Northern Ireland and to BBC Radio Ulster, where she worked on the John Bennett programme.

She had a brief foray into television – six months as a BBC Northern Ireland TV continuity announcer/director, starting in late-September 2003. Beyond that, she occasionally provided voiceovers for local programme trails. Back on BBC Radio Ulster, she presented Weekend Extra. In 2014, she was given her own afternoon slot (Monday to Thursday), 3pm – 5pm.

Kerry is married to BBC Northern Ireland presenter Ralph McLean. They have three children.

Whitting, Robin

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Robin was a BBC Radio announcer (1971 – 1979), and a BBC TV network announcer (1979 – 1987). After starting at the BBC in the Gramophone Library in 1966, Robin trained as a BBC studio manager working in network radio, local radio and the World Service.

He tells us: “I had been graded A1 vocally whilst training, and after some pretty intensive sessions with Peter Fettes and Aileen Macleod – the two BBC voice coaches – I was allowed to begin working relief announcer duties on the World Service in 1971, which I did for three years before moving to Southampton. After a short time in Radio Solent, the local BBC station, I resigned my staff post and moved to Television Centre in London, on a two-week contract, as a network announcer on BBC One and BBC Two.

“Initially, I covered the Trade Test Films, Schools programmes and children’s daytime transmissions, including subsequently, the early, single-handed Open University transmissions, before graduating to the full daytime and evening announcer duties. After over seven years of network announcing, an internal attachment to production as an assistant presentation producer/director, allowed me to make trailers, vision mix and direct live programmes including, The Weatherman and Points of View. Towards the end of the 1980s I was presented with a personal award for services to the BBC, and two years later, partly as a result of medical problems, I took the decision to leave the BBC, eventually forming my own production company.

“These days, at the time of writing this some ten years later, I am still performing voiceovers, mainly for specialist video narrations and advertising, as well as producing video programmes. I vision mix for giant LED screens at cricket and rugby events covered by Sky Sports and I am very actively involved in a voice alarm company producing state-of-the-art fire and security products.”

Matheson, Rob

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Rob was a continuity director/announcer with BBC Scotland (1995 – July 2008), covering TV and radio. He was also involved in managing the transition from analogue to digital transmission systems. Currently, Rob is a news presenter and reporter for BBC Scotland TV and radio.

He has also worked as a freelance reporter at Westsound FM and presented for QFM. Other posts include: reporter for Stirling Sports Agency, Glasgow; reporter for Slough, Windsor and Eton Observer; reporter/financial editor for Drapers Record business-to-business magazine.