Pope, Jim

Jim’s professional journey commenced in radio before transitioning to television during the 1960s, where he presented continuity links for HTV West.

In 1971, Jim transferred to Granada TV, and spent the remainder of his professional life with the station, as both a continuity announcer and news presenter on Granada Reports bulletins.

Among his fellow announcers during this period were Charles Foster and Colin Weston.

Beyond his principal duties in continuity, he lent his voice to Granada-produced network trails and promotional material for ITV, and served as narrator on the distinguished current affairs series World in Action.

In the early hours of 18th September 1986, Jim delivered a poignant tribute to Coronation Street actress Pat Phoenix, during that night’s Granada TV closedown.

“Well now it’s time to say goodnight on what’s been a rather subdued and thoughtful Granada building today.

“We all have our own thoughts and memories. Mine go back 21 years in fact, to a day in a radio studio. I was doing something and a very famous and kind and generous actress took me on one side and told me she thought I’d got a good voice and I ought to do something with it.

“Well, I did. What I didn’t do ever, was really to properly thank her for it…and now it’s too late. Goodnight.”

His tenure with the Granada TV announcing team concluded in 1999.

Pope earned particular recognition for his voiceover work on Granada TV’s University Challenge (1972 – 2001) – a role he fulfilled throughout the original Bamber Gascoigne era and subsequently resumed when the programme returned with Jeremy Paxman as host from 1994.

Pope made a brief appearance as an interviewer in Alan Bleasdale’s Channel 4 drama series GBH (1991).

Jim died in August 2001, aged 67.

Personal information

Clips of Jim on The TV Room

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Acknowledgements