Latest news with #presenters
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
STV News reveals major change from today
STV News has revealed a major change from today. STV News at Six will have brand new studio sets in Glasgow and Aberdeen from Monday, August 18. The new look represents a significant investment in sets and supporting technology across both cities. READ NEXT: More details emerge following 'shock' death of Glasgow comedian Viewers got a sneak peek of new sets for STV News before launch on STV and STV player on MondayThe sets are constructed around three dynamic video walls in each studio to enhance storytelling and allow greater flexibility for presenters to move around the space. The enlarged studio spaces will also allow for reporters and correspondents to join presenters on-set, creating a more interactive viewing experience. The new sets will first be unveiled during the STV Lunchtime News at 1.55pm and later on STV's flagship news programme, STV News at Six. The title music and on-screen graphics have also been updated. Viewers got a sneak peek of new sets for STV News before launch on STV and STV Player on MondayLinda Grimes-Douglas, head of news and current affairs for STV, said: "It's important that we keep our output looking fresh and contemporary and our new sets are dynamic, flexible spaces which allow us to provide an even stronger storytelling service on Scotland's most-watched news programme. "The sets help to bring our reporting team closer together for viewers. The enhanced space and technology not only create a more engaging, interactive viewing experience for every bulletin, but they also provide the perfect platform for special events like the upcoming Holyrood elections." READ NEXT: Huge American band announce show at OVO Hydro in Glasgow Meanwhile, Bobby Hain, STV's MD of audience (news, audio and regulatory), said: 'These changes represent a significant investment in our news service – now available across 13 different platforms – enabling people to find news they trust whenever and wherever they want it. "Ofcom is currently progressing its review of Public Service Media and we welcome their recommendation that stable and adequate funding is required to sustain PSM content, and regional news in particular."
BBC News
3 days ago
- Climate
- BBC News
The story behind the iconic BBC Weather symbols
Fifty years ago, the BBC introduced new weather symbols that are still in use today on the website and app and on television by presenters like this digital age it is hard to believe that the introduction of new designs marked a big development but they maps became easier to understand. Although they were not animated, like they are today, these new magnetic weather symbols brought their own challenges. For example, while they mostly stayed where they were put, sometimes they would slide down the map or even fall off completely. Out with the old.... Hugh Sheppard, who worked at the BBC from 1958 to 1993 on international broadcasting and weather forecasts, remembers the ground-breaking changes in the recalls how weather "smelled" before magnetic symbols: "Whoever was on TV duty that day used to arrive at the BBC clutching a roll of the latest pressure charts. The isobars were then drawn on a studio chart with marker ink, then wiped off after the broadcast with acetone - and the smell!"Hugh helped to bring about the change from hand-drawn charts to magnetic symbols using magnetic rubber sheets that could be cut into the Met Office symbols, such as an inverted triangle for rain. Acetone was no longer required and the weather smelled big breakthrough came in 1975 when Mark Allen, a graduate of Norwich University, came to the BBC and presented a new suite of graphics. It was agreed by the BBC and Met Office that the audience would find these easier to understand. The BBC bought the copyright for the new BBC weather symbols for £200. Hugh remembers Mark being told that "the value of being the designer of the symbols would always mean more to him than the fee". ...in with the new It was probably the mishaps with these new magnetic symbols that made them so memorable for BBC of millions of people would tune in for the weather forecast, sometimes to see the forecaster struggling with the it is an urban myth, but I was led to the believe that BBC technicians would occasionally reverse the polarity of the magnets. Whether or not that is true, it would explain symbols slipping or falling off the map completely, and the frustrations of many a weather forecaster.I'm sure Michael Fish, and others, were delighted when the next "upgrade" came 10 years later. In 1985 magnets were no longer used and instead the symbols were put on the map using a marvellous thing called a "computer". Still being used today When I joined the BBC Weather team to launch News24 in 1998 we were still using the same computer symbols. It was a laborious process to click and drag them on to the weather maps, particularly if you were broadcasting to a worldwide audience as this would involve hundreds of symbols.A year after Michael Fish retired, this process ended. Animated graphics were introduced in 2005, powered by a new super-computer. That wasn't the end of the weather symbol, though. They continue to be used today in our TV broadcasts and of course you can see them online and on the BBC Weather technology continuing to improve and evolve and a new partnership coming with the Met Office, you may see some changes in the way weather is presented but I think these well-loved weather symbols are set to stay a while yet, long after I slip off the map for good.
BBC News
11-08-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Biddy Baxter obituary: Blue Peter's formidable editor dies aged 92
Biddy Baxter, who has died at the age of 92, turned Blue Peter into a television recipe of pets, charity appeals, gymnastic displays, foreign travel reports and occasional history lessons stood the test of of course, for more than 25 years, she introduced generations of children to sticky-backed plastic and the pleasures of making rockets from plastic was passionate about getting her viewers involved in the programme, long before audience participation became an industry she also gained a reputation as a formidable figure: a tyrant who fell out with presenters and jealously guarded the Blue Peter brand. Make do and mend Joan Maureen Baxter was born in Leicester in May 1933. Her father was the director of a sportswear company and her mother a were too many Joans in her class at school, so a nickname was made up on the upbringing during the war instilled in Biddy an ability to make-do and mend which later became part of the Blue Peter ethos."My friends and I held bring-and-buy sales for the Spitfire fund and put on plays and concerts for the British Red Cross and Aid to France." She was educated at a local grammar school before going to St Mary's College, Durham University in 1952. At that time, only 6% of undergraduates were experience shaped the rest of her life. "For three memorable years, Durham was my life."Baxter had intended to become a prison officer or a social worker. But, by chance, she noticed the BBC was advertising for turned down suggestions from a university careers officer that women were best suited to teaching or secretarial work. Listen with mother "He said to me, 'No-one from Durham has ever worked for the BBC,' so I applied. I really should be grateful to him."She joined the BBC in 1955 as a radio trainee studio manager, creating sound effects. She was promoted to producing Schools Junior English programmes and Listen With Mother in had a brief spell in children's television to cover a period of illness and applied for a permanent job soon after. One radio colleague branded her a traitor for defecting to 1962, she was asked to take over as producer of Blue Peter, a programme whose life expectancy was as something for children who had outgrown Watch with Mother, its survival was resting on the fact it was cheap to programmes, which lasted 15 minutes, were presented by Christopher Trace and a former Miss Great Britain, Leila Williams. Pets Williams was fired just before Baxter joined the programme and a new presenter, Valerie Singleton, was recruited to work with tore into the programme like a whirlwind. Within a year she had introduced the iconic Blue Peter badge after commissioning a young artist called Tony Hart to design the ship also decided to recruit a dog, so viewers who did not have a pet could share in a sense of ownership. Unfortunately, the animal died just two days after its first appearance at Christmas and her producer, Edward Barnes decided not to inform the viewers but instead substituted a sad-looking mongrel they discovered in a south London pet audience, innocent of the switch, were asked to come up with a name for the puppy. They chose years later when children were asked to write in for a photo of the dog, more than 60,000 applied. Editor When Petra died in 1977 there were newspaper obituaries worthy of a film star."Fur and feather are more important than flesh," she used to tell was reported that she once threw her handbag at a director who failed to get a close up of Goldie, the programme's golden stroke of genius was to tap the resources of her viewers by asking them to contribute ideas for things they wanted to see in the letters poured in and Baxter set up a complicated card index system so children would get personal replies rather than a formatted letter. "We could check the index and reply, 'Last time you wrote, your hamster had a sore paw. I do hope it's better.' It's only a tiny thing, but children aren't stupid."Baxter later estimated that 75% of the show's content was based on ideas submitted by its was appointed the programme's editor in 1965 and the transformation of Blue Peter filming was introduced, more pets appeared, and appeals were launched to collect old toys and silver paper for good causes. It was early example of recycling and designed so that even the poorest viewers could take part. With ratings improving, Blue Peter was now on twice a fought hard for the programme, insisting on the best studios and found a piece of waste ground behind Television Centre, and created a garden. Michael Grade - now Lord Grade - crossed her path when he was Controller of BBC1."Her life was that show." he recalled "Without that obsessional talent, the programme would never have maintained the quality that it did.' Stiletto heels The iconic Blue Peter annuals began to appear with their mixture of entertaining but also informative abolished gender stereotyping before the phrase was invented. Male presenters were expected to take their share of cooking while the presenters were the public face of Blue Peter there was never any doubt about who ran the show and most of her team were in awe of her. One studio manager recalled that her habit of striding across the studio in stiletto heels damaged the floor but no-one had the courage to tell firmly believed no presenter was bigger than the programme and gave short shrift to any of them who she felt had fallen below the standards she expected."They can always go and work somewhere else," she once Purves, who joined Blue Peter as a presenter in 1967 recalled: "This woman controlled our lives, and she didn't do it very nicely."Valerie Singleton complained she treated presenters like children. John Noakes called her awful: "She was a bully who treated me like some country yokel from Yorkshire. I couldn't abide her." Old Fashioned One former producer was once asked whether there was a hierarchy. "Yes," he replied. "There was Biddy at the top and everyone else at the bottom."Noakes famously fell out with Baxter when he left Blue Peter. He'd intended to appear with his excitable dog, Shep in pet food commercials. Baxter was horrified."I think it would have been immoral," she said. "How can you have a Blue Peter presenter on commercial television advertising dog food so children think, 'I must buy this.'" In the event, Noakes did the adverts with a lookalike by 1980, Blue Peter was looking decidedly old-fashioned against brash newcomers to children's TV like ATV's Tiswas. Childhood was changing and it was decidedly uncool to admit to watching the also came under attack from commentators who bemoaned its lack of diversity and claimed it peddled middle-class values."All these people who witter on," exclaimed Baxter. The bottom line is do people want to watch it? They did and do in their millions. Therefore I do not believe it's smug, self-satisfied and class-ridden." Biddy Baxter left the programme in 1988. There are different stories about her departure. At the time, it was reported that she decided to leave when her husband, the musicologist John Hosier, was offered a job in China and she decided to go with him. But Richard Marson - her colleague-turned-biographer - insisted that she was was "manoeuvred out in the summer of 1988 by a new head of children's programmes who wanted the show to evolve without its all-powerful matriarch."She was devastated, but did not complain in public. On her departure she was awarded a Blue Peter Gold Badge, the programme's highest honour. She worked as a freelance consultant to various BBC Directors General until her retirement in 2013, she was given a special BAFTA award. One former BBC chief told the Guardian that "somehow she was overlooked. If anyone deserves to be recognised she does. Blue Peter is a legend and she is Blue Peter."Peter Salmon, a senior BBC executive who worked on Blue Peter as a junior producer, summed up what he thought was the secret of Baxter's success."She got the diet just right for Middle England - meat and potatoes, all the greens in the right place. And sponge pudding to follow. It's comfortable and regular. Sometimes you'll even enjoy it."
ABC News
08-08-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
My Sydney Giveaway
All week on ABC Radio Sydney from Monday August 11, some of your favourite ABC personalities are revealing their top Sydney spots. Listen throughout the day for clues, guess their Sydney spot and you'll be a winner. If you guess correctly, you will win an exclusive ABC Radio Sydney prize pack. Plus, every winner from across the week will go into the draw to be the first listener in Sydney to tour the ABC Radio Sydney studios in Parramatta. You'll get to spend the morning with some of your favourite presenters and, take in the amazing 360 degree views of Sydney. Tune in to Breakfast, Mornings and Drive on ABC Radio Sydney from Monday 11 August to find out how you can win. Prize details Minor prizes: ABC Radio Sydney prize pack including a drink bottle, umbrella and cap Major prize upgrade: guided tour of ABC Radio Sydney Studios in Parramatta, plus spend the morning with some of your favourite ABC Radio Sydney presenters Tune in from Monday on 702AM ABC Radio Sydney or the ABC listen app. Competition terms and conditions apply.
UAE Moments
02-07-2025
- Business
- UAE Moments
How could AI be your speech enemy?
Now, this title may sound unusual, given that we are surrounded by numerous articles and videos highlighting the importance of AI in nearly everything. Many people forget that AI is merely an assisting tool and should not replace them. Occasionally, I meet with a new client who has a strong belief in AI and utilizes it in numerous applications. They often share a script for their upcoming speech or presentation, and it takes me only one look to figure out that this is an AI-generated version. And the thing is, I have witnessed clients from different fields working in various positions share scripts of their speeches with me, only to find that their story narratives and talk skeletons are nearly identical. Following such scenarios, we will end up being clones of each other. When we ask people to present their reports and ideas instead of just sending them via email, it's because we want to allow them to explain their ideas more thoroughly, share the story behind them passionately, and showcase their uniqueness. However, relying mainly on AI to write your speeches will ultimately result in dull and repetitive speeches and presentations. I've said it many times: leaving a lasting impression and achieving influence isn't just about demonstrating confidence or having a solid structure in your content; it's also about showcasing your unique expertise and style through your content and performance. That's because you want to be recognized among hundreds because of WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU OWN, not because of just confidence and structure that anyone could demonstrate. Although it's common sense that speechwriters support officials and spokespersons in writing their speeches, those speeches should sound genuine and reflect the speaker's own voice. That's why, when I work on such positions, our top priority is that the speech sounds authentic, not like it was written by someone else. Even with the presence of professional speechwriters, they must write with the speaker's spirit, use the speaker's keywords, and adopt a style that demonstrates the speaker's personality. That is something an AI tool cannot obtain by giving it a couple of data points. Not to mention that you cannot demonstrate passion genuinely by delivering a speech that doesn't breathe ' YOU ' between its lines. Does this mean AI tools aren't helpful in public speaking? Of course not. There are plenty of other benefits for AI. Let me address some of them here: 1) Topics research and initial content creation: As I just discussed, the main ideas and message of your content should be your input; however, you can also depend on AI tools to gather resources for you, brainstorm ideas, and suggest case studies or statistics. Examples: Chat GPT-3 2) Content and Vocabulary Enhancement: When presenting in a different language than your mother tongue, sometimes we fall into the trap of using the same vocabularies or wrong Grammer that would affect the richness and clarity of your content, That's why you could depend on AI tools to generate different vocabularies to deliver the exact meaning you aim for, (Note: It's always recommended to choose vocabularies that are easy on your tongue. Do not trade smooth articulation for sophistication.) Example: Gabble – Speeko – Grammarly 3) Practicing and rehearsals: Now we can see AI-powered tools that assist in analyzing speeches or presentations, helping you during your rehearsal phase. Of course, the accuracy of these tools isn't enough yet to detect all areas of improvement, but they will remain good assisting tools. Examples: Orai – Yoodli 4) Presentation Design: There are plenty of AI tools that can assist you in designing your presentation slides, especially for quick and brief meetings. Of course, you'll need to adjust the slides based on your objective, audience analysis, and rehearsals to ensure a smooth flow. Examples: Canva – PowerPoint Designer – SlideSpeak Yes, technology is meant to make our lives easier, and it's always wise to stay updated with new tools, however Public Speaking has always been about human connection, which is why we need to remember that demonstrating who we are, how we feel, and what we own isn't an easy task that can be dictated by an AI tool.
