The Continuity Booth
ITV 1 - LWT
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LWT announcer from the early-1980s until mid-1990s.By passing the 11-Plus, Greg gained entry to his local grammar school in North London, but education seemed to gain little purchase on his mind, which was focussed on tuning around the short-wave, discovering the existence of off-shore radio and determination to escape as soon as possible.
As a DJ on off-shore radio, Greg could be heard on Radio Essex from early-1966, then Radio 270, Radio 390 and briefly, before its demise, on Radio Caroline North. He has been a DJ and presenter at several local radio stations, including Breeze AM (as was), Beacon Radio (ditto), Two Counties Radio (ditto), LBC and, for four-and-a-half years in the late-1970s, at Radio Orwell.
As well as playing at gramophones, a presenter in those days needed to know all about meaningful speech, at which Greg, in hindsight, reckons he was particularly adept. At the time, he was perceived as 'esoteric' and even 'abstract' but he expresses in 2008 - and as 'technically' still a freelance voice-over, presenter and writer - a firm belief that radio was made for qualities such as his.
As Roger Scott (no relation to another broadcaster of the same name, who came to prominence in the UK in the early-1970s), Greg appeared in-vision as an announcer at Harlech from March 1968 to c. January 1969. His style of presentation - developed previously on off-shore radio - was deemed too risky and he received marching orders to the out-of-vision-only department. He remained there until his departure a couple of months later.
Freelance continuity (including at Granada) and voice-over work was Greg's professional occupation until reaching the announcer's desk at Anglia, where local news bulletins and presentation of the Birthday Club were delivered to the regional audience, some of whom objected to the long-haired 'object' on their screen!
Greg prides himself in being probably the only TV announcer to have been bought a short hair wig by his employer, as well as wishing his viewers "peace" at closedown. Surprisingly, he lasted a full year in Norwich, until October 1970, when the call came from the North East. His entertainment value was diluted again at Tyne Tees, due to all continuity being OOV. But this was rectified eventually, as an early-evening glory spot was introduced, featuring the announcer on camera revealing highlights of viewing ahead.
In Newcastle, in line with the policy of having the promos scripted and arranged by the announcers themselves, Greg quickly learned and perfected the art of sculpting imaginative and highly-creative blurb, which often had little to do with programme content. His association with the ITV company lasted until the lure of another spell of off-shore radio became irresistible in early-1972.
During his television days, Greg freelanced as an announcer at ATV and Southern, as well as revisiting Granada. Promotional trail voice-over work proved more sustainable and more successful. As the voice of Anglia for a few years in the 1980s, he travelled weekly (sometimes more) to Norwich. There was a weekly appointment in the voice-over booth at HTV for three years in the late-1980s and throughout the '80s and '90s, few weeks elapsed when Greg did not put his voice to LWT promos.
Voice-over work of all kinds had been a staple of his entire professional journey until the early-twenty-first century, when styles changed and his received pronounciation and great voice could no longer be disguised.
Greg's radio ambitions are not over yet! Tying-in with an interest in modern - i.e. twentieth and twenty-first century 'classical' music - he aims to interest before long a programme controller who really, really wants to incorporate into the schedule a regular, if not daily, excursion into the world of 'unlistenable' but actually highly intoxicating arrangements of sound. Mixed with Greg's intoxicating arrangement of words and intelligent, humourous world-view, large audiences are guaranteed!
He realises that by divulging this idea, to which he holds intellectual copyright, the concept could go walking. But nobody could execute it as well!
Former ABC TV and LWT announcer.
Trish started her announcing career with London Weekend back in 1982. She went on to announce at the Super Channel, TVS, British Satellite Broadcasting, Westcountry and UK Gold. Trish was LWT's senior announcer from the mid-1990s.
In early-2003, Trish joined the announcing team at Five; she also freelanced as an ITV 1 announcer during 2003. In addition to her role at Five, Trish continues a relationship with ITV, providing promo voice-overs for ITV 1 and continuity announcements for ITV 3.
Website
Mike was one of the best known voices on LWT as the station's key promotions voice-over man from 1983 until 2001. He took a turn in the continuity booth as a station announcer between 2001 and 2002. Mike has also announced and voiced promos for TVS, Meridian and Sky to name but a few. Mike, an LBC radio presenter from 1981 to 1991, is currently a freelance presenter and a regular announcer on BFBS (British Forces Broadcasting).Former LWT announcer.Pat Doody announced for Border and Tyne Tees Television in the 1970s and also voiced ads for Metro Radio in the mid-1980s. Pat also announced for LWT - dates TBC. He was also the voice-over for the Border TV version of Mr And Mrs, his inimitable introduction used for each show: 'It's Mr And Mrs - and here's your host, Derek Batey'. Most of his time from the late-1970s up until his death in 1990 was spent at Border Television and indeed he was announcing on Border on 27 February 1990, the night before his death. 
Adrian was a continuity announcer at BBC Wales for a short period in the first half of 1991 before moving to Network Presentation in London. He remained there until 1993 when he moved to Carlton for six months, then Anglia for another six, before returning to Network BBC One and BBC Two in 1994.
Adrian left to join BBC World in spring 1995. For a while he freelanced as an announcer at LWT in 1995 and 1996; around the same time he was also the pre-recorded voice of the Channel 4 'Schools' strand.
As well as being the voice of BBC World (albeit pre-recorded), Adrian also worked there as a news presenter. Adrian left the BBC in autumn 2004 to take up a position with CNN.
LWT freelance announcer in the 1970s. Sharon was also an announcer for Southern TV from 1980 and then Anglia from 1983 - TBC.
Image courtesy of Paul R Jackson.
LWT in-vision and voice-only announcer in the 1980s. Keith went on to work for Channel 4. London Weekend announcer during the late-1970s and early-1980s.
Well known Thames Television announcer and news reader (from the late-1970s to 1992) and LWT continuity announcer. Robin was also a familiar voice to viewers across the ITV network, for his voice-overs at award ceremonies and the Royal Variety Show. Robin has also been heard as the voice of the questions on Channel 5's '100%'; he also presented the channel's 'One To Win' gameshow.
Annie was a continuity announcer for Tyne Tees TV, HTV West and LWT in 1984. She also presented several programmes for HTV, including co-anchoring the main nightly news programme with fellow presenters Bruce Hockin, Richard Wyatt and Alison Holloway.
Sadly, Annie died in late-1990. She is remembered for her warmth, her sense of fun and her sincerity.
LWT announcer in the 1970s who also worked as a reporter and news reader for Southern TV in the 1970s. Sarah went on to become one of the presenters of the BBC's 'Sixty Minutes' news magazine, and, famously, LWT's 'Game For A Laugh'. Since then she has presented many television and radio programmes and now hangs out at BBC Radio 2.
Image courtesy of Nic Ayling.
Peter was an announcer with TWW and Yorkshire TV in the 1960s before moving on to become one of LWT's best known announcers. Peter joined LWT from its start in August 1968 and was the first person to broadcast from the station's new television centre at Upper Ground, on the South bank of the Thames, when it opened in 1971. Lewis was promoted to become senior announcer in 1977 when the previous incumbent, Alec Taylor, left the company. Lewis stayed in this role (although mainly as a voice only announcer after 1983) until 1996 when he left the station to pursue his business interests as a management consultant based in the United States.
He was persuaded to return briefly in 1998 to record a series of in-vision links to mark LWT's 30th birthday. Peter was also an announcer on HTV West during the 1970s and 1980s. The Lewis family were well known to television viewers in the West - Peter's father, Bruce, was chief announcer at HTV's predecessor, TWW, and Martyn Lewis was famous as a local and then national news reader.
LWT voice only announcer in the 1990s. Andy has also announced for Central Television and then Carlton Television in the Midlands. He's also a radio presenter. Website
Former offshore pirate radio broadcaster who moved into television announcing, and, since then, has appeared on many ITV regional stations, including long stints at ABC TV, the North and Midlands weekend contractor until 1968. Keith also announced for ATV, Yorkshire Television, Anglia TV, Television South and LWT in the 1970s/1980s. Announcer for Southern TV, 1959 - 1961; ATV and ABC Television. BBC TV announcer, 1965 to 1972; BBC Radio External Services announcer 1975 onwards. Keith went on to specialise in voice coaching - his clients include former Prime Minister John Major.
Image courtesy of Paul R Jackson.
LWT in-vision continuity announcer in the late-1970s and early-1980s. Verity Martindill was a regular continuity face on several other ITV stations, including Southern Television, Central and TVS.
Continuity announcer on LWT (1979 to 1981), TVS, Meridian, and also a familiar voice to BBC Radio 2 listeners. She also announced for BBC Radio 4, from 1984 - TBC. Hilary made the final continuity announcement on TVS on 31 December 1992.LWT in-vision continuity announcer from 1981 to 1984. After leaving LWT, Sue became a TV producer, starting her production career with Lifestyle Television. She 'discovered' Dale Winton, giving him his first TV presenting work. Currently, she works for BBC World (formerly Enterprises) marketing, producing videos, magazines and other marketing material. She recently edited the Terry Wogan autobiography and was responsible for producing the History Zone magazine for the BBC.
Best known as one of the presenters of the BBC's 'Songs Of Praise', Pam Rhodes was a regular in-vision continuity announcer for London Weekend Television in the early-1980s (from 1981). Before that she was an announcer, reporter and presenter for Norwich-based Anglia Television; she co-presented on 'About Anglia' from 1976 until 1981.
Before embarking on a career as a presenter, Rhodes was a 'Black And White Minstrels Show' girl, where, she says, she danced up to six miles a night! Fellow Anglia presenter Christine Webber was also a 'minstrels' show girl.
Image courtesy of Paul R Jackson.
Freelance announcer for LWT.LWT's chief announcer from August 1968, when the station launched, until 1977. In his spare time, Alec was a keen hospital radio broadcaster. For LWT, Alec announced for two and-a-half years out-of-vision until in-vision announcing was introduced at the station for the first time in early-1971.
TVS announcer who later joined LWT just as in-vision announcing was being phased out in the early-1980s. Glen remained with LWT until October 2002. From 2002 to 2004, he was a freelance announcer at ITV 1. He has also presented for 'Meridian News' in the South East, Sky Television, and on several satellite travel and shopping channels.
Glen has worked at a number of radio stations: he was a member of the launch team at Severn Sound in Gloucester in 1980; GWR in Wiltshire; Mercia Sound in Coventry; host of the breakfast show on Kent’s Invicta FM during the late-1980s and early-1990s, gaining some of the highest audience figures in the station’s history.
Glen runs his own audio production studio in Kent and produces work for a variety of independent companies and corporate clients.
Website
LWT voice-only continuity announcer in the late-1990s until 2002. Roger has also announced for Granada TV and Yorkshire TV and is now the main voice of The Hallmark Channel on satellite television. He's also the voice-over for BBC TV's University Challenge. Experienced television announcer and voice-over artist who was one of the initial presenters of 'Late Night Late' on TVS. Since then, David has worked as an announcer on many stations, including Meridian, LWT and Carlton TV London (in January 2000), and he also made the first, opening continuity announcements on both Channel Five and Carlton Select.
A trained actor with BA Honours degree in film and drama, David spent two years in theatre before joining Channel 4 as a presentation announcer. He currently announces for the Discovery Channel and the Biography Channel, and continues with voice-over and on-air promotion work for a wide range of broadcast and corporate clients, including Channel 4 and More4.
One of the most familiar faces on Granada. Colin started with the station in 1968. From the late-1970s until the 1990s he also worked on a freelance basis for London Weekend, Southern, Tyne Tees, Border, Yorkshire, HTV, Anglia and TVS. Colin was the senior announcer at Granada when he left the company in 1998.
Image courtesy of Paul R Jackson.
LWT voice-over man from 1990. Nigel tells us: "I was auditioned by producer Steve Allen in 1990 to provide the voice for a young and trendy overnight sequence that never saw the light of day. When the promotions department was looking for a 'younger' image to promote the Saturday night Baywatch, Blind Date, Gladiators sequence I was recalled and became the guy who did the 'big sell'. After presenting the the Head Of Promotions with a demo of more mature subtle delivery, I was allowed greater freedom in my style and eventually became the lead brand image voice with Trish Bertram." Nigel continues to work for network ITV and is also the presenter of Late Night Love Songs on Heart 106.2 in London.
