The Continuity Booth
ITV 1 - Tyne Tees
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Announcer at Granada Media Group's northern transmission centre in Leeds. Helen voiced announcements on Yorkshire, Tyne Tees, Granada and Border Television until October 2002. Helen began her broadcasting career while at school, presenting on Hospital Radio Friarage in Northallerton, then with University Radio Falmer at Sussex University. She went on to work for BBC Radio York, AA Roadwatch and BBC Radio Leeds before joining Yorkshire Television in 1995. Helen has also worked with the regional weather team as a producer-director and presenter. She was a familiar voice on the Wellbeing channel, working on promotions and as a narrator. Helen is also known in the corporate sector as a presenter and voice-over artist.
Former Tyne Tees announcer.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!
Continuity announcer for ABC Television, TWW (Television Wales and the West) in 1958, and one of the first announcers and news readers on Anglia Television from its launch in 1959. During his time at the Norwich-based station, Colin also interviewed for news programmes and was a quizmaster. After leaving Anglia in 1964, Colin worked as an announcer/news reader for the overseas service of the Australian Broadcasting Commission, and later that year moved to Tyne Tees TV in Newcastle as a continuity announcer and newscaster. As a freelance news reader, announcer, presenter and quizmaster between 1967 and 1975, Colin worked for several ITV stations, including Westward Television, Grampian and Border. He also worked for the BBC in Bristol, Southampton and London.
In 1975, Colin returned to radio (he had started his career as a disc jockey with radio stations in Africa), launching the new commercial Plymouth Sound station, where he presented The Sunrise Sound breakfast show for 18 months. In 1979, Colin moved to Nottingham's Radio Trent to present A Little Night Music each evening and Colin's Corner on Sunday afternoons. Between 1989 and 1996, Colin produced and presented The Golden Years on BBC Radio Nottingham, a request programme featuring the music of the 1920s, 30s and 40s. Colin has also freelanced as an actor, voice-over, narrator and speaker. His acting roles have included parts in Byker Grove, Coronation Street, Boon, Emmerdale Farm, Peak Practice, and the Tommy Cooper Show. In 2000, Colin starred as Chesney Allen in the theatre production of The Flanagan and Allen Story. He now lives in Nottingham with his wife, Judith, a former transmission loggist for Westward TV, where the couple met.
Former Tyne Tees Television and TWW announcer Adrian Cairns. He was Tyne Tees' first chief announcer, and the first voice to be heard when the station went on air in 1959. Adrian's relaxing style of presentation was his trademark and he was very popular with viewers in the North East. He left Tyne Tees in 1964 to join the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in a senior role, and stayed there for the next 25 years.
He remained in the world of television, frequently recording voice-overs for both TWW, and then Harlech Television, in Bristol, and BBC TV West. He retired in 1989, but continued to make the odd appearance on television, mainly bit parts in major TV dramas. Sadly, Adrian died in March 2003.
Allan was one of the Border 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. In 1988 Allan returned to Tyne Tees and remained there until the closure of the continuity department in early-1996. He had the distinction of being the last person to announce from City Road, on 16 March 1996 - the same day that Bill Steel also made his last link on Tyne Tees. However, unlike most of the other Tyne Tees announcers, Allan's announcements were always out of vision - rather strange but in a way apt, when you consider the way links are done today!
Sadly Allan is no longer with us - he died in late-1997. His brother William still survives though; he was the producer of Mr And Mrs for Border from 1972 until 1987.
Image courtesy of Paul R Jackson.
1960s continuity announcer and presenter of 'North East Roundabout', the first TTTV local news magazine. He also presented a more in-depth news programme for Tyne Tees - 'Spotlight' - which probed controversial issues of the day.
He left the company in 1964 to become the main anchor for the BBC regional news programme in the Midlands; he remained as a presenter there until 1980.
Tom later became a director of a Midlands based corporate video company.
Image courtesy of Paul R Jackson.
Central TV news reader in the East Midlands who took over from Nick Owen when he left for TV-am in 1983. After a period presenting on national BBC daytime television, Andy moved to Meridian Broadcasting in 1993 to front the company's Thames Valley edition of 'Meridian Tonight'.
Andy started his broadcasting career with Metro Radio in Newcastle before moving to Tyne Tees Television in 1978 as a continuity announcer. He later joined the 'Northern Life' reporting and presenting team, before moving to Central.
In 1989, Tracey began her career voicing and creating commercials, promotions and producing shows for Northsound Radio in Aberdeen. For three years she co-presented the Breakfast Show with Robin Galloway and became the first "Eye In The Sky" for the North East of Scotland. Whilst at Northsound Radio, she began her TV career with Grampian in 1990 and at 19 became the youngest continuity announcer/news reader in the UK.
Moving to Manchester in 1995, she joined Granada Television as a continuity presenter and became the main promotional voice for Granada.
The Broadcast department was centralised in Leeds in 1998 and Tracey became Head Of On-Air for Granada Media Group (Granada, Yorkshire, Tyne Tees and Border TV) managing continuity, weather presenters, promotions and graphics departments.
Tracey has remained at ITV and now heads up the business side of the new ITV Broadcast Business Development team.
Neil's broadcasting experience dates back to 1995 when he joined the team at a hospital radio station in Norwich. In 1996, he moved to 103.4 The Beach in Lowestoft; he remained there for a year.
Neil's voice has also been heard on Pirate FM in Cornwall and on Topshop TV at the clothes store's main Oxford Street branch. As well as being head of music and producer at his university radio station during his three years study, Neil also has experience of working with the teams at 'Blue Peter' and BBC Radio 1.
Having graduated with a BA honours degree in broadcasting studies, Neil joined Granada TV's northern transmission centre in March 2001, as a continuity announcer; his voice was heard on Granada, Yorkshire, Tyne Tees and Border Television between March 2001 and October 2002. He also voiced programme promotions across the Granada Media Group, including LWT, Anglia and Meridian.
Neil stayed in Yorkshire for a year after being made redundant in October 2002, presenting radio shows for the Teamtalk group and Magic 828AM.
In 2003 he was approached by Vibe 105-8FM, a regional dance radio station in the East of England, to front their breakfast news. Twelve months after arriving, Neil also became the voice on all of the station's imaging.
After a company takeover, Vibe 105-8FM was re-branded in September 2006 as Kiss 105-8FM. Neil continues to be part of the breakfast show there.
Neil also regularly voices commercials on both television and radio across the UK and Europe. One of his most recent TV commercials was the live UK tour of George Michael.
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. A former actress and continuity announcer at Southern TV, Ulster TV, Tyne Tees TV and BBC Radio External Services. She was also an announcer at Anglia TV and compere for Yorkshire TV's 'Stars On Sunday'. 
Announcer at Granada's northern transmission centre, from May 2000 to 28 October 2002. She joined as a trainee announcer, after graduating in Film, Media and Communication from Sheffield Hallam University. She was a regular promotional voice for the Wellbeing Channel and was also heard occasionally on regional promotions made in Leeds. Kerrie moved from announcing to weather presenting after regional continuity ended on ITV 1.
Started his television career as a continuity scriptwriter for ATV, but soon moved to the glamorous side of the camera as an announcer and programme presenter. His first in-vision job was as a relief announcer for North and Midlands weekend contractor, ABC Television, and he remained there for three months before landing a permanent job with Tyne Tees TV in the North East.
His innovative approach to continuity, which included donning a white coat and stethoscope before introducing Emergency Ward Ten or a stetson before Wagon Train secured him a large fan base, and he was voted TTTV's personality of the year within 12 months of landing the job. Later, he moved to ABC Television as one of its permanent announcers, and then when ABC joined with Rediffusion to form Thames Television in 1968, he continued as a continuity announcer and programme presenter. He could also be seen down the road at Southern Television at weekends when Thames was off air. National fame followed with a stint as a DJ on BBC Radio 1 and presenter on BBC Radio 2, and several television game shows.
David continues in broadcasting to this day; in more recent times he has had spells with Saga FM and Classic Gold radio.
Pete joined the Yorkshire Television announcing team in November 1999; he went part-time in late-2000. Based at the northern transmission centre in Leeds, his voice was also heard in the Tyne Tees, Border and Granada regions. Pete also became the voice of all Granada Media Group trailers for Granada, Yorkshire, Tyne Tees, Border, Anglia, Meridian and LWT. Pete's voice was also heard on the ITV Night Network; he would pre-record the announcements on tape in Leeds; the tape was then despatched to LWT in the overnight van for transmission that particular weekend.
At the time of writing (January 2006), Pete is the last professional announcer in Leeds; he still voices regional trailers on a freelance basis.
Pete spoke to TTVRP in January 2006 about other projects: "Since leaving YTV full time, I've appeared in several radio plays, alongside Maggie and, in one, with Redvers. I'm currently working on a pilot radio thriller series 'Into The Shadows' as writer, producer and actor, and I'm still around, doing the occasional bit of presenting for music based radio stations.
"I've been in radio since the mid-1970s, starting at Radio City (Nottingham Hospital Radio). After much hard work, I managed to get the green light to form Millside Hospital Radio at the Kings Mill Hospital, Sutton-in-Ashfield, near Mansfield, in October 1989. Joined Viking FM shortly after that, as commercial producer/writer/voice-over. Also worked on air on YRN's (Yorkshire Radio Network) Classic Gold AM service.
"I can still be heard throughout the country and abroad, on various commercial radio stations, as voice-over. I also write and voice radio commercials for the Lincs FM Group (in fact I was the first v/o on air at Lincs FM, on their first ad break on day one, in 1992). Well known for versatility when it comes to commercials, all sorts of voices, from old men (and old women!!!) through to wacky, character sound-a-likes and singers, which keeps me active!!! (It's also very useful when it comes to radio plays!!!)"
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1980s and early-1990s continuity announcer for Tyne Tees TV, who is now a freelance voice-over artiste. 
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.
One of the 1960s in-vision announcing team at Tyne Tees Television. Jon also presented TTTV's globe-trotting travel programme Faraway Places and, closer to home, Your Heritage. He moved to Associated-Rediffusion in London and remained until the station closed for the final time in 1968.
Former Anglia Television announcer (1973 to 1976), and BBC TV 'Look East' anchor who moved north to take up a continuity announcer's job at Tyne Tees Television in the mid-1980s. She left the company when it was taken over by Yorkshire Television in the early-1990s.
Image courtesy of Paul R Jackson.
Former actor who joined Tyne Tees Television as announcer in 1959 and then joined ATV in 1961. He left to join BBC Birmingham's 'Midlands Today' as presenter/news reader. In 1964, a meeting with the Spinners gave him his long-term interest in folk music which led him to join BBC Radio 2 in 1969 as a presenter.
Image courtesy of Paul R Jackson.
1980s in-vision continuity announcer and news reader at Border Television and also at Tyne Tees Television. Continuity announcer for Tyne Tees from 1979 - TBC.Maggie Mash started her broadcasting career on Forces Radio in Cyprus and then worked for BBC and Independent radio stations throughout the country. From 1988 she was a continuity announcer with Yorkshire Television in Leeds and also worked extensively as a freelance voice-over, presentation trainer and voice coach. She is the voice for the national SATS Mental Arithmetic Tests and the voice of HSBC. Best known nationally for his time on BBC Radio 2, Ray Moore was a voice only continuity announcer with Granada TV in Manchester between 1962 and 1964 (although he did appear in-vision as a news bulletin reader on Granada's news magazine programme). During this period, he also freelanced as an in-vision presenter at Tyne Tees TV during the weekend (when Granada went off-air for ABC Television). He also spent a short while in-vision for ATV before returning to the BBC in Manchester in 1965. In the 1980s, Ray regularly voiced trailers for BBC TV. Ray died in January 1989.
Tyne Tees Television in-vision continuity announcer and news reader in the 1990s who moved to the anchor's chair on Sky News.
Since c. 2005, Jonathan has been back at ITV Tyne Tees, fronting regional news programme, 'North East Tonight'.
Jonathan also worked on Yorkshire TV's 'Calendar' and the now defunct Wellbeing channel - dates unknown. He also presented on the ITV News Channel in 2003 and 2004.
The first female continuity announcer on Tyne Tees Television. She joined the company at the tender age of 21, and, at that time, was the youngest presenter on British television.
Tyne Tees TV in-vision announcer who went on to front the BBC's 'North West Tonight' from Manchester during the 1980s.
Image courtesy of Paul R Jackson.
Mike was Tyne Tees TV's main news anchor from 1996 until 2005, and also one of the early announcers and presenters at the station (1962 - 1964). However, Mike spent most of his broadcasting career on the 'other side', presenting the BBC's 'Look North' programme from Newcastle.
He became quite well known nationally for his appearances on the BBC's 'Nationwide' programme in the 1970s.
As an anchorman for more than 40 years, Mike is one of television's longest serving presenters. He started his career as a newspaper journalist and then an actor, before landing an announcer's job with the young TTTV.
In June 2006, he announced his retirement from his TV newsreading role after 40 years behind the news desk. He had been off work since July 2005, following a life-saving operation to remove a blood clot. He said that he would be keeping the door open with ITV and was working on other projects and that he wasn't quite ready for retirement as yet.
Image courtesy of Paul R Jackson.
Anglia Television and Tyne Tees Television in-vision continuity announcer in the 1960s. She also presented Anglia children's programme Afternoon Club from 1960 to 1963.
Image courtesy of Paul R Jackson.
Nick was an occasional announcer for Yorkshire Television, although his full time role is at the transmission control desk at the Granada Media Group's northern transmission centre, serving YTV, Tyne Tees, Border and Granada.
Karen Petch - a voice only continuity announcer from Yorkshire Television who worked as a relief announcer, in-vision, for Tyne Tees between 1993 (when YTV took over and axed most of TTTV's announcers) and 1996 when continuity closed at Newcastle. She continued as a de-facto out-of-vision announcer after March 1996 when all announcements started to come out of Leeds for Tyne Tees and Yorkshire from the same announcer. Her TTTV work put her in good stead for her newsreading role at YTV later on.
BBC TV national continuity announcer from 1963 to 1965 who also announced at Tyne Tees Television from 1959 to 1960. Valerie also interviewed for regional news magazine 'North East Roundabout'. She left the programme in 1960 to marry James Sargent who was stage manager of the Sadler's Wells Opera Company.
Much later, she married the famous conductor Sir Georg Solti. She was also a presenter on BBC regional TV's 'Town And Around' and 'South Today' in 1964; presenter, BBC TV's 'Play School', 1965 to 1969, and a panellist on BBC TV's 'Face The Music' between 1975 and 1984.
She returned in November 1986 as an in-vision announcer on BBC Two to celebrate TV50, the 50th anniversary of BBC Television.
Image courtesy of Paul R Jackson.
Until October 2002, Bob was one of the main announcers at Yorkshire Television at Granada Media Group's northern transmission centre in Leeds; his voice was therefore also heard on Border, Granada and Tyne Tees Television.
Bob started his career in television at the BBC as a cameraman in the early-1970s. After working at Television Centre for a few years, he was seconded to BBC Radio London. In the late-1970s, he moved to Yorkshire Television in Leeds and worked as cameraman, researcher, promotions producer and, eventually, in the late-1980s became a continuity announcer, working with Redvers Kyle, Graham Roberts and John Crosse.
Bob also presents a weekly country music show on BBC local radio, and has run a full-time cinema since the 1980s - first at Pickering, and now in Wetherby. He is the author of twenty-two books, including two on the history of roller coasters - and a number on the history of radio, including offshore pirate stations, Radio 270 and Radio Caroline North. He has also produced a detailed study of DJ Johnnie Walker's contribution to pop radio - 'Johnnie Walker, Cruisin' The Formats'. In 2006, Bob opened a full-time station - 107.4 Tempo FM in Wetherby.
Tyne Tees TV announcer from 1978 until 1996 who went on to present the local entertainment/magazine programme Tonight and also read the local news. She left the company in 1999 and now presents on BBC Radio Newcastle.
Clem started off as a BBC announcer from 1966 to 1973. In the 1970s he moved on to work on the announcing staff at various ITV regional centres including Anglia, Border, Tyne Tees and Scottish TV, from 1974 to 1975.
Image courtesy of Paul R Jackson.
Tyne Tees TV continuity announcer from 1975 until the early-1980s.Former Tyne Tees announcer.
Bill Steel is mainly remembered as Tyne Tees Television's chief announcer and one of the main presenters of evening news magazine programme, Northern Life, when it started in 1976. He has also announced across the ITV network on stations such as Thames and Border Television.
His first job at TTTV was as an Assistant Transmission Controller and he then progressed to voice-over work, including a spell as the announcer on TTTV's Song For The Swinging Sixties pop music show. He then took up a newsreading job at ABC Television in Manchester and Birmingham while continuing his day job during the week as a Transmission Controller at TTTV.
When ABC and Rediffusion 'merged' in 1968 to form Thames Television, Bill was kept on as an announcer, working with former Tyne Tees colleague, David Hamilton. At around this time he was also asked to take on some voice only continuity at Tyne Tees, present the nightly news magazine programme, Today At Six and was also offered a job as breakfast show DJ on the North East's new commercial radio station, Metro Radio.
A very busy man, Bill at this stage was forced to give up advertising voice-over work and his Transmission Control job to concentrate on the other elements of his successful broadcasting career. After his news contract ended, he moved over to continuity and took over from Neville Wanless as chief announcer in 1988.
He left Tyne Tees in 1996 and since then has developed his acting career -- in 1997 he joined Coronation Street briefly as Bernard McKenna. Until recently, he was also a presenter on Century Radio and is a director of a local media training company.
Continuity mainstay for Tyne Tees Television from 1971 and the station's chief announcer until 1988 when he retired. He continued as a relief announcer for some years and still broadcasts to this day on local hospital radio in the North East.
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.
YTV and Tyne Tees announcer from 1992 to 1994, mainly based at Leeds but with some shifts in Newcastle. Stephen left Yorkshire TV in 1994 and moved to the States where he became, among other things, senior writer for Oprah Winfrey's magazine, O, and a contributing editor at Conde Nast Traveller, as well as freelancing for various other magazines and newspapers including the New York Times, GQ, Bon Appetit, and Gardens Illustrated. Stephen is now a freelance writer based in Sweden.
