Bring back the talent to telly and ditch the wannabees
Fred Dinenage is a TV broadcasting legend. A fixture on the box across the South for decades, he had survived changes of management; from Southern Television to TVS and then today's Meridian.
Fred is a comforting constant in an ever-changing world. Coming across as a favourite uncle, I imagine him as the sort of chap who would send you a decent postal order every birthday and Christmas, and then on your 18th birthday pick you up in his Jag, take you to the pub and get you hammered on cocktails.
I adore Fred. Apart from growing up with him, he is now one of the few remaining icons of regional TV.
Reading about Fred's recent appearance in the birthday honours when he (quite rightly) became Fred Dineage MBE got me thinking about other faces from regional telly, leading to a gentle afternoon's surfing the internet searching for presenters of the past.
As well as presenters, one website I visited contained a comprehensive list of the in-vision continuity announcers who used to introduce the programmes. Remember them?
Talking heads who used to appear in their best suits to outline the programming delights on offer.
In our part of the UK the likes of Bill Flynn, Christopher Robbie, Keith Martin, Verity Martindill, Malcolm Brown, Gordon Radley and Brian Nissan used to regularly pop up on our screens.
Brian was one of my favourites. A suave and debonair chappie who was originally an actor, his numerous credits included The Dam Busters movie. Sadly, it appears he retired from TVS in 1987 and went to that Great Studio in the Sky in 2001.
An abiding memory of these in-vision continuity announcers was their appearance around the festive period. I remember watching a bloke toasting us with a glass of champagne before running down the day's programming. I thought this was terribly glamorous and in hindsight it may well have been the catalyst for my interest in broadcasting.
Having spent the best part of an afternoon wallowing in local TV nostalgia I have concluded we should turn back the clock and reintroduce the personalities and warmth that regional TV today often lacks. Fred could hold Masterclasses and train up the new recruits.
Sadly, I can't see the idea being embraced by TV bosses anytime soon.
It's a shame. Dineage-trained presenters would provide a truly refreshing alternative to the desperate wanabees who are prepared to sell their soul for five minutes of fame.
What do you think? Send a letter to news@chiobserver.co.uk or leave a comment below.
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Saturday 04 February 2012
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