What do continuity announcers realy do?

[padanarm]

How do I get a job as a continuity announcer? Seems like easy money.

[Buenchico]

Continuity announcers often work on news teams, either presenting the news or preparing news reports so they're often qualified journalists. Alternatively they might work as programme producers. Many are freelancers.

e.g. Susan Rae does continuity announcing for BBC Radio 4 and World Service:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/...nters/susan_rae.shtml

as does Neil Nunes (with those glorious deep Jamaican tones):
http://www.bbc.co.uk/...resenters/neil-nunes/

Chris

[padanarm]

No, but seriously.

What do continuity announcers REALLY do?

[Mamyalynne]

apply here

http://www.mediauk.co...y-announcer%2Fwriters

[padanarm]

But no, really. I am a continuity announcer.
I'm just between jobs.

[hc4361]

They encourage listeners/viewers to stay on channel during breaks.
If it's that difficult to understand, the job isn't for you.

[Mamyalynne]

You are one and you don`t know what you do? I rest my case milud!

[padanarm]

Perhaps my question wasn't precise enough.

What do continuity announcers do between announcements?

[Mamyalynne]

I would do knitting and crosswords, what did you do?

[Buenchico]

And perhaps my answer wasn't quite clear enough.

Although I've been in many radio studios, the only one where there was a continuity announcer was Bush House (BBC World Service). The continuity announcer (who was an experienced journalist) sat at a desk, working on the reports for the station's news output. At the same time he kept a careful eye on the clock and, as the end of a programme approached, donned his headphones and placed his hand on the fader in readiness for making his continuity announcement.

Apart from Radio 4, World Service and possibly some BBC TV output, 'live' continuity announcers no longer exist anyway. Many continuity announcements (e.g. those on BBC Radio 7) are pre-recorded, so that the programme links which will go out over several hours are actually put together in space of a few minutes.

Chris

[Mamyalynne]

Now thats a comprehensive answer and should resolve it all.

[padanarm]

Thanks Buenchico.

That is a gorgeous answer. I feel I now understand what Brian Perkins et al did and do.

[tonymclark]

It always used to be the case (I'm talking about the 1970s and 80s here) that continuity announcers would write the announcements and record voice-overs for trailers whilst a programme was on-air. They also had to be on stand-by for any technical problems during transmission.

[BertiWooster]

Isn't it funny how when you see the face behind a voice , the appearance is not what you expect it to be .

In my minds eye , iv'e always associated that voice with someone more mature looking