A Day in the Life of a News Presenter

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A Day in the Life of an ITV News Presenter
.Fred Dinenage
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• Variety, they say, is the spice of life!
• My Meridian Tonight co-presenter, Sangeeta Bhabra
  and I are really lucky because our job is all
  about variety.

Only one thing is certain each and every day is
busy, busy, busy! No two days are ever the same!
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• Some days we read the late news, some days we
  read the lunch news. Every day we have two long
  Over the Air Programmes (OPTs) lasting, on
  average, fifteen minutes one for the west of
  the region, and the other for the east of the
  region.
• One OPT is live and the other recorded at 4.45
  (on the dot!) every afternoon.

That means recording down-the-line and studio
interviews during mornings and afternoons, as
well as live interviews in the OPTs and the
pan-regional part of the programme which runs for
around fifteen minutes. We also write and
record promotions and holders for both OPTs.
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• But it doesnt end there. Oh no!
• They also like to get us out filming.
• In recent months Sangeeta has interviewed Julian
  Fellowes in London about the ITV drama
  spectacular, Titanic and lovely Paul OGrady at
  his home in Kent about his heart-warming For the
  Love of Dogs programme.

And I have been up in London recording interviews
with the stars of Downton Abbey and Charmian
Biggs, wife of Ronnie, and Sheridan Smith who
plays her in the Mrs Biggs series. Oh, and
there were also interviews with Sir Andrew Lloyd
Webber about his search for a Superstar.
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• We have also done lots of live outside
  broadcasts and interviews including the
  anniversary of the sinking of The Titanic and the
  arrival of the Olympic Torch in the south of
  England.
• But a presenters job doesnt end as the closing
  credits roll because theres always plenty of
  charity presentations in the evening and
  weekends, business awards and the like.

Sangeeta is brilliant at tweeting and tells our
viewers what were doing on the programme
though she tells me most of our viewers want to
know what we get up to at the weekends! She also
gets at least one question a day about HOW2,
the ITV childrens programme I used to do!
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• So, all in all, our days are long and busy, but
  incredibly varied.
• But hey, we wouldnt want it any other way.
• And that as a very old childrens TV presenter
  used to say is. HOW for NOW!!!!!

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visiting . www.itvjobs.com