Ben@Forest wrote:Psamathe wrote:I have often thought that there must be plenty of people who can look smart and read an autocue clearly who could present the news without the £500,000 price tag. We may not get "celebrity" but news is about news not the person reading it out.
On the Today programme the presenters need to think on their feet (admittedly whilst sitting), ask sensible questions and respond to good, bad or evasive answers quickly and be very well-informed about a range of issues, though of course a good deal of the content is thoroughly researched and the presenters briefed before the actual three minute segment on anything from dairy farming to sugary milkshakes to encouraging breast feeding.
However I don't think Humphrys is worth £600,000 plus and also I think he's a bit past his best. Of all the presenters he makes the most fluffs, name mistakes and often reads out the wrong time. The other day he called Michael Howard Laura Howard. Michael didn't remark upon it.
I was thinking more of the Fiona Bruces of the read from autocue TV news broadcasts - no interviewing, no background, just read an autocue for half a million £.
Ian