BBC
The BBC mainly use live announcers on its flagship television channels BBC One and BBC Two, and mainly use pre-recorded announcements on its digital channels (apart from BBC News and BBC Parliament, which do not use announcers at all). Separate continuity for BBC One & BBC Two in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is provided by regional announcers who also double as transmission directors. BBC Wales announcers also direct Wales Today news bulletins during breakfast, mid-afternoon and late night.
Presently, the only national radio station to use continuity announcers is BBC Radio 4, where many of the announcing staff also act as newsreaders and also introduce the station's Shipping Forecast. Until about 1990, BBC Radio 2 used continuity announcers (separate from newsreaders) for its weekend and evening output, but these have long disappeared. Similarly, BBC Radio 3 has downgraded the former role of its announcers in favour of a new style of presenter. Continuity announcers played a much heavier role on the pre-1967 Home Service, Light Programme and Third Programme (and other services on the last-named's frequency). Announcing staff for Radio Scotland, Radio Wales, Radio Ulster and Radio Cymru double as newsreaders and technical operators.
Contintinuity announcements for BBC television channels are broadcast from Red Bee Media in Ealing Cross, London, with regional continuity teams based in the regional broadcasting centres in Glasgow, Cardiff and Belfast providing links for the regional variations of BBC One and BBC Two. CBBC and CBeebies continuity now airs from studios at MediaCityUK in Salford Quays - up until September 2011, CBBC presentation was broadcast from a small studio in the East Tower of BBC Television Centre while CBeebies presentation was pre-recorded at Teddington Studios. The announcing team for BBC Radio 4 work from a suite of studios on the 7th floor of Broadcasting House in London.
Historically, BBC announcers mostly spoke with Received Pronunciation, but the range of accents heard has widened considerably in recent years, and the general tone has become more informal.
Read more about this topic: Continuity Announcers In The United Kingdom
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