BBC News: Presenters & Rotas

I haven't seen Tim Willcox since his return until I tuned into BBC World News last night. Blimey!! He looks like he's been Tangoed!! He must have been somewhere rather hot

I think it's pretty much official that Tim Willcox now presents more on BBC World News these days than anything else (I'm just assuming that, since I don't receive World). He hardly ever appears on the News Channel these days, we seem to be seeing more of the likes of Chris Rogers, Adam Parsons, Clive Myrie and Gavin Grey. He just needs to be really, really careful that UK viewers do not forget what he looks like, otherwise it'll be a case of 'Tim who' when he does appear!!

Who'd of thought it though eh? That it would take 3 or 4 people to cover Tim's NC hours...

Perhaps his work on the Chilean miners story 'increased' his popularity on World?

I actually found it quite interesting when Tim was in Chile, one minute he was doing live links and reports, then the next minute, he was talking to someone is Spanish, I think that would have confused me if I was doing it. Think Matt Frei was doing it as well at times.

Tim Willcox certainly has been on BBC World News a lot in recent months. We also had the delight (sarcasm ) of Adam Parsons this afternoon Actually, I suppose that's a little unfair. He's not terrible, but he's no Nik Gowing/Mike Embley/Peter Dobbie/Lyse Doucet/Nisha Pillai *delete as appropriate.

Adam Parsons does still leave a fair bit to be desired as a newsreader. To be fair though, he has improved slightly since he returned to newsreading a few months ago. What did he present on World this afternoon? Forgive me if I've got their schedule muddled up, but did he present from the main desk between 1300-1400 and 1600-1700 or did they actually trust him to be the main anchor during Impact or The Hub (or both if he did a Tim)?

When I tuned in he was presenting the 1500 edition of BBC World News, flying solo in the pod. I didn't see any other bulletins during the afternoon. I can't quite put my finger on what it is about him as a newsreader that I find irritating. I think he's a little bit like a deer caught in the headlights most of the time. Like I say, he's not abysmal but he's not in the same league as the senior presenters. For instance, I saw a Dobbie bulletin this morning and he's 100 times better.

Lucy did Impact so he probably did the headlines in it and those afternoon World News editions between flagged shows.

Adam Parsons isn't so bad, actually. He does news reading on World from the pod. He doesn't anchor any of the flagships from the desk. He is filling the slot often taken by Peter Dobbie, who in turn is filling for David Eades this week. In fact, Dobbie for Eades, Hockings for Husain, Doucet and Willcox for Gowing, Willcox for Alagiah and Willcox for Badawi so far this week. As well as Beckett for Bundock!

Hey, ho, it's August!

Love that post, James!! Funny that most presenters are only covering one senior presenter, whereas Willcox is covering for Gowing, Alagiah and Badawi!!

I sort of agree with you about Adam Parsons. He's not terrible - and I've seen much, much worse before - but there's just something lacking in my opinion.

By the way, that reminds me - about 10 years ago I remember seeing someone named Fergal something or other, who, I believe, was with the BBC World Service at the time, filling in on BBC World (during the original china red and cream era). He was absolutely dreadful. I recall his earpiece falling out while he was on air and he turned his head to the side to try and mask it from the viewer!! Really awkward!!

Ahh, I find it so mundane that the News Channel wheel out Collette Hume EVERY year for the Exam results. IIRC - she's been doing this for as long as I can remember, and of course always from Wales.

Just wanted to say how brilliant Fiona Armstrong has been on the BBC News Channel in recent weeks. She's really settled into rolling news very well and seems completely at ease now. It's so refreshing to see a mature female newsreader in this day and age and she's certainly proving that just because you're older it doesn't necessarily mean you're past it. You can tell the experience she brings with her to the role and I really hope the BBC give her a more permanent arrangement than just providing holiday cover. She's easily the best of the over 50s that the BBC brought in last year, especially at rolling news. Julia Somerville seemed a bit out of her depth on the News Channel (although she was great on BBC One) and Carole Walker is much better as a correspondent.