FOR TELEVISION.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 299, 18 December 1935, Page 13

FOR TELEVISION.

8.8.C. WOMAN ANNOUNCER CHARM, BEAUTY, INTELLIGENCE. (Special.—By Air Mall.) LONDON, November 16. Wlien the 8.8.C. television station is opened at Alexandra Palace, near London, early next year, there will be a woman television announcer, and a televiewing room in the West End, to which the public will \/k invited. It is proposed to have similar centres eventually in other parts of London.

Programmes will—subject to the approval of the Television Advisory Committee—be confined to three hours a day, split up into three separate transmissions—at 3 p.m., 0 p.m., 9 p.m. The first will consist of a series of short items, such as cabaret, which will be well varied. Mr. Gerald Cock, the 8.8.C. director of television, makes it clear that the organisation of a television service bristles with difficulties.

One of the hardest tasks would be the choice of the woman announcer. "From the point of view of the man 'televiewer,' it is obvious that if all announcing is done by men our fare will not have the same appeal," he said. "The woman who will take on this new job will have to be exceptionally charming—in fact, she must have personality plus personality.

"Her face must be of a type that photographs perfectly, because she will be on view a good deal. In addition, she must have a good memory. She will not be able to read her announcements; she will have to step up, smile, and introduce the item entirely from memory. And last, but not least, she must meet with the approval of lier own sex. We have not yet made our choice. There will also be a male announcer. He, too, must have exceptional qualities."