Newsreaders ‘laugh off’ criticism

Press, 22 July 1986, Page 3

Newsreaders ‘laugh off’ criticism

Television New Zealand’s newsreaders are laughing off criticism by a British speech teacher who rates Phillip Sherry as the only newsreader with a suitable voice. Mr Ken Cook, in New Zealand to conduct the Trinity College speech and drama examinations, said that he was “quite disturbed at the lax and casual attitude of the others.”

“I will not lose any sleep over it,” said Mr Tom Bradley, one of the presumably lax readers, yesterday. “We have all had a lot of chuckles.” “I could not take him seriously. It is like saying Robbie Deans is the only man in the country who can kick a goal.

“New Zealand is full of very competent broadcasters. We do our job quite well,” said Mr Bradley. He said that he agreed that Phillip Sherry was a very fine newsreader, but disagreed that the

others were lax. “I do not know what standards he is applying. Does he like Phillip because he is closer to English as spoken in England?”

Mr Bradley said that Phillip Sherry, Angela D’Audney and himself were all products of the old NJ.B.C training system, which was “very rigorous.”

“It certainly weeded out people who were guilty of faulty speech.” Since the break-up of the old NJLB.C, voice training for on-camera staff has been handled by Radio New Zealand. Radio New Zealand’s speech executive (Southern region), Mr Brian Tucker, said that Mr Cook was “very definitely” looking at the newsreaders from a British standpoint

“They have not had commercial radio. They are far more formal than us,” he said.