In the last week or two (on terrestrial anyway - may be longer on satellite, 
which I have not got), I've noticed the voice-over telling me what programme 
is on _now_, rather than not just next. In the last few days, it's even told 
me a brief summary of what's going to happen _in this programme_. I don't 
mean news programmes, but things like Star Trek.

I'm a bit puzzled about the reason for this (other than some inane feeling 
that there has to be a voiceover even if it has nothing useful to say); 
sure, if it was telling me what was coming _after_, it might in theory 
encourage me to stay on channel, but within this programme? (If anything, it 
could "spoil the plot" and thus make me _not_ bother watching whatever it 
is, thus _losing_ me where its absence wouldn't have.)

It's like "Welcome to the match we recorded earlier, which you might not 
have seen yet; the score will be ..." or "And now, the Monaco Grand Prix, in 
which Hamilton wins" ...
-- 
J. P. Gilliver                  |  Tel. +44 1634 203298

Essex home SOLD, I hope! (See http://www.soft255.demon.co.uk/home/)

In article <4846d93d$1_1@glkas0286.greenlnk.net>, J. P. Gilliver
 wrote:
> In the last week or two (on terrestrial anyway - may be longer on
> satellite, which I have not got), I've noticed the voice-over telling me
> what programme is on _now_,

[Snip]

> It's like "Welcome to the match we recorded earlier, which you might not
> have seen yet; the score will be ..." or "And now, the Monaco Grand Prix,
> in which Hamilton wins" ...

but better than the on-train announcements which always tell you where the
train is going to just after its left the platform.

-- 
From KT24 - in "Leafy Surrey"

Using a RISC OS computer running v5.11

"J. P. Gilliver"  wrote in message 
news:4846d93d$1_1@glkas0286.greenlnk.net...
<snip>

[ re pressentation voice overs ]
>
> It's like "Welcome to the match we recorded earlier, which you might 
> not have seen yet; the score will be ..." or "And now, the Monaco 
> Grand Prix, in which Hamilton wins" ...

You mean a bit like the good old days when MOTD or "Grand Prix" aired 
straight after the news, in which they blurted out the results without 
giving due warning for people to dip the sound, look away or do 
both?...

I agree with much you say but disagree that VOs are even needed (well 
99pc of the time anyway, the ONLY time they are needed is when there 
has been a schedule change etc.), in this day of OSD EPGs etc. there 
really is no need to treat the vast majority as though they are 
imbeciles with the attention span of a neutered newt.

On Wed, 4 Jun 2008 19:22:11 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver"
 wrote:

>In the last week or two (on terrestrial anyway - may be longer on satellite, 
>which I have not got), I've noticed the voice-over telling me what programme 
>is on _now_, rather than not just next. In the last few days, it's even told 
>me a brief summary of what's going to happen _in this programme_. I don't 
>mean news programmes, but things like Star Trek.

Someone's probably got a big book of research that says that viewers
might turn over if they're not told what's about to come on and why
it's good. I bet they did loads of focus groups and there was real
"buy-in" from marketing too. 

--

On Wed, 04 Jun 2008 21:33:51 GMT, Zero Tolerance 
wrote:

> Someone's probably got a big book of research that says that viewers
> might turn over if they're not told what's about to come on and why
> it's good.

It's probably all fabricated anyway. Like most of the standard replies
that seem to come from complaints departments.

> I bet they did loads of focus groups and there was real
> "buy-in" from marketing too. 

If I had my way, the brainless droids in presentation would be first up
against the wall, closely followed by the marketing people. They all belong
in the field where they could munch grass to their hearts' desire.