You're bound to be familiar with the voices that tell
you which television channel you're watching, when the
News will be on, what Ken and Deirdre are up to in the
Rovers etc... But, you've probably never been able to
put a face or a name to the voice. Well, if you're watching
ITV1, the chances are at some point you'll have heard
Mark. He's a Continuity Announcer, employed by ITV to
point you in the direction of programmes you might like
to watch and to keep you up to date with what's happening
with the schedules.
'How do you get a job
like that?' he's always being asked. Well, Mark's broadcasting
career started from a very early age. He entered Steve
Wright's Young DJ competition whilst he was still at school.
The entry was broadcast on the BBC Radio One Breakfast
Show and although not exactly the most inspired piece
of broadcasting, that was all it took for Mark to set
his mind on a career...
He studied on a variety
of media courses in the 90's, not really for a qualification
so much as a show on the student radio station and whilst
at Farnborough College of Technology in Hampshire, Mark
presented a daily 'Drivetime' show on FCT FM. He also
produced a number of feature packages which were broadcast
on Guildford's County Sound Radio Network.
Inevitably a move to
London followed this and from 1999, Mark presented the
weekly Cadbury's Fuse Chart Show. This was the nationally
compiled student radio chart, which was syndicated live
to radio stations across the country by satellite.
It was around this time
that Mark was approached by ITV who were recruiting for
new continuity announcers for ITV2. He jumped at the chance
and by Summer 2001, Mark was regularly presenting live
announcements on ITV2 at the weekends. The industry went
through lots of changes over the next few years, but in
2004 an opening on the full time staff took Mark over
onto ITV1, and the rest, as they say, is history.
So, if there's one piece of advice to be offered, it's
to get yourself some broadcasting experience. With the
arrival of the internet and video sites such as youtube,
it's probably easier than ever to do these days. Colleges,
universities and of course hospitals all have their own
radio stations these days. There's no better grounding
for a potential career in broadcasting. Keep practicing,
and don't be afraid to contact broadcasters for their
opinions. You never know who's watching!
Aside from presenting,
Mark is also an experienced music scheduler and a fully
trained user of Selector, Linker and Master Control. Read
more in his biography.
