THERE was a time, not so many years ago, when gravitas was the primary qualification required by prospective newsreaders. Today, it appears increasingly essential that TV broadcasters are young, fashionable and have a strong personality of their own.
Yet, in doing so, some great voices of authority – people with experience of seismic news events that have shaken the world – are being shunted aside by increasingly ageist television companies who believe there is no place on today's schedules for m
ore mature presenters.
It is why Anna Ford lamented recently, and with considerable justification, that "men are allowed to become old on television, but not women". And it is this culture which explains why Yorkshire-based Selina Scott, a very youthful 57-year-old, is seeking legal redress against Channel Five after being overlooked for a presenting deal because she is too old. People of all ages will sympathise with Miss Scott, especially as she was being lined up to provide maternity leave cover for Natasha Kaplinsky, one of the highly-paid dashing young presenters, and star of various reality shows, who is so favoured by TV executives.
Miss Scott provides experience – unlike the younger generation of newsreaders. And, furthermore, she will appeal to viewers at a time when there are more over-60s in Britain than under-16s.
It's time that television companies started realising that life, for many, now begins at 60 – before their more mature viewers start pressing the "off" button.
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