Ninety seconds before the end of a live show, a guest is still talking and the floor manager is waving the wind-up signal. The presenter thanks the guest mid-sentence, reads the last link from the autocue and says goodbye exactly on time. Nobody watching notices anything. The presenter is the face and voice of a programme, and the person the audience trusts to guide them through it.
What a presenter does
Presenters front all kinds of programmes, from studio shows and news to quiz shows, magazine programmes, documentaries and travel series. In a studio they read links (the short scripted pieces between items) from an autocue (a screen in front of the camera lens that shows the script), interview guests and react to what happens. In live programmes they hear the studio director and producer in an earpiece and follow cues from the floor manager. On location they talk to camera, interview contributors and record voice-over later in the edit.
Some presenters are journalists or experts who also write their own material. Others are entertainers whose personality carries the show. The programme producer and the researcher prepare briefs, questions and scripts, and the presenter shapes them into their own words.
Responsibilities
- Front the programme in the studio or on location
- Read and adapt scripts, links and introductions
- Interview guests and contributors and put them at ease
- Keep a live programme to time and handle surprises calmly
- Prepare with briefs and research before recording
- Record voice-over and pick-ups in post-production
- Promote the programme in trailers, press and on social media
How the role touches the budget
The presenter's fee is one of the bigger single lines in many TV budgets, and it sits above the line with other key talent. Well-known presenters are booked through agents and their deals can include a fee per episode, exclusivity and extra payments for repeats or promotion. Their availability also shapes the schedule, so a presenter who can only film on certain days affects crew costs too. Beyond that, presenters rarely deal with money on a production.
How people become presenters
There is no single route. Some start as researchers or journalists and are moved in front of the camera. Others come from radio, theatre, sport, social media or a specialist field such as cooking or science. A screen test, a showreel and an agent are usually needed to get regular work.
On a news channel
News presenters, often called anchors, work in a very different rhythm. The running order changes during the programme, and much of what they say is written minutes before air. They usually work closely with editors on the news desk rather than with a programme producer.