Why can't BBC Presenters pronounce Machynlleth

StigidStigid Posts: 2,392
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It is NOT Mack In Leth !

Stupid ignorant presenters

First at Breakfast, Charlie Stayt, then BBC News channel female presenter at 4pm, and no doubt in between too.

The reporters (mostly Welsh), and EVERY person interviewed locally, pronounce Machynlleth correctly, so why cannot the presenters.

Do the presenters not listen to the reports ?

What are the programme Editors and other production staff doing ?

After all, the BBC has a pronunciation department doesn't it ?

It really annoys me, and I'm not even Welsh.

They must be cringing every time Machynlleth is mis-pronounced.


I've not watched SKY News, are they any better ?
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  • zz9zz9 Posts: 10,767
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    Years ago when Nestle were taking over Rowntree they news, including the BBC, pronounced the Swiss company as Nes-elles" all the time. Then the had a history of the company and sais "The Nes-elles company, founded by Andre Nest-lay..." :confused:
  • Jason CJason C Posts: 31,152
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    Stigid wrote: »
    It is NOT Mack In Leth !

    Stupid ignorant presenters

    First at Breakfast, Charlie Stayt, then BBC News channel female presenter at 4pm, and no doubt in between too.

    The reporters (mostly Welsh), and EVERY person interviewed locally, pronounce Machynlleth correctly, so why cannot the presenters.

    Do the presenters not listen to the reports ?

    What are the programme Editors and other production staff doing ?

    After all, the BBC has a pronunciation department doesn't it ?

    It really annoys me, and I'm not even Welsh.

    They must be cringing every time Machynlleth is mis-pronounced.


    I've not watched SKY News, are they any better ?

    How is it pronounced then?

    The vagaries of Welsh pronunciation are such that all bets are off when it comes to Welsh place names.
  • technologisttechnologist Posts: 13,334
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    Jason C wrote: »
    How is it pronounced then?
    .

    with stress on ch and ll - What I have heard on R4 has is right!
    cannot easily transcribe what BBC Pronouncing dictionary of names says
    but try (m)Kun hLeth
  • VerenceVerence Posts: 104,578
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    I'd rather imagine that the people searching for the little girl have more important things to worry about that whether BBC are able to properly pronounce the name of the village.
  • malcy30malcy30 Posts: 7,051
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    When the name is non English like this people will break the word down into chunks they think they can understand and say those.

    Very few people pronounce my Scottish, Celtic derivative surname correctly. An easy indicator to hang up cold callers when they mangle my name.
  • mikwmikw Posts: 48,715
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    Stigid wrote: »
    It is NOT Mack In Leth !

    Stupid ignorant presenters

    From the Sky News Radio guide :
    (pron: MER-HUN-CLIFF)
  • StigidStigid Posts: 2,392
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    The 2001 Census indicated that 70% of the 2000-strong population have some knowledge of Welsh with 42% able to read, write and speak the language.

    Machynlleth retains its strong Welsh character with Welsh spoken alongside English.

    Pronunciation..

    http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Machynlleth.ogg
  • AJRevittAJRevitt Posts: 1,123
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    Stigid wrote: »
    The reporters (mostly Welsh), and EVERY person interviewed locally, pronounce Machynlleth correctly, so why cannot the presenters.

    Err, because they're not Welsh. To be honest that's how I've always thought it's pronounced, so therefore I, and probably most people, know which place these so called "ignorant" presenters are talking about.
  • VerenceVerence Posts: 104,578
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    Stigid wrote: »
    The 2001 Census indicated that 70% of the 2000-strong population have some knowledge of Welsh with 42% able to read, write and speak the language.

    Machynlleth retains its strong Welsh character with Welsh spoken alongside English.

    Pronunciation.. and some other facts

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machynlleth

    All of which is largely irrelevant to finding the little girl
  • StigidStigid Posts: 2,392
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    Just after the 16:45 Press Conference, the female BBC News presenter is finally pronouncing Machynlleth correctly, as well as can be expected.

    5pm.
    Huw Edwards shows exactly how to pronounce Machynlleth.

    He is of course Welsh.

    Extremely professional, and a joy to work with.
  • mikwmikw Posts: 48,715
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    Stigid wrote: »
    Just after the 16:45 Press Conference, the female BBC News presenter is finally pronouncing Machynlleth correctly, as well as can be expected.

    5pm.
    Huw Edwards shows exactly how to pronounce Machynlleth.

    He is of course Welsh.

    Extremely professional, and a joy to work with.

    How are they pronouncing it?
  • AJRevittAJRevitt Posts: 1,123
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    Stigid wrote: »
    5pm.
    Huw Edwards shows exactly how to pronounce Machynlleth.

    He is of course Welsh.

    Extremely professional, and a joy to work with.

    Well he will if he's Welsh, doesn't mean he's a professional on that alone.

    Unless a presenter has been told the correct pronunciation, or knows it (which most people outside Wales won't) they will say it in the way that sounds natural. It's not ignorance.
  • lundavralundavra Posts: 31,790
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    AJRevitt wrote: »
    Err, because they're not Welsh. To be honest that's how I've always thought it's pronounced, so therefore I, and probably most people, know which place these so called "ignorant" presenters are talking about.

    I can think of many English and Scottish place names that I am sure the ignorant Welsh reporters would make a complete mess of if they had to read them out.

    It is just a fact that many people have a lot of difficulty with Welsh place names even when they have just heard them spoken.
  • stevvy1986stevvy1986 Posts: 7,061
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    It's only an issue if you choose to let it become an issue for you. For basically everyone else, including the people who live there, it won't be an issue. They've got more important things to do than sit around wondering why someone can't pronounce the name correctly.
  • mossy2103mossy2103 Posts: 84,307
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    zz9 wrote: »
    Years ago when Nestle were taking over Rowntree they news, including the BBC, pronounced the Swiss company as Nes-elles" all the time. Then the had a history of the company and sais "The Nes-elles company, founded by Andre Nest-lay..." :confused:

    I've always called it Nessles (or Nes-elles). :(

    Does that make me a bad person? It certainly has not had a detrimental effect upon my life.
  • mossy2103mossy2103 Posts: 84,307
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    stevvy1986 wrote: »
    It's only an issue if you choose to let it become an issue for you. For basically everyone else, including the people who live there, it won't be an issue. They've got more important things to do than sit around wondering why someone can't pronounce the name correctly.
    Spot on.

    I could complain how local news reporters mispronounce areas and road names around my area (or at least, don't pronounce them as we locals do). but I don't. Life is far too short.
  • mkradiomanmkradioman Posts: 248
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    Of course this is a serious story but so are many from France, Afghanistan, Africa, etc, where the BBC's presenters go to great lengths to show off their linguistic skills (or otherwise). Such a pity that they make so little effort with place names in Wales, which is when all's said and done, part of the UK. Shame too to see anti-Welsh views on this forum.
  • Big Boy BarryBig Boy Barry Posts: 35,293
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    The reporters (mostly Welsh), and EVERY person interviewed locally, pronounce Machynlleth correctly, so why cannot the presenters.

    Because Welsh place names are virtually incomprehensible.
  • AJRevittAJRevitt Posts: 1,123
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    mkradioman wrote: »
    Of course this is a serious story but so are many from France, Afghanistan, Africa, etc, where the BBC's presenters go to great lengths to show off their linguistic skills (or otherwise). Such a pity that they make so little effort with place names in Wales, which is when all's said and done, part of the UK. Shame too to see anti-Welsh views on this forum.

    I fail to see how pointing out that most Welsh place names are difficult to pronounce correctly by people in the rest of the UK, and indeed usually more difficult than pronouncing place names from other countries, is an anti-Welsh view.
  • StigidStigid Posts: 2,392
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    Stigid wrote: »
    5pm.
    Huw Edwards shows exactly how to pronounce Machynlleth.

    He is of course Welsh.

    Extremely professional, and a joy to work with.
    AJRevitt wrote: »
    Well he will if he's Welsh, doesn't mean he's a professional on that alone.

    He is professional to work with !!

    I have worked with Huw on many occasions in the past, mostly in Wales.
    In English, and in Welsh!

    It is disrespectful to mis-pronounce the Welsh village name on such a sensitive story.

    On a National News channel.

    Especially when there are enough Welsh reporters to give the correct pronunciation, as they did when reporting, that the presenters seemed to not listen to, or just plain ignore !



    I've just watched BBC Wales News on SKY 952.
    Excellent pronunciation, obviously.
  • VerenceVerence Posts: 104,578
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    Stigid wrote: »
    He is professional to work with !!

    It is disrespectful to mis-pronounce the Welsh village name on such a sensitive story.

    .

    Does the fact that the BBC reporters are mispronouncing the name of the place decrease the chances of the police finding the little girl alive?? Of course it doesn't!!!
  • AJRevittAJRevitt Posts: 1,123
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    Stigid wrote: »
    It is disrespectful to mis-pronounce the Welsh village name on such a sensitive story.

    In your opinion.
  • lundavralundavra Posts: 31,790
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    It strikes me that with Huw Edwards working on the news this week, any BBC news reader / reporter who was not sure would only have to give him a call to be shown how to pronounce the name (I bet he would even help out people from other companies if they asked).
  • StigidStigid Posts: 2,392
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    lundavra wrote: »
    It strikes me that with Huw Edwards working on the news this week, any BBC news reader / reporter who was not sure would only have to give him a call to be shown how to pronounce the name (I bet he would even help out people from other companies if they asked).

    He's due on at 10pm tonight, I wonder if they brought him in earlier to do the 5pm News!

    I would.
  • old pilotold pilot Posts: 1,910
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    To be fair here it's not just Welsh place names that can be miss-pronounced.

    I spent a decade as a presenter on BBC Radio Wales and the place is a minefield when it comes to area's such as the borders and north east. Anglo Welsh often means there are two ways of pronouncing simple places such as Rhyl.

    I worked for many years in international tv news where the Americanism I-Raq wound me up.
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