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24 April 1989: big hair, shabby tie, posh

Author: Jon Snow|Posted: 10:35 am on 24/04/09

Category: Snowblog | Tags: / / /

Today I shall have completed 20 years presenting Channel 4 News – there’s one crazy thought for you.

It’s amazing to think: Thatcher was still on the throne, the Berlin Wall was tottering but still standing, Mandela was still in jail, and Britain wasn’t bankrupt.

What’s more, Brighton & Hove Albion weren’t quite as perilously poised in the Football League as they are today (thank goodness they beat Bristol Rovers on Tuesday night).

So in thinking about key moments thus far, I’ve come up with four.

The first is a harrowing revisitation of my first ever programme, on 24 April 1989. Big hair, mouse brown, shabby tie, and extraordinarily clipped upper-class intonation – jolly hockey sticks isn’t in it!

But surprisingly confident. I suppose 15 years reporting on News at Ten must have given me that. But very dull.

More highlights from the last 20 years to follow later today.

- See the whole of Jon’s first 1989 show here.

 

Commentsoldest first

  1. At 10:46 am on April 24, 2009 Britt_W wrote:

    Congratulations, Jon.
    Look forward to seeing what tie you will be wearing whilst presenting C4 News in 20 years time!

    • At 4:06 am on May 13, 2009 Dennis Junior wrote:

      Congrats on the first 20 years at C4…..20 more are in your future….

  2. At 10:56 am on April 24, 2009 lucia wrote:

    you’ve improved a lot. ;-)

  3. At 11:02 am on April 24, 2009 f2point4 wrote:

    Congratulations, Jon. For the 19 years I will have lived in the UK in October this year, you have been my favourite news presenter.

  4. At 11:39 am on April 24, 2009 Mark David Moran wrote:

    Congratulations Jon – when I moved to Sydney last year I didn’t realise that one of the only things I would miss would be Channel 4 News… keep up the good work (and Krishnan too :-)

  5. At 11:55 am on April 24, 2009 Ray Turner wrote:

    20 years, that’s quite an achievement. Congratulations Jon.

  6. At 12:31 pm on April 24, 2009 Peter Nolan wrote:

    Many congratulations. I wish you the best in the next twenty years.

  7. At 3:13 pm on April 24, 2009 Kerrin Tansley wrote:

    Congratulations to you and well done. You are now entering your prime!

  8. At 5:12 pm on April 24, 2009 David Pollard wrote:

    Jon, you (the best presenter) still lead the best news programme available on TV. Congratulations on your 20 years!

  9. At 6:18 pm on April 24, 2009 Zinoviev wrote:

    Congratulations – that’s quite an achievement! Looking forward to 20 more!

  10. At 7:33 pm on April 24, 2009 Anne Clafferty wrote:

    Congratulations! Jon, you are even more handsome now than 20 years ago! A great advert for cycling. Channel 4 news is the only news prog I watch.

  11. At 8:59 pm on April 24, 2009 CeCe wrote:

    Informed.. challenging….witty…and always humane. Thank you.

  12. At 12:10 am on April 25, 2009 Nathan harris wrote:

    Despite yoru flowing coherent speech and lovely voice and appearance, how could you get a job without finishing your degree at Liverpool?

  13. At 1:11 am on April 26, 2009 Adam Newman wrote:

    A great presenter on a great show. Never retire! Congratulations on a great milestone and I hope the tie/sock combinations get even more extreme!

  14. At 10:59 am on April 28, 2009 Chris Bennett wrote:

    Congratulations on 20 years of great commentary, interviewing and broadcasting!! keep up the good work!!

  15. At 10:02 pm on April 28, 2009 Fredo wrote:

    A belated Congratulations…..

    You are still the best!!!

    And thanks for keeping up the standards….
    All the others seems to have forgotten..Hey?

  16. At 9:53 pm on April 29, 2009 Mike Lancaster wrote:

    I can only add to what others have written. Congratulatons Jon on a fantastic job over the last 20 years, you are the best in the business and I too hope you keep going for another 20 years, though I daresay you’ll deserve a long and happy retirement.

  17. At 4:07 am on May 13, 2009 Dennis Junior wrote:

    Sorry, for the late Best Wishes…Jon!

  18. At 5:07 pm on November 17, 2009 Snowblog - Belle de Jour meets New Horizon wrote:

    [...] thing happened yesterday. My “day job” collided with my volunteer project. Actually, in 20 years on Channel 4 News I don’t think it’s ever happened [...]

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