Networks Chose Gay Announcers for Mourning

Britain is in a state of mourning following the passing of His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Phillip, who was husband to Her Majesty the Queen and father to the next in line to the throne, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales. Terry, who monitors for ShoutOut the news channels and international broadcasts daily, reports that in an age of multiple channels, with dozens of news stations and rolling news services on the air, the landscape of public discourse is very different from even the last major royal death, that of the Queen Mother or that of Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1997. Nevertheless, networks worldwide paid their respects to the Duke. In a broadcast on shortwave, China Radio International said that the Chinese people sent their condolences to the British people at their mourning. In Britain, the small number of LGBTQ radio stations, such as Gaydio and Pride Radio amongst others, suspended their usual programming in favour of reflective music and bulletins.

It was of note that two of the UK's most respected gay broadcasters were chosen to anchor the proceedings as the largest networks helped the British people to come to terms with the Royal death. For most of Friday afternoon, all BBC Radio stations across the UK, including its Gaelic and Welsh services, carried the output of BBC London, where Evan Davis handled the proceedings with a sombre but business like tone – the sound of BBC Radio which became famous in the post war years for its reliability and controlled emotion. Mr Davis is one of the BBC's most senior gay economists and resides with his partner Guillaime in the capital. Over On ITV, the country's oldest commercial TV service, Philip Schofield was co-anchor of tributes, recollections and interviews that aired through the evening in place of regular programming. A familiar face on British Television for thirty years, Mr Schofield officially came out as gay in a dignified item on the “This Morning” programme in 2019. His autobiography is scheduled for paperback publication in July of this year.