I really like PJ. She may actually be available, as I believe she only freelances for the CBC.
The problem isn't so much CBC. Because, let's face it, in this new era we are living in this season, CBC aren't actually showing a lot of figure skating. The problem is that she does an awful lot of work for the Olympic Channel, across a lot of sports. So, she may not actually be available for a lot of competitions.
You know, with so many male commentators about, it would be nice to get the female perspective once in a while. That was why I liked it when Catherine Whitaker joined the British Eurosport team. She may not have been anywhere near a top level skater when she was competing herself, but she really added something to the commentary.
This. Certainly this. Catherine is the very best mix of announcer with proper english pronounciation and a properly resonant voice (aka best of the best), further with real life skating knowledge (although rather amateur than world-class), moreover with woman charm, alongside with dignity and praise for all competitors aka Ted Barton style and furthermore the best match to cooperate with second announcer. Just listen to her for a minute or two here at 2018 WC (forget her generic counterpart announcer):
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6grtk7
In case you are wondering, that was Simon Golding with her. He is a general sports commentator that Eurosport brings in in an emergency for any sport whenever none of their specialist commentators are available. But, he is very professional and clearly does a lot of research before he steps into the commentary box. And I have actually been quite impressed with him any time he has covered figure skating.
Actually, i was thinking of Belinda Noonan.
Maybe she wasn't the one doing he olympic commentary, i might be mistaken. I really like Belinda though, and would actually pay money just to get her specifically.
Oops. :
I just assumed that it was PJ you were thinking of, because I know that she does do a lot of stuff for the Olympic Channel.
Have to be honest, this thread is the first time I have heard of Belinda. So, I was curious to know what she's like. But, balabam very kindly added a video with her commentating on it (we don't get access to the World Feed for the Olympics. We are stuck with either the BBC commentary or British Eurosport commentary)
And I would suggest like an co-host expert another great announcer lady, Belinda Noonan, who did Olympic channel coverage of 2014 Olympics (as the main announcer with Chris Howarth) and 2018 Olympics (as co-announcer of some generic guy), it was really priviledge to hear her, just listen here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgXKJvTVW9g
Yes, I like her! She clearly went to the same commentary school as the British Eurosport guys. Like them, she only speaks during the routine to point out some of the more significant elements, or to pass a short comment on the quality we are seeing.
And, like we have been saying ever since he started popping up on the ISU stream, it just shows that Chris is better when he has somebody sitting beside him to bounce off and actually talk to. Although, in this video anyway, Belinda did kinda dominate him.
By the way, I just hunted out video of the PyeongChang 2018 Ladies FS on the Olympic Channel, and the generic guy sitting alongside her is Tom Kirkland, the guy I was complaining about at the start of this thread. So, thank goodness we in the British Isles didn't have to listen to him at the time. That would have been torture!
So we can have two great woman commentators for ISU (appreciating that Tracy Wilson is great announcer, but she is more needed in coaching) So I' am for those women, but like the Eurosport guys, too.
Somebody else to consider is Sinéad Kerr. She was brilliant when she did a stint in the Eurosport box one time (can't actually remember which of the guys she was alongside). But unfortunately the Americans noticed that and stole her from us.
But the less said about Joanne Conway the better. She was far too critical. I can take a commentator being critical when it is justified, but she was criticising everything, most of it unnecessarily. I still smile when I think of the time that Nicky Slater had enough of it and turned on her.
CaroLiza_fan