...while Sky drops ties to encourage younger viewers
SPORTS TV presenters are trying to appeal to younger viewers by ditching their ties.
The casual look has already been adopted by Sky Sports News while the BBC is considering whether to follow suit. But some etiquette experts insist that wearing the tie conveys authority and shows respect for the subjects being discussed.
A source in BBC Sport said: “There is a big debate at the moment about whether to wear a tie for sports news.
“Our presenters still do but increasingly our reporters are going out in the field and sometimes in the studio with open-neck.
“Sometimes they even dispense with a formal shirt. It’s all about trying to make sure we can attract different audiences.”
Fashion code authority William Hanson claims the move is not the answer to TV’S woes.
He said: “I think it is patronising to think a tie is going to put young people off. It takes more than someone removing a tie to attract more viewers. It won’t send people running for the hills when they see someone wearing no tie, but I think for journalists on TV it can look too flippant not to wear one.
“You don’t have to read the news in a dinner jacket or ball gown, but you have to at least look respectable.
“The viewers have chosen to spend their valuable time watching you and how you dress is part of showing them respect. Dressing well requires effort, and no one wants to put in effort any more, they want it to be easy. I think this is symptomatic of a general drop in standards of how we dress in public.”
Former royal butler Grant Harrold said removing the tie is a “massive step and a bad one”. He said: “People expect those in specific professions to look a certain way.
“It says to the younger generation that they don’t need to meet these standards. But these presenters are addressing the nation, they are coming into people’s homes, and a tie shows respect.”