Happy talk, also called banter, is the additional and often meaningless commentary interspersed into television news programs by news anchors and others on set. It may consist of simple jokes or simply a modified wording in asking a question of another reporter. For instance, instead of a simple handoff to a sportscaster, an anchor might say, "So, Erin, what the heck happened out on that field today? Is our team going down the tubes?" "Happy talk" may also refer to a format of news which encourages such commentary.