Why do newscasters thank each other so much?

Watching the news is becoming increasingly difficult. Newscasters spend as much time stating their names and thanking each other for performing a job they are being paid to do. Are there any other jobs where people introduce themselves and their associates, then have a short conversation before performing their job. A waiter/waitress sometimes introduce themselves but they don't turn to others and introduce them and then participate in a peronal conversation while you wait to place an order.

In places, such as zoos, where you may want to ask a question, a narrator may from time to time introduce their associates so you would be more inclined to introduce a question, but why newscasters. We certainly aren't expected to call them on the phone and ask them how their doing. They talk about their birthdays or where they are located like the veiwing public care. What we turned to them for is the news.

Which brings up another question. It sometimes takes them longer to tell you what they are going to talk about than the actual subject matter. It seems pretty obvious that they just don't have enough news to fill the time slot.

As long as the various news outlets compete for the best looking men or women, it will at least be pleasant to watch. They need to replace the men as quickly as they replace the women because some of those guys are getting old and as they age they start to sound and look like each other.

Any ideas