If, as Don Firth suggests, there actually exist manuals of pronunciation for network TV & radio personalities, I wonder why there is STILL so much variety in the way notable persons and even countries are pronounced.

Iraq: "Eye-rack" "Irr-ock"

Saddam Hussein: "SAUD-am" "sa-DAM" "Sadum"

Surely, for current figures & places in the news, it is possible to just ASK an embassy official and then rehearse a few times?

I suppose it is well that no MacPhersons are in the daily news lately.