Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-15

The problem Of the radio announcer
has been receiving a great deal of at
tention recently.
Not long ago the radio page of thi.
| newspaper carried an interesting
from letters written the Government
by those who listen in throughout the
United States.
The Radio Broadcast Magazine has
had a capable discussion of this
problem, the writer of their article
asking, broadly. What does the an
nouncer do. anyway, that he should
receive so much publicity"
The whole trend of public opinion as
to radio broadcasting in general Ii
| away from the now ancient attitude
that the listener ought to accept any
thing with deep gratitude. and under
no circumstances ought to criticize
and is toward the sensible viewpoint
that those who are In the broadcastins
business are subject TO the same favor
able and llnfavorable criticism tina,
we all have to meet.
This is as 1t should be.
Those who are "on the air are
there primarily as a business venture
| Those who listen in have paid, and
paid well, and will continue to pay
through their purchase OF sets. bat
teries, tubes. parts. etc. for all they
have received and all they will re
ceive.
This attitude mitiSates in no sense
against the fact that the listener Is
preJudiced in favor of the stations, and
would much rather praise than con
denim. He wants TO like what he
hears, and Is only too willing to be
satisfied.
Sometimes, however. he is not.
The prime requisite Of good
hroadcastinr station announcer Is
what may he termed good radio
voice
This. II may he added is the main
essential for any one who ESSAYS IN
speak or sing over radio. In broad
sense, too, II covers instrumental
groups. for each orGa nization has It's
composite voice" as far as broad l.
casting is concerned
The announcer. however. is in par
tlcular need Of A voice that sounds
agreeable. as broadcas for he Is
ON the air" so much during a pro-
gram. His voice is heard in the pre-
llminarT station announcement, he
talks both before and after each and
every number Gn most cases and
As the evening waneS
The writer Of this column has long
been interested in the speaking voice
especially that quality Of ii which is
known as Tim hre." a term more com
monty applied 10 the singing voice
but which fits the speaking tones as
we'll
The tim IRE" If voice is that
quality which makes for or against
enjoyment by the listener Over radio
this should receive unusual attention.
Tor over radio nothing Is known eX-
cent the voice.
Listeners do not see the speaker
tor singer. They must grasp him
solely by means OF tho ear If the
msn-we speak now OF the announcer
has an tGrecdble voice. il will 80
affect The listener, and, if disagree,
able
The same two sorts of voices uhe
aSreea bic and the disa Greeable> are
met with over the telephone. Some
folk have good telephone voices. some
have Door ones. II is pleasure to
talk 70 some friends over the wire.
while il is anything but pleasant 10
listen 10 the voice OF others
y harsh, disa greea hle something ut
terly ruins some voices for telephone
conversation. The theories Of sound
that govern this matter are not nee
cssarilv known by The listener. in or
der that he may realize that he likes
or does not like the voice. We leave
the theory Of the thing to the en-i-
neerS We. as listeners. know when q
voice DleaSeS rs or not Here Is ono
lime the average man may he u real
If,6-~p