Transcript Chapter 9: Communicating with the Listener: Announcing

Chapter 9
Communicating with
the Listener: Announcing
Communicating On-Air
This has to do with being a disc
jockey, talk host, all broadcasting
Announcer must communicate
with one person, not “everyone out
there in radio land.”
Pre-planning your show
• Planning takes place 24/7. Take
notes constantly.
• “Keep it local” – anything that
affects and interests listeners is
“local”
Communicating On-Air (cont.)
The Talk Clock
Main planning relates to the
stop sets, when you talk, play
commercials, promos, etc.
Read a newspaper
Focus on listeners and
their needs and interests.
Be sure to read local papers.
Communicating On-Air (cont.)
• Brilliant Idea File (BIF): a file
to put notes on “brilliant
ideas” you get. May be
organized as a “future file.”
• One stop set, one thought
Cover only one topic or
thought per stop set.
Don’t ramble, stick to one topic.
Live Delivery
Written show planner
provides record of what you
did, what worked and didn’t.
Making the Human Connection
• Listeners have to know something
about you before they can like
you.
• Be careful not to put yourself
“above” the listeners.
• Some things better not to reveal.
Live Delivery (cont.)
Knowing Your Audience
• Who is the target
audience? Demographic
and psychographic
information.
• Become a “local” yourself.
Don’t depend on
“osmosis.”
News Delivery
Outside of news-talk, most
radio newscasts are two
minutes or less.
Newscast may have 4-5 stories
with a couple of sound bites.
“News” is often rewrites of
newspaper stories delivered
by a non-news person; lacks
credibility.
News Delivery (cont.)
Credibility and Authority
• Upbeat and authoritative, but
not pompous. Energetic,
relaxed.
• Neat, clean introduction and
start. Avoid “happy talk.” Crisp.
• Reading ability, pronunciation
are critical. Inflection varies
from story to story; interpret.
• Vitality; read 15-18 lines per
minute.
An announcer’s
basic tools of communication
• Your voice: Not necessary for
men to have deep,
rumbling voices, or women
low, husky voices; be natural.
Developing your voice:
Cigarettes and whiskey,
contrary to legend, do not
improve your voice.
Developing Your Voice (cont.)
• Your natural pitch: Say “mmhmm” (meaning “OK”) then,
“How are you?” at normal
level.
• The pitch in which you hum
and pitch of your speaking
voice should match.
• Forcing your voice lower or
higher strains your vocal
cords.
Developing Your Voice (cont.)
Breathing and breath control:
• Muscle control is required
for good breath control.
• An exercise: Stand,
relax, place your hands on
your abdomen, breathe
in deeply. You should feel
your lower ribs and stomach
move out against your hands.
• Another exercise: “ooh
and ah,” p. 254.
Basic Communication Skills
• Reading: You must translate the
written message into spoken
words. Interpret.
• Read ahead of the words you are
saying, four to six words.
• Punctuation marks give cues to
interpretation.
• Slow reading: Read for 30
minutes, pausing a second
between each word; “slow
motion.”
Basic Communication Skills (cont.)
Articulation: The way that you move
your tongue, palate, teeth and lips.
See exercises, p. 257.
Smiling while speaking adds
personality and friendliness (…
news?).
Pronunciation: the manner in which
you say a word, often has to do
with regional dialects.
• When in a new area, be sure to
learn local pronunciations.
Basic Communication Tools
• Inflection: changing the voice
by adding emphasis to certain
words.
• “I want you to come here.”
• Three things to remember: (1)
You’re talking to one person;
imagine a friend, (2) Tell a story
to your imaginary friend, (3)
Smile.
Basic Communication Tools (cont.)
• Tempo: speed with which you
read.
• Vitality: level of energy, related
to tempo and inflection.
Important to have others listen to
you and listen to yourself.
• Phrasing: related to breathing
and the copy.
• Volume: Think of mic as a
friend’s ear.