Now This Is Just Freaky

[crokett]

So I am in Atlanta this week on business. I was brushing my teeth when I heard the news come on. The two anchors sounded exactly like some that we have back home - voices, inflection, everything. I had to come out and look at the TV to make sure I wasn't some how pulling in a channel from North Carolina.

[final_t]

Assume you're talking about radio and not tv, more than likely they are. Most stations now-adays just use a national service to deliver the canned news and weather - we used to do it 25+ years ago at a small jerk-water town radio station. A more modern example is that here in town we have WNCI radio and they have a nightly dedication show hosted by Lilya (I think that's the name). When I was down south, I heard the EXACT SAME WOMAN with a pretty fake suth'rn ya'all accent doing th same kind of show. Turns out that they buy it all canned any more. The local Jazz station doesn't even have local djs, they just import prerecorded shows by big-name jazz artists and play them all the time.

[TheRic]

They do train news reporters to sound a certain way. Many times the proper way is the Midwest accent. Seems the Midwest "accent" can be understood among the widest range of people. Could be the news anchors were trained with / by the same southern accent.

Final_t: Talking about radio, more of it is canned than you think. A DJ CAN do an entire shift in about an hour (sometimes less). Most of the music and news comes in pre-planned. The DJ records certain things to be said thru out the day/night, and local advertisements are added. Listen to how often they say the time during a broadcast, it gives it a way if it's it live or Memorex.

[goslin23]

I had to come out and look at the TV to make sure I wasn't some how pulling in a channel from North Carolina.

I was one of those DJ's that you mention. Mon-Fri I was live in the studio but occasionally on the weekend, I would voice track my show so I didn't have to go in to the station. I lost my job at the station I was working for because of budget and the shift I was on was recorded by the engineer. Chances are, if you listen to a Cumulus or Clear Channel station (which you probably are because they own most of them), and it's not morning or afternoon drive times it's voice tracked, possibly by someone not even in your city.

Radio is a sad industry these days and those big companies don't give a hoot about the DJs who bring them ratings.

-=gos=-

[dkerfoot]

Once they get the accents perfected, all radio will be recorded on the Asian sub-continent.

Might as well complain about the weather - at least we have the option of moving...

[final_t]

I plead late nights and old age!

[Otter]

So I am in Atlanta this week on business. I was brushing my teeth when I heard the news come on. The two anchors sounded exactly like some that we have back home - voices, inflection, everything. I had to come out and look at the TV to make sure I wasn't some how pulling in a channel from North Carolina.

That is due to the SACS (Souteastern Anchor Clone System).

The all are cut from the same blank, just finished differently for the illusion of different. Empty heads and vacant eyes.