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Who is an Announcer?
Announcing is to make known publicly to an audience through radio or television. It also means
reading news, introducing a person, a programme or an act on radio or television. An announcer
is therefore anyone who performs the act of announcing. He/She is the one who creates a form to
inform, educate and/or entertain the target audience. It is the job of the announcer on duty to
organize and present ideas in ordinary and convincing manner, (Onyechi, 2010).
Announcers always perform before viewers or to the listening pleasure of radio audience. They
are the ones who use message to create effects on audience. For effective performance while on
air, announcers are expected to have a good mastery of how to handle microphones as well as a
good microphone voice, a good command of the language of presentation, a pleasing personality
and a good gesture.
The Announcer as a Town crier
Amafili (2002) describes an announcer as a modern age town crier who works in media
organizations. The duty of a town crier in a local community is to make announcements to the
members of his community using metal or wooden gong. In just the same manner, the broadcast
announcer makes announcement of broadcast media programmes using microphones and speakers
to disseminate information simultaneously to a wide scattered audience. With the advent of the
electronic media, the need for this kind of town crier becomes very necessary.
Modern day announcers, according to Chester et al (1988), are expected to perform straight
announcing, presenting commercials and demonstrating products, casting news, acting as masters
of ceremonies, handling sports, interviews, discussions, quizzes and narrations. They are also
referred to as presenters, air personalities, disc jockeys, narrators and communicators.
Attributes of an announcer
Anybody who intends to make a career in broadcasting in the area of announcing and presentation
must be very familiar with the communication process. He must as well possess the following
attributes as listed by Amafili (2002) thus:
1. The ability to think clearly, to organize his/her thoughts quickly and be able to express
these thoughts accurately and effectively.
2. An announcer must have keen curiosity and be always eager to learn and have a broad view
of the world.

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3. An announcer must understand the peculiar process of communication through the

broadcast media.
Training as Announcers
The training of announcer is of crucial importance to operators in the broadcast industry. Whether
in institutions of higher learning or in broadcast media establishments, certain basic knowledge
must be inculcated. They are
1. Eye Contact: proper eye contact is necessary especially in television. Most television
studios have more than one camera. It is therefore necessary for the announcer to identify
the “hot” camera and respond to it as and when due. If the announcer will make use of
scripts, it is therefore necessary to maintain a good eye contact between the script and the
camera.
2. Interpreting copy: the act of interpreting copy is the most important thing to learn. In-ability
to interpret copies means that the presentation will be poor.
3. Articulation: this is reflected in how words are pronounced. Good pronunciation of words
makes an announcer “sound sweet”. Apart from this, wrongly pronounce words give
different meaning. Therefore, the use of dictionary is advisable to help in checking word
pronunciation.
4. Use of Microphones: For very sensitive microphones, the distance to be taken does not
make a difference. But for others, the announcer may need to a distance of two feet away
from the microphone. Announcers are expected to master their microphones and how to
handle them for better sound fidelity.
5. Versatility: the television announcer needs to be versatile. The art of adlibbing should also
be mastered. An ad-lib is an unscripted talk. It is talking without the use of any script. It is
a remark made by an announcer that is not part of the planned programme. Effective ad-
libbing helps to blend an announcer’s presentation and helps to maintain a continuous flow
in communication.
Skills of an Announcer
Since the announcer intends to play on the listener’s imagination, the atmosphere in the studio
should be conducive so as to bring out the best in him/her and to appeal to the listeners.
As an announcer on radio, remember that you must know how to operate the audio console as you
read the news or perform other announcing jobs. But with constant practice, you will get used to

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it. You must also know how to operate the studio computer and master skills on how to sound
gracefully on air.
An announcer must play all his/her own music cuts and commercials as well as read newscasts at
the top of the hour i.e. news tit-bits. He or she must also know how to record programmes off-air,
play recorded cuts for the news anchor during a newscast or monitor the network for programmes.
Analysis of Requirements
Preparing a career as an announcer begins with honest examination of oneself.
Considering the talents you have. Can you crack jokes? Can you speak fluently? Can you handle
stress? In a nut-shell these questions and requirements have been classified by Agbanu and
Nwammuo (2009) as follows:
Physical Requirements
In TV, an announcer must look pretty and presentable. He or she must have a good dentition before
other qualities and consideration. In radio, where the announcer is not seen but only heard, a good
amount of vocal sound is needed. A pleasing voice is an added advantage.
Educational Requirements
Nobody will take you seriously if you fail to pronounce words correctly and say that you did not
study English Language as a course. This will make you look stupid. So, you must be broad in
knowledge acquisition. Education, whether formal or informal or acquired through reading and
life
As an announcer, you must be emotionally stable. You must know how to handle stress. Even if
things are not going well, you must sound well and pleasing to your listener. Don’t forget to smile
and make your listeners happy.
Defining a copy
Agbanu and Nwammuo (2009) define a copy as a written script for news, sprits, announcement,
commercials, or any other programme meant for broadcast in a radio or television station. This
means that copies and scripts mean the same thing in the broadcast industry, (Amafili, 2002).
A copy or script is what guides the production of a specific broadcast programme. It is the
articulated roadmap or guideline that aids artistic production (Owuamalam, 2006). The
announcer’s copy is therefore a script supposedly used by an announcer in presenting a broadcast
programme. It is like a roadmap that directs the announcer on what to say on air, when to say it

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and how to say it. Serious minded announcers do not play with their scripts because of an error on
air, no matter how small, spells doom for him/her and for his/her station at large.
What to do when given copy
Scholars like Chester et al (1988) and Stuart (1985) have prepared an excellent approach to
analyzing a copy. They pointed out, though in separate studies, that an announcer, needs to do the
following, when given a copy, either for news, interview, talk show etc.:
1. Read the copy twice to get the general meaning: As an announcer, you have to read the
copy twice to understand the full meaning, especially when it is written by someone else.
It is indeed necessary that you grasp the full meaning because it will help you to put in the
right reflections.
2. State the specific purpose of the copy in one brief sentence: stating the purpose will help
you make a good presentation. You must ascertain whether it is for a meeting, funeral,
announcement etc.
3. Read the copy aloud to yourself first: this enables you to hear yourself first, get used to the
copy and correct yourself in case you stumble over certain words.
4. You should also Endeavour to find answers to the following questions:
5. What is the general mood of the copy? The mood of a copy should be reflected in the
presentation for instance, the mood of a copy meant for a funeral will definitely be different
from that of a Christmas party or birthday party.
6. Where does the mood change? A long piece of copy may contain different moods. It can
change from gloom to joy.
7. Do you know all the pronunciations? Get used to the pronunciation of unfamiliar words.
Pronunciation could change according to mood, tempo, rhythm, short pause, long pause
etc.
Announcer’s Presentation tips
The NBC presentation Tips, culled from Amafili (2002) are listed as follows:
1. The good presenter/Announcer inflects and modulates the voice properly.
2. He/She speaks at a comfortable pace
3. He/She aims for a smooth flow.
4. He/She chooses simple words
5. He/She uses a copy/script if necessary

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6. He/She rehearses the copy/script.

7. He/She sticks to correct pronunciation of word
8. Pronounces names properly
9. He/She does not talk over music with vocals
10. Avoids slangs
11. abhors four-letter words
12. apologizes for an error
13. identifies the station clearly
14. sounds on and off appreciatively
15. refrains from being chatty
16. never makes dry and expensive jokes
17. is calm and provident even when ad-dibbing
18. provides informative links between programmes
19. Woo the listener politely.
In addition to above tips, Onyechi (2010) adds the following:
a. Write down all you need to say
b. Harmonize physical behavior, appearance, eye contact with intended meaning.
c. Adapt to the microphone.
d. Avoid irritating mannerisms
e. Always have a store of illustration, comments etc.
f. Avoid offensive remarks on religion and be sensitive to what your audience wants.
g. Do not copy any role model. Be it yourself.
h. Speak at moderate pace, varying pitch and stress.
i. Train regularly-voice therapy.
Things to Avoid While on Air
As an announcer, you are like a gateway to your station. The audience may not know the owners
of a media outfit personally but they know virtually all presenters that may be working there.
Producers and even the managers may not be known to most listeners and viewers but for sure,
presenters/announcers are there every day. For the reason, an announcer should be very careful of
the way he/she conducts himself/herself while performing on air.

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Certain mannerisms must be avoid because apart from being irritating to the audience, they distract
viewers and listeners as well.
Most worrisome among the things an announcer must endeavour to avoid as explained by Onyechi
(2010) include the following: Avoid being a lifeless mumble. This refers to the attitude of always
talking to yourself without life as if day dreaming. Never look worried or sound worried while in
air and do not ever makes a no-impact communication. Always mean what you say and say what
you mean what you say what you mean.
1. Do not fidget before your audience. This is specifically being directed to television
2. Announcer. Avoid being restless, always adjusting tie or head tie. Do not pick your nose
3. or scratch or do any other thing that may distract your audience.
a. Avoid “and –eh-eh” vocalist, instead use “well, you know, uh……”
b. Do not over dress but instead dress to impress. For female announcers on TV, over
4. Application of facial foundations and make ups makes the face to look different. Also,
5. avoid hair-dos or hair styles that will make you uncomfortable like covering your eyes
6. Or your entire face. Virtue lies in the middle.
Voicing
How the voice works
A good broadcast voice is that which is acceptable to the microphone. Every announcer is therefore
expected to understand how the voice works. It is simple voiced sounds are produced when the air
stream from the lungs vibrate against the vocal cords. Where the vocal cords fail to vibrate the
sound is voiceless. Due to the nature of voice and how sound is produced, sound segments in
English language is divided into two major parts.
Vowel sounds are 20 in number (pure and 8 diphthongs) while consonant sounds are 24. In the
production of vowel sounds, the tongue moves and the shape of the lips change according to vowel
being used. Also, the jaw either closes for the production of vowels. Diphthongs is a Greek word
meaning double sound. Diphthong differ from pure vowels because double sound articulation or
production is a glide from one vowel is voiced sounds because the cords vibrate in all cases. There
is no obstruction to the flow of air-stream from the lungs to the lips for production of vowel sounds,
(Onyechi, 2010).

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Consonant sounds are produced with the obstruction interruption of air stream between the lungs
and the mouth/lips. It could be total obstruction as in “p” or partial obstruction, the articulators are
not close enough to obstruct the mouth completely, there is a frictional arise as a result.
How to maintain the voice
Announcers, like teachers and salespeople, often must contend with hoarseness in the vocal
apparatus. Even if the abuse is not severe, no announcer can communicate effectively when his/her
voice is reaching the point of failure. On diet and health tips for the voice, Hausman, Benolt,
Messere and O’ Donnel (2004), gave the following tips:
a. Get plenty of rest. When the body is tired, the weariness will show up in the voice.
A tired voice is usually higher pitched and lacking in strength. Announcers who try
to perform with tired voices may wonder if they can even finish the shift. Attempts
to clear. The voice, just tend to aggravate the problem. The only effective remedy
is to get some rest. Better yet, get enough sleep in the first place, and try to find
some time for relaxation before starting assignments that require heavy use of your
voice.
b. Exercise in addition to exercises that work the vocal mechanism, strenuous physical
activity that work the major muscles of the body. This will strengthens your heart
and lungs and give you endurance and over roll energy. Your vocal delivery will
reflect the general condition of the rest of your body.
c. Watch what you eat. A diet high in fat and low in nutrition contribute to fatigue
susceptibility to illness. The carbohydrate in whole grains and fruit, combined with
adequate protein from various sources, will provide energy and help you maintain
health. Don’t eat too much fat and attention to nutritional values of food you eat.
d. Don’t smoke. The constant imitation of heavy smoking can damage the vocal
mechanism and greatly impair vocal delivery. A side from the well-known risks to
general health, smoking continually imitates the vocal cord. General irritation of
the throat can result in excessive mucus production and the development of a
“smoker’s cough” that further strains the vocal mechanism.
The Vocal Anatomy
The mechanism that produces the voice is tied to the respiratory system. The lungs are responsible
for extracting oxygen from the air but they do not suck air in or propel it out. That function is

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perform primarily by the diaphragm, a muscle that extends across the base of the chest. It is
connected by fibers and tendons to the sternum (breastbone) in front, to the rips at the sides, and
to the vertebrae in back.
When we in-hale, the diaphragm contracts, pushing the intestines down and out.
That is why the abdomen expands when we breathe in.
When we inhale during speech, the diaphragm relaxes and is pushed upward by the abdominal
muscles. Air in the chest cavity is compressed and forced out through the trachea. The trachea is
the airway leading from the chest to the larynx. The trachea is the point at which a number of air
way tubes, are joined together.
Bronchitis is an inflammation of the bronchial tubes and through this common malady, most
people are keenly aware of the location of the bronchial tubes. The larynx, which is often called
the “voice box” is cartilage, a tough, somewhat flexible and gristly material. Several different
cartilages make up the larynx. The most important are the thyroid cartilage which protrudes from
the neck and forms what we call the “Adam’s Apple” in men, and the cricoid cartilage, which
connects to the thyroid cartilage. These cartilages form a roughly tubular structure in which the
vocal cords are suspended.
The vocal cords are membranes that come together across the cavity of the larynx.
They are two folds and during the process of producing voice, known as phonation, they stretch
across the cavity. A number of muscles therefore contribute to speech.
The intrinsic muscles of the larynx are entirely contained within the larynx. The extrinsic muscles
are outside the larynx and serve in speech, singing and swallowing.
Problems with voice quality
Negative image could be developed of someone simply because of the way he or she sounds,
especially on phone conversions. This is why broadcasters and especially announcers try to sound
pleasant on air. Unpleasant voices make people sound unfriendly and antagonistic even when they
mean no harm. Common negative voice qualities as identified by Hausman, Benoit, Messere and
O’ Donnel (2004) include the following:
a. Hoarseness: This is characterized by a raspy sound in the voice often categorized
as a voice that sounds like its hurting. The vocal sound may be a symptom of a
pathological condition and should be checked by a doctor if the condition seems
persistent. Most hoarseness results from over use and improper use of the voice,

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such as cheering at a sports events, and can be compounded by too much tension in
the vocal apparatus.
b. Thin voice: When a thin, weak voice is the result of the way the vocal mechanism
is formed, not a lot can be done about it other than to enhance the thin voice as best
one can, through good vocal habits. In some cases, a thin voice is the result of a
lack of resonance. The two keys to improving resonance is by proper air support,
including good posture and relaxation. Also, chronic inflammation and swelling of
the nasal passages can cut off resonance.
c. Gravelly voice: whereas the hoarse voice typically has a strident breaking quality
to it, the gravelly voice is usually low pitched, does not project, and is not melodic.
Gravelly voice sometimes results from a simple lack of projection. Note how gravel
– voice people often slouch and speak with the chin on the chest. Gravelly voices
often result from speaking in a pitch that is too low. Better breath support, a higher
pitch and better projection can often ease this problem.
How voice is produced:
During normal breathing, the vocal cords are relaxed and are some distance apart. But during
phonation, the folds meet and impede the flow of air through the larynx. Air escapes through the
folds in shut bursts only hundredths or thousandths of a second in duration. These bursts cause
vibrations in the air. Combinations of tension and air pressure on the vocal cords produce various
pitches and loudness.
Each small vibration is amplified to produce voice in the same way a brass instrument amplifies
the sound from the mouthpiece. The mouth and nasal cavities act as resonators, enhancing some
of the harmonics of the voice. Even the Sinuses and bones of the skull act as resonators. Resonation
in the nasal cavities is most apparent during the pronunciation of so called nasal sounds such as m,
n, and ng. This also becomes apparent when you close your mouth and hum; where does the air
escape? The buzzing sensation of humming shows that you are producing resonance in the nasal
passages. You don’t pass air into the nasal passages all the time. But nasal cavity resonance while
saying, n, and ng can enhance the voice, (Housman, Bennoit, Messere and O’ Donnel, 2004).
Method of developing resonance and other qualities of pleasing voice are discussed in unit 5 of
this model.

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Problems with vocal Delivery and their Solutions

Even when the vocal and breathing apparatus is working properly, a voice can fail to be pleasing
because of poor delivery. The typical problems as enumerated cry Hawsman, Benoit, Messere and
O’Donnel (2004: 35) include the following:
1. Monotone; this is problem that results in a speaker’s failure to change pitch. Osborn and
Osborn (1994) defines pitch as the listener’s perception of the frequency of sound, (Its
relative highness or lowness) as in the pitch of a note on a musical scale. A monotone can
be extremely unpleasant to listen to and conveys the impression that the speaker is bored
or boring. Speaking in a monotone can also irritate the vocal cards. A speaker with this
kind of problem should pay more attention to the nuances of the pitch rising and falling.
2. Poor Pitch; some people try to talk out of their ranges, too high or, as is sometimes the case
with male news reporters, too low. One effect on the voice is unnatural quality. Speaking
at an unsual pitch opens the door for vocal abuse. The problem is that constantly talking at
the bottom end of their range limits the expressiveness of the voice. When you are at the
bottom of the range, you can only go up. Finding a more comfortable and natural pitch
often clears off the problem.
3. Singsong; a singsong delivery is characterized by a rhythm that rises and falls. It is a
predictable voice pattern showing artificially wide and pronounced pitch swings – the disc
jockey voice. This problem is not hard to eliminate once it has been recognized. Adopting
a normal speech melody solves the problem.
4. Ending Pattern; many people end each phrase or sentence on the same pitch or series of
pitches. A voice pattern that becomes predictable is boring and can be distracting.
5. Whininess; A whiny sound is often caused by speaking at a pitch that is too high and
elongating vowels. For instance, “ I tooooooold you this would happen…………… look
at the mess you’re gotten us into noooooowwwwww.”
Awareness of whiny delivery is the first step in eliminating it, along with assuming a better
pitch and shortening vowels. Whininess is also sometimes associated with an overly nasal delivery
(too much air being diverted into the nose during speech).
Evaluating voice and speech
Making an honest evaluation of your voice and speech is one of the most productive things you
can do if you intend to move into the broadcast media after graduating. You need to evaluate

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yourself so as to figure out any voice or speech deviation which may pose as handicap. Some
presenters or announcers have succeeded despite such deviations, although this is rare.
Evaluate your voice and speech with a tape recorder and, ideally, with a knowledgeable instructor
or even with the lecturer handling this course.
This evaluation can help you assess your own speech so you can more easily identify and deal with
problems that will hinder your progress toward achieving a more professional on-air delivery. Here
is a checklist for self-evaluation developed by Hausman, Bennoit, Messere and O’Donnel
(2004:46).
Get a tape recorder and record yourself as you read three pages of a news copy or a newspaper,
magazine article. Then play back the tape and ask yourself the following questions:
a. Do I slur any words and sounds together?
b. Are my consonants crisp and clear?
c. Are my sounds too harsh? Do my plosives (p’s and b’s) cause the mic to pop?
d. Are there any regionalisms or colloquialisms in my speech? Do I say “soar” for
“saw”, or “youse” for “you”?
e. Do I drop endings?
f. Do I read too quickly? Do my words telescope together?
g. Do I have a distracting voice pattern?
h. Do I sound like a bad disc jockey?
i. Is my voice hoarse, harsh?
j. Am I speaking in a pitch range that is too high or too low?
k. Can I hear tension in my voice?
Although self-evaluation is helpful, the difficulty of hearing one’s mistakes cannot be
overemphasized. If possible, the lecturer/instructor in charge of the course can help the students in
analyzing voice and articulate problems.
Steps in Speech Preparation
Wilson et al (1993:62) gave the following speech preparation steps;
a. Select a specific topic that will reflect your interest and the interest of the specific
listeners and the response you want from the listeners.
b. Limit the topic to the specific subject that will fit your capacities, goal and situation.

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c. Determine the central idea in a clear-cut statement that will unambiguously express
it and your reason for it.
d. Gather the support materials, examples, testimonies and narratives.
e. Prepare the speech outline by organizing your material in a sequence of major and
detailed items.
f. Choose appropriate language that will artfully interrelate your ideas and materials
to form a whole that interestingly asserts the basic message contained in your
central idea.
g. Prepare for presentation using extemporaneous method of delivery, so that you can
speak in an organized informed way, yet spontaneously adopt when you need it.
h. Rehearse your speech orally several times in order to gain full control over your
plan, your timing and to develop various ways of saying what you want to say. This
will help boost your confidence and minimize stage fright.
Using the voice effectively
Good speech may be lost or marred by poor voice which is unpleasant and sounds nasal to the ear.
According to Carnegie (1982: 51), “though speech is a human endowment, how well we speak is
an individual achievement”. The golden rule to adopt is “strive to be natural and yourself”.
However, the following factors by Carnegie (1982: 51) enhance good voice quality:
a. Loudness. This refers to the voice volume. If the voice volume is too small, you
speak in whispers and the audience will be straining to hear you. If too loud, the
volume will overwhelm the listeners. Factors to consider when determining the
voice volume include size of room, number of persons, present/absent of
microphone and background noise. In addition, the voice volume could also be
varied to express a point of view.
b. Rate. This is the speed at which you speak and it varies with the type of material
you are presenting. It determines the mood you create in your speech. Complex or
very serious topics call for a slower, more deliberate rate. Lighter topics are best
handled in a faster tempo. To avoid monotony, vary your rate to suit your topic.
c. Pitch. As has been defined, means the height you can vary your voice. It is divided
into two: the habitual pitch or the level at which you speak most frequently, and the
optimum pitch which means the level you can produce the strongest voice with

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minimal effort. Pitch denotes the strength of your voice level at any given time.
Therefore emotions, feeling and pressure affect the pitch level.
How to make speaking voice more pleasing:
One primary and most important factor that helps one’s voice sound pleasing is maintaining correct
posture and breathing. Using posture and breathing techniques require forming good habits and
breaking bad habits.
The correct posture involves spreading the feet apart and the weight slightly placed toward the
balls of the feet. The key to the proper posture is to get rid of an exaggerated curve in your back.
Keeping ones back straight and tucking – in the hips, allows for proper breathing. All voice coaches
point out that the abdomen must expand during breathing, rather than the chest.
Apart from the above points on how to make speaking voice more pleasing,
Holsopple (1988: 70) gave the following tips on how to “sound sweet” while on –air:
Train and strengthen your voice like any other parts of your body. Try singing your favourite song,
even if you don’t sing well. Try doing this at least 30 minutes before going on air. Smile while
you’re announcing, even though nobody can see you (in case of radio announcers). Smiling gives
your words a bright clear sound. It makes you easier to be understood. You will also sound sweet
and pleasant to the listener while smiling.
Vocal Abuse
Vocal abuse is any excess strain on the vocal apparatus, most notably on the vocal cords, that
produces irritation. Symptoms of vocal abuse include hoarseness, a change in the character of the
voice, fatigue or discomfort in the region of the larynx and throat, and a change in the basic pitch
of the voice. Vocal abuse can be chronic or acute. Chronic abuse develops gradually from bad
vocal habits and excessive stress in the vocal mechanism. The results of acute abuse come on
suddenly, usually from screaming or a very hard period of speaking or singing. Vocal abuse could
also be caused by an abnormally low pitch.
Preventing Vocal Abuse
In addition to speaking in a natural tone of voice, you can protect your voice from abuse in several
ways. Neri Holzer, a Connecticut ear, nose and throat specialist, in Hausman et al (2004: 54),
offers these suggestions.

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a. Listen to what your larynx and throat are trying to tell you. The body have several
defense mechanisms, including pain and hoarseness. If these symptoms are chronic,
reevaluate your speech patterns.
b. Warm up. Do some light vocalizing, (humming, singing etc.) before an extended
on-air period or other time of vocal stress.
c. Keep well hydrated. When tissues lose moisture, they’re more susceptible to
damage. Have a glass of water on hand.
d. Use amplification when possible instead of raising your voice. A radio announcer,
for example, can reduce strain on the voice by turning up the volume on the mic
channel instead of shouting.
e. Don’t smoke. Tobacco smoke directly irritates the vocal cords. Smoke indirectly
irritates the cords by stimulating coughing.
f. Avoid extensive use of the voice when you have a cold. Using your voice then
makes you more susceptible to vocal irritation. Also, avoid habitually clearing your
throat.
g. Look at your whole body for signs of tension. Stress in other parts of the body can
cause a reaction in the voice. Similarly, posture has an important role in keeping
the vocal mechanism relaxed and working freely.
Understanding the Radio Announcer
Radio announcer is a broadcast announcer employed to work in any radio station.
He or she is the one who “opens” the station for the day’s broadcast, tells listeners what to expect
throughout the day and the time for each programme. In some stations, he or she doubles also as a
presenter. The announcer in any radio station, owns the most commonly heard voice, (Mcleish,
1985; Holsopple, 1988).
In modern day radio stations, announcers are the ones who not only read copies and introduce
records, but are also the ones who inform, persuade and entertain listeners. They are the staff in
charge of reinforcing the station’s overall sound quality and format, and provide linkage between
the station and the listener.
Radio Announcer’s Job
Hausman et al (2004), classified the jobs of radio announcers into performance, operations and
organization.

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a. Performance in this regard, refers to the task of introducing music, entertaining with
humour and reading commercials, weather, news and routine announcements such
as time, public service announcements, special announcements, personal paid
announcements, etc. They also perform adlibs occasionally and do extended
comedy monologue in some cases.
b. Operations. This refers to the duties associated with getting programme elements
on air by means of station equipment like computers, CDs, microphones, the audio
console and so forth. This also involves such other duties like off-air recording for
later replay of in-studio programmes or materials fed via a network line. Taking
daily readings of the transmitter gear, answering calls and taking requests, fall into
this category.
c. Organization: The organizational duties of announcers vary from station to station.
For stations that use computer to automate programme selection, frequently the
music and the commercials have been programmed into the station’s computer. The
announcer does live announcements at intervals designated in the programme. At
other stations where music is on CDs or carts, the duties may include pulling music
from the station’s library in preparation for an airshift and refilling them when the
shift is completed.
Generally all announcers who also run the board, have duties that include filling out the
station’s programme logs and lining up commercials and music in advance of air play.
As an announcer on radio, the first thing to bear in mind is that there is an audio console to be
operated while reading news or performing other announcing duties. This is the most challenging
part of the job and it takes constant practice, (Agbanu and Nwammuo, 2009). This means that the
Radio Announcing Technique:
Audience feedback during phone-in programmes plays an important role in determining the
effectiveness or impact of announcers on listeners. To adopt a specific technique to be used in
winning a large audience and retaining their interests, radio announcers are advised to select styles
which they are comfortable with. Direct imitation of other announcers is not the ultimate or the
best approach.
But definitely listening to other accomplished announcers will help you in developing your own
technique and style. The technique to be adopted in becoming a successful announcer involves:

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Being conservative when starting: Beginners in the area of radio announcing are advised to be
conservative when taking off. An inexperienced announcer who tries to emulate another
personality will produce a poor imitation at best. It is therefore better to start slowly. Learn the
station’s equipment, programme schedule and format. Ad-lib with description. Experience and
airtime will point out your strengths and weakness. If you have a flair for humour, expand this trait
slowly. To develop an on-air personality and a perspective, two techniques were given by
Hausman et al (2004: 147) as follow:
1. Use imitation and trial and error. Listen to other personalities and identify the elements in their
deliveries that you can adopt to yourself and your station. The key here is to listen critically, both
to others and to yourself, to determine whether that joke, approach or style really works.
2. Polish your delivery with the audience in mind. Put yourself in the place of a listeners, a listener
you believe to be typical of your station. Would you as a listener find that remark funny? Or
tasteless? Is the talk show or interview session compelling or boring? These acid tests could be
used before and after a programme segment. In terms of trying to entertain your listeners, do the
following:
1. Avoid in – jokes
2. Think before you say it. Is it really funny?
3. Don’t keep repeating the same line. This is because listeners will notice.
Radio Announcing Formats
In modern radio, format identifies stations and differentiates one station from another. It refers to
the unique manner a station schedules its programme contents. It is the job of the announcer to
reinforce the station’s format. Formats therefore centre on more than the choice of music. It is built
around the style of the announcer. In modern radio, the following formats exist:
1. Adult contemporary (AC) format
2. Hit radio
3. Talk radio
4. All – News formats
The Adult Contemporary (AC) format is a radio format in which the station programmers try to
reach the young adult audience. This group is defined as listeners between the age of 18 to 35 or
18 to 49, depending on the particular demographic sought.

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Demographics refer to statistical representations of populations. The programming content for this
group of listeners consists of a mixture of light rock, some former hits and possibly some easy-
listening music. Current popular hits are used but AC announcers steer away from heavy or
experimental rock.
To work effectively with this format, consider these suggestions:
a. Avoid artificiality
b. Maintain an even pace
c. Be well organized.
The hit radio format is oriented towards the younger listener. This is between the age brackets of
12 to 24. The format is fast paced, with many programme elements interjected in short periods of
time. An announcer adopting this format should do the following:
Project a very high energy level
Have a good working knowledge of music.
Handle control room equipment smoothly.
Talk radio format could be termed the mostly used format. It has become widespread.
The rationale behind it is to elicit responses from listeners who phone in and comment on various
topics. Three rules which could be applied for effective functioning using this format are:
a. Read as many newspapers and magazines as possible. This is to enable you become
aware of important trends or news development.
b. Develop and practice interview skills to help you elicit responses from guests.
c. Pay particular attention to time and timing.
All – News format is mostly seen in the advanced countries of the world. It consists of continuous
newscasts, usually 20 – 30 minute segments, for 24hours each day. The essence is to use radio to
keep in touch with what is happening in the world. The stations that adopt this format, repeat news
cycles over and over, they tend to attract listeners for short period of time – only long enough to
hear one or two of the cycles.
Given that listeners are constantly tuning in and out of all news stations, commercials, programme
elements and promos must be scheduled much more frequently than in other formats in order to
obtain effective frequency among the constantly changing audience, (Eastman and Ferguson,
2009).

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Understanding the television announcer

The television announcer, just like the radio announcer is basically a communicator
(Amafili, 2002). But unlike a radio announcer who uses his/her voice alone to communicate, the
television announcer uses his/her voice, facial expressions and gestures to communicate and pass
messages to the audience. He/she communicates with the viewers through the television camera
and keeps in mind the nuances of audio, movement and timing. He/she also interacts with other
television personnel like the producer, the director, the floor manager or the camera operator.
A talent or announcer or anchor or performer as regards this course means the same. In television,
such a person could be described as the one who appears regularly in the screen, talking to you
and doing any other thing to entertain, educate and inform you.
Television Announcer’s Job
When you look at the people appearing regularly on television and talking to you, telling you what
to buy, what is happening around the world or what the weather is going to be like, you may feel
that the job is not too difficult and that you could easily do it yourself. After all, most of them are
simply reading copy that appears on a teleprompter. But when you actually stand in front of the
camera, you quickly learn that the job is not as easy as it looks. Appearing relaxed on-camera, and
pretending that the camera lens or the teleprompter is a real person to whom you are talking, takes
hard work and a good amount of talent. That is why some scholars refer to all people appearing
regularly on television as talent, (Zettl, 2003:389).
The television announcer quite unlike in radio, works closely with many personnel. For instance,
for you to listen to the NTA 9 o’clock Network news, assemblage of television personnel likes
writers, reporters, directors, editors, and technical crew members (camera operators, video
operator, audio technician, character generator, video tape editor, digital graphic artist etc) must
all work together. It is only with their cooperation that the announcer/newscaster can perform
his/her duties.
To the television announcer, the following jobs are specific:
Doing editing and other production work. The announcer needs not be an expert on production.
But knowledge of how to edit copies is necessary. This is mostly in cases whereby the announcer
is recruited in a television station with small markets. Ability to operate the studio camera as well
as potable electronic news-gathering ENG cameras, is also needed and will enhance the job of the
announcer.

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Most television announcers are part of the news production people. In this case, his/her duties
include:
a. Operating equipment needed to record or air the news
b. Presenting visual elements, such as graphics and sets
c. Editing and assembling raw materials. In case, the announcer also becomes part of
the newsgathering and reporting arm of the television station, he/she is expected to
perform the following duties:
d. Assembling facts and writing stories or presenting stories live.
e. Working with the production team to get visual and aural elements such as
interviews and cover shots
f. Delivering the news copy.
All this functions interact a great deal. It could be seen under careful examination of the functions
that on – air member of the newsgathering and reporting arm cannot operate without understanding
the other functions and working closely with the personnel in other areas of television news.
Due to the complexity in television announcing, the announcer must stick to the main goals in
television announcing which include:
a. Communicating to the audience, on a one – to – one basis that the performer
understands and believes what he or she is reading.
b. Breathing life into the massage
c. Keeping the viewers’ attention by giving energy to the reading.
Accomplishing this goals enumerated by Zettl (2003:80) involves proper use of the voice, a
genuine delivery technique and the addition of style to the reading.
Television Announcing Techniques
Television announcing performer or announcer speaks directly to the camera, plays host to various
guest or the studio audience; he/she is fully aware of the TV audience at home. For the announcers,
the audience is an individual or a small, intimate group who has gathered in front of a television
set. With this picture in mind, there is therefore no need to scream at the millions of viewers out
there, rather a more successful approach is to talk quietly and intimately to the family who were
kind enough to let you come into their home.

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When you assume the role of a TV announcer, the camera becomes your first audience. You must
adapt your performance techniques to its characteristics. This is treated under the following
headings given by Zettle (2003:390-396):
Announcers-Camera Technique-
The camera sees everything you do. It sees how you look, move, sit and stand. At times, it looks
at you much more closely and with greater scrutiny than a polite person would ever dare to do. It
reveals the nervous twitch of your mouth when you are ill at ease and the expression of mild panic
when you have forgotten a name. It reflects all your behavior in all pleasant and unpleasant details.
As announcers, you must carefully control your actions without letting the audience know that you
are conscious of doing so.
You must look directly into the lens whenever you intend to establish eye contact with the viewer.
Try to look through the lens rather than at it. Looking at the lens or taking the camera operator as
your audience, leads to breaking the continuity and intensity of the communication between you
and the viewer. If two or more cameras are used, you must know which one is “hot”. You can
make a transition by taking a brief glance at the script, that is, down. Infact, Hausman et al (2004)
explains that downward glances are a good idea even if you are reading from a prompting device.
An unblinking stare is rather not advisable because the floor director cannot speak to you, but
rather relies on gestures and clues, you must therefore understand the commonly used cues by your
floor directors.
Announcer- Audio Technique
Besides looking relaxed and natural before the camera, a TV announcer must speak clearly and
effectively. The art of speaking effectively rarely comes naturally but with training and good
practice. Zettle (2003) gave three conditions for speaking effectively. Firstly, you must have
something to say, say it with conviction and sincerity, third, you must speak clearly so that
everyone can understand you. On proper handling, the under listed guides will help:
a. When using a hand mic, check that you have enough cable for your planned actions.
Speak across it, not into it. If you are interviewing someone in noisy area, hold the
micro phone close to your mouth when talking, then point it towards the person as
he/she responds to your questions.
b. When using a boom microphone or a shotgun, be aware of the boom movements
without letting the audience know. Move slowly so that the boom can follow.

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c. Do not move a desk mic once it has being placed by the audio engineer. This is
because the audio engineer knows how best to achieve a better audio balance.
d. When using a lavalier microphone, don’t worry if you are relatively stationary
during performance. But if you have to move from one set area to another, watch
that the mic cord does not get tangled with the set or props.
Announcers- timing technique
Live TV programmes operate on split-second timing. It is the responsibility of the director to show
on and off the air warnings or notice but you as an announcer have a lot to do with successful
timing. Learn how much programme material you can cover after you have received a 3-minutes,
1-minute and a 30-seconds notice.
Announcer and Prompting Device Technique
Prompting devices help announcers who may suddenly forget their lines or who have no time to
memorise a script. The prompting devices which the announcer must learn how to use are the cue
cards and the studio teleprompter. The best technique is to read the device without appearing to
lose eye contact with the viewer.
Make-Up Guidelines for Television Announcers.
Make-ups are made available in every television make-up rooms. This is because good appearance
helps television announcers. The most basic make-up item according to Zettle (2003) is the
foundation that covers minor blemishes and cuts down light reflections on oily skin. Women can
use their own lipsticks, so long as the colour is suitable for the announcer’s skin complexion. Other
materials are eye pencil, mascara and eye shadow. For a general guidline on dressing well on the
air, Hausman et al {2004:233] list the following:
a. Avoid complex patterns.
b. Avoid stiff clothing
c. Make sure clothing is not restrictive
d. Avoid too masculine a look in women’s clothes.
e. Be conscious of what your clothing looks like from the rear or side.
f. Avoid extreme cuts of any clothes.
g. Avoid gaudy jewelry
h. Remember that cameras also magnify girth. If you need to lose weight, lose it now,
before cutting audition tapes.

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i. Use hair styles to enhance your appearance.

Understanding the Concept of Ad-Libbing
An ad-lib, in the broadcast media simply refers to an unscripted programme. It means talking
without the use of any script. It also means speaking at pleasure, (Agbanu and Nwammuo, 2009).
It is a remark made by an announcer that is not part of the planned programme script or is intended
to sound as if it were not part of the script.
Ad-libbing is an important announcing skill. To be effective, ad-libs are kept short and brief and
must be though out in advance. Good ad-libbing involves giving a natural appearance to an
unnatural action. When we speak in normal conversations, we don’t use well – thought –out
phrases of expert reporters. This is the reason why what sounded lucid while being spoken seems
almost unintelligible and semiliterate when reduced to the written word. Thus, announcers need to
organize their materials more carefully than if they were describing the scene to someone during
a telephone call.
Ad-libbing is based on the three principles namely:
a. Delivering the ad-lib in short segments
b. Keeping it short
c. Planning and encapsulating what to say in few mental notes.
Requirements for Effective Ad-Libbing
For effective ad-libbing on radio and television, the announcer must fully understand his/her
audience, and the format to be used. Modern ad-libbing format in vogue now, is providing the
audience with “more music, less talk”. It is therefore the job of the announcer who decides to use
this format to spend time in researching for the music to play and how the music should be blended
to meet the desire of the audience.
General ad-libbing requirements as given by Agbnu and Nwammuo (2009) include the following:
a. The announcer must be creative.
b. He/she must be a good writer.
c. Must be versatile and well – informed.
d. Must be ready to listen to news in many stations.
e. Must be sensitive to how far he/she can go in flirting with the boundaries of good
taste.
f. Must know each music and the artist who created it.

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g. Must know how to comment on issues of the moment.

h. Must never make fun of artists or music.
i. Must keep remarks general.
j. Must submerge his/her personality.
k. Must develop a humour style based on his/her culture.
How to develop the art of Ad-libbing
Ad-libbing is an art that is mastered with practice. But before venturing into this area, one question
that is pertinent is: Do you have flair for humour? If yes, start slowly. Start to ad-lib with discretion.
Use imitation and trial and error. Listen to successful ad-libbers and identify the elements in their
deliveries that you can adapt to. The advice here is to listen critically, both to others and to yourself,
to determine whether that joke, style, or approach really works. Then polish your delivery with
your audience in mind. Put yourself in the place of your listener or viewer. Would you, the listener,
find that remark funny or tasteless? Use this acid test before and after a programme segment.
In using humour or jokes to entertain your audience be careful. Always sound original and typical.
Avoid making a joke sound as if it is being read off a sheet. This will make it fail.
In ad-libbing a news copy, you must apply special considerations. This is because, news is sacred.
You will be held accountable for what you say. Liberties with the truth cannot be taken. A storm
of controversy can erupt over an ill – chosen phrase used in relation to a sensitive story. Therefore
do the following:
a. Always ad-lib in phrases that you know to be factual. If you’re repeating an opinion,
qualify it as such.
b. Use phrases that are not subject to misinterpretation. Use shorter sentence and
phrases that keep meanings clear.
c. Be well informed about the issue. You must be able to call names, facts and figures.
d. Do a quick encapsulation of thoughts and rehearse, mentally or out loud, what
you’re going to say.
e. Deliver the ad-lib briefly. Do not be concerned with stretching for time, and never
try to expand without adequate information. End with a definite conclusion and
summary.

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