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MTA, NYC Transit looking for smooth voices to make announcements


Harry

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Subway managers are looking for a few smooth voices.

 

NYC Transit is boosting the ranks of its station announcers - workers with five-star diction who give arrival information, service disruption updates and safety tips.

 

It's not "American Idol," but there is a screening process involving interviews and auditions before making it into the Dedicated Announcers Program.

 

"We look for professional voices to make professional sounding announcements," said Termaine Garden, the subway's customer communications director. "Our goal is perfection."

 

Announcer Scott Prendergast, who trains successful candidates, said demeanor and attitude also are key.

 

"It's an elite group, and we'd like to keep it that way," Prendergast said.

 

Full story: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/08/05/2009-08-05_mta_looking_for_a_few_new_smoothsayers.html#ixzz0NIs1i2NS

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It's a good move, but professional voices are no good without up-to-date instruments. Too many station announcements are hard to hear because the loudspeakers are not good enough, not because they were poorly delivered. On-board speakers are even worse. I was on a (Q) the other day going to Prospect Park (I had never taken the (Q) outside of Manhattan before), and every time the sound system cut off while the conductor was announcing,"The next stop is...". I had to rely on looking at the map and counting the number of stations stopped at in Brooklyn to figure out. (The packed rush-hour train made seeing outside difficult from where I was sitting).

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