How to become a good announcer?
K.S Sivakumaran
Some years before they use to call persons behind the microphone in a
radio station an announcer. Now days they are called by different names
like presenters and even disc jockeys. Whatever the name most of the
announcers are popular with the listeners. Beginning with the 1950s the
English Service of the Commercial Service of Radio Ceylon was very
popular not only with listeners in Ceylon (that was how Lanka was called
then) but also in several parts of India including the Mount Everest
when programmes were transmitted through the Asian Beam.
 We had excellent announcers who had very striking personalities. I
remember a few names that were household personalities : Greg Rozkowski,
Karl Goonasena, Jimmy Bharucha, Eardley Pereis, Vernon Corea, Norton
Pereira, Percy Bartholomeuz, Ronald Campbell, Shirley Perera, Myrl
Walpola (Williams), Guy Bibile, Sita Jayawrdene (Parakrama), Leon
Belleth, Nihal Bharethi, Vijaya Corea, Rohna Candappa, Perin Rustomjee,
Mike Wilson, Perin Rustomjee, V Rajendra and many others who shone
between 1950 and 1960. In recent times we have heard many popular
announcers whose names are familiar to all those who listen various
channels including Radio Sri Lanka.
On the National Service we had different kind of personalities like
Mark Antony Fernando and Priya Samarajeeva (Kodippily)
The point here is that they had distinct quality of voice and had
different styles of presentation. That era is over. These days that
calibre of radio personalities are rare to find although the styles of
presentation has changed with the changes in technology.
The automaton method of broadcasting has discouraged many to continue
with broadcasting. Yours truly was also in the Panel of Relief
Announcers of Radio Sri Lanka but could not cope with the pressing the
right buttons in the announcer's table. Leaving aside this intervention,
let me share with you some basic requirements we were asked to follow if
we were to click as a broadcaster.
As you would have already known breathing is a good exercise before
you make it before microphone. So, a few hints about the right kind of
breathing.
Breathing
Breath is the air we take into our lungs. It is the raw material of
voice. Without the voice it is difficult to communicate. The organs of
breathing are the two lungs; the nose and mouth are passages for the
entrance and exit of the air. Air is drawn into the lungs by expansion
of the chest cavity.
Why are breathing exercises important?
*They energise and make flexible the sturdy inter-control muscles
that lie between the ribs.
*They also exercise and make flexible, the muscles of diaphragm. The
diaphragm is a sturdy muscle-dome shaped lying at the base of the chest.
*Once these two sets of muscles are flexible, they can expand the
thorax cavity to its fulness and thus store in the maximum amount of
air. This is essential for a good strong column of voice and for
carrying the voice, for phrasing etcetera.
The correct method of breathing is called The
Intercostals-Diaphragmatic method (central method). It is so called
because of the two sets of muscles between the ribs, as well as the
muscles of the diaphragm. It is sometimes called by the simple name of
the central method because it exercises the centre of the body.
When we breathe in the sturdy intercostals muscles push the ribs
outwards, and slightly upwards; simultaneously the muscles of the
diaphragm depress the dome of the diaphragm downwards with the abdominal
cavity; and the abdominal muscles are pulled in firmly to support; thus
the thorax (chest cavity) is made both wider and deeper and the lungs
have room to expand to their fullest and store up the maximum quantity
of air.
We should remember that the widest part of the lung is the base of
the lung. The base cannot expand unless the thorax cavity is expanded.
In breathing out the intercostals muscles pull the ribs steadily and
gradually downwards and inwards (with no sense of collapse. And
simultaneously the muscles of the diaphragm relax and allow the
diaphragm to resume its dome shape and abdominal muscles relax too. We
must note that the dome moves, not the whole diaphragm.
We must also take note of the benefits of good breathing.
*The thorax is enlarged to its fullest. Therefore the lungs have
ample room to expand and thus store the maximum quantity of air.
*The large quantity of air means a firm, steady breath system which
in turn produces a good tone and gives support to the breath and helps
to carry voice to a great distance.
*We can attempt sustained or continuous speech. We have sufficient
breath to phrase correctly and thus the full grammatical and emotional
meaning of the passage is brought out.
*This support also gives smoothness and fluency of delivery.
*A large supply of fresh air is healthy and a healthy body means a
good tone, good resonance and crisp articulation.
Finally a note on the respiratory muscles.
*The sturdy dome shaped diaphragm- the most important breathing
muscle at the base of the chest.
* The sturdy Intercostals muscles between the ribs.
*The abdominal muscles.
Thus we see good breathing is a pre-requisite to be a good announcer.
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