A KISS is not just a KISS, Radio is God? Women Rock!
I’ve been teaching the KISS (Keep it simple, stupid) and “personal” principles for so long that I didn’t think there was anything more than this for conversational writing. So it was rather mind-blowing to read Shingler & Wieringa establishing a model of radio speech. They define it as:
· Prepared, which means it’s scripted but improvisation during presentation is allowed
· Intermediate, rather than institutional (thoroughly scripted) or mundane (inconsequential DJ talk)
· Personal
· Simple, rather than complex in nature
· Highly connotative (the way we say the words is important)
In the same chapter, they discuss the idea that editing results in perfect speech, therefore giving the radio voice “an almost God-like authority” (although I’d hate hearing my students say “Oh god, here she comes!”).
One of the best things to have happened recently (my opinion) in the UK is the reduced emphasis on “Received Pronunciation” or “Standard English” for broadcasting, precisely because there’s no such standard. When I first joined radio, we were told to use RP but no one actually told us what RP was. Now I find out that this practice dates back to the late 1920s! Of course any change will take time, and one of the problems we have in Singapore is those who do speak well are those who have been educated abroad, and inevitably have what is called (almost derogatively) “an accent”.
Another nugget information is the fact that microphones were originally designed for the male voice. Apparently in the early days of broadcasting there were few women on radio because they were associated with gossip, and therefore deemed an unsuitable image. Studies as recent as 1988 show that the ideal voice has more male characteristics. In fact the radio voice is defined as being refined, masculine and authoritative. What are so many women doing on Singapore radio?
Last week we heard lots about money and how one has to have no morals in the media business. So it was lovely to hear 2 lady entrepreneurs (from Nameless UK – not quite my choice of name, I must say - and Big Wave Productions) who are on the opposite end of the spectrum. Nothing we’ve not heard before though – “it’s about making friends, not selling your product first” (message: networking’s important). Anyhow my point is it’s comforting that not everyone in the media business is corrupt. There’s hope yet. See, women rock!
Had an Associated Press representative come in to do a session on ENPS (Electronic News Processing System), the wonderful system that I thought MediaCorp wanted to get rid off at some stage. The AP guy says MediaWorks is using it as well. Reason we’re having this session is BBC is using ENPS. Rather nostalgic looking at the screen again. Gone are the days when we used ENPS’ message function to update one another on the latest office gossip. Yes, gossipy women rock…
· Prepared, which means it’s scripted but improvisation during presentation is allowed
· Intermediate, rather than institutional (thoroughly scripted) or mundane (inconsequential DJ talk)
· Personal
· Simple, rather than complex in nature
· Highly connotative (the way we say the words is important)
In the same chapter, they discuss the idea that editing results in perfect speech, therefore giving the radio voice “an almost God-like authority” (although I’d hate hearing my students say “Oh god, here she comes!”).
One of the best things to have happened recently (my opinion) in the UK is the reduced emphasis on “Received Pronunciation” or “Standard English” for broadcasting, precisely because there’s no such standard. When I first joined radio, we were told to use RP but no one actually told us what RP was. Now I find out that this practice dates back to the late 1920s! Of course any change will take time, and one of the problems we have in Singapore is those who do speak well are those who have been educated abroad, and inevitably have what is called (almost derogatively) “an accent”.
Another nugget information is the fact that microphones were originally designed for the male voice. Apparently in the early days of broadcasting there were few women on radio because they were associated with gossip, and therefore deemed an unsuitable image. Studies as recent as 1988 show that the ideal voice has more male characteristics. In fact the radio voice is defined as being refined, masculine and authoritative. What are so many women doing on Singapore radio?
Last week we heard lots about money and how one has to have no morals in the media business. So it was lovely to hear 2 lady entrepreneurs (from Nameless UK – not quite my choice of name, I must say - and Big Wave Productions) who are on the opposite end of the spectrum. Nothing we’ve not heard before though – “it’s about making friends, not selling your product first” (message: networking’s important). Anyhow my point is it’s comforting that not everyone in the media business is corrupt. There’s hope yet. See, women rock!
Had an Associated Press representative come in to do a session on ENPS (Electronic News Processing System), the wonderful system that I thought MediaCorp wanted to get rid off at some stage. The AP guy says MediaWorks is using it as well. Reason we’re having this session is BBC is using ENPS. Rather nostalgic looking at the screen again. Gone are the days when we used ENPS’ message function to update one another on the latest office gossip. Yes, gossipy women rock…
posted by BIG! Mama @ 7:36 AM
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