The Ultimate Drool

Most radio announcers start out as fairly normal people. It takes years of hard work to reach the required high cultural level. Last week aspiring announcers got some helpful hints from The Radio Announcer's Handbook (Rinehart; $4). Author Ben G. Henneke, director of radio at the University of Tulsa, says that one of the most important things is "a sound voice in a sound body." Some very important skills: 1) "ad libility," 2) ability to express "the entire gamut of thought and feeling." Some Handbook aids to ad libility:

P: "Incongruous juxtaposition of words. ... To say a 'duck's derriere is drooping' has ear appeal."

P: "'Her lipstick was so red it looked as if she had been kicked in the mouth by a mule' is more arresting . . . than just 'red.'"

But it is in the realm of "thought and feeling," with the help of the "fossilized poetry" of his words, that an announcer has his toughest test and his greatest triumph: when sales show "that listeners have drooled over an object mentioned by an announcer--and purchased it."

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.