Posted by Bob Smith on October 27, 2009 at 12:05:42:
In Reply to: Re: Scott Shannon's Announcements for Sean Hannity posted by Allan Sniffen on October 26, 2009 at 18:38:31:
Don't agree with you on this one. If the voice is familiar and recognizable, and a significant percentage of listeners can easily attach a name to the voice, you need to be careful.
The morning man I worked with in Buffalo (Jeff Kaye, perhaps best known outside WNY as the voice of NFL Films in the 80s and 90s) taught me this rule. He told me he'd never take a political V/O account in the western half of the state, where he was well known as the city's top rated morning host, because he didn't want to be attached in listeners' minds to any candidate or party. He thought it might color people's views of him as a personality and damage his appeal to those who disagreed. He'd only voice political spots if they couldn't be heard within 150 miles of Buffalo. He established that rule back when he was programming WKBW, imposed it not only on himself but on his staffers, and held to it after he moved to WBEN.
This is, for all intents and purposes, the same thing as a political spot. If Scott Shannon's being recognized for those intros in the market where he does his morning show, it can color his WPLJ audience's perception of him. He ought to think about it. Intro'ing the host is one thing, that in itself is neutral. Doing an intro that's also a political statement in its own right is like voicing a campaign spot, and it's different...