Announcer's test
Encyclopedia
An announcer's test is a test sometimes given to those wanting to be a radio
or television
announcer
. The tests usually involve retention, memory, repetition, enunciation, diction, and using every letter in the alphabet a variety of times. One of the more well known announcer's tests originated at Radio Central New York in the early 1940s as a cold reading test given to prospective radio talent to demonstrate their speaking ability. Del Moore
, a long time friend of Jerry Lewis
', took this test at Radio Central New York in 1941, and passed it on to him. Jerry has performed this test on radio, television and stage for many years, and it has become a popular tongue-twister
for his fans around the world, resulting in many variants.
, who was known for co-announcing the 1926
, 1927
, and 1928 World Series
with Graham McNamee
, is:
In approximately 1930, CBS Radio
established a school for announcers. The school was headed by Frank Vizetelly, who trained announcers to develop voices that were "clear, clean-cut, pleasant, and carry with them the additional charm of personal magnetism." At about the same time, NBC Radio published standard pronunciation guidelines for its sponsors. According to announcer André Baruch
, NBC used to test potential announcers using copy filled with tongue-twister
s and foreign names, such as:
Another test for an announcer candidate might be to "describe the studio in which you are seated so that a listener can readily visualize it."
One of the more well known tests originated at Radio Central New York in the early 1940s as a cold reading test given to prospective radio talent to demonstrate their speaking ability. Del Moore
, a long time friend of Jerry Lewis
', took this test at Radio Central New York in 1941, and passed it on to him. Jerry has performed this test on radio, television and stage for many years, and it has become a favorite tongue-twister
(and memory challenge) for his fans around the world.
There are many variations to this version, many having been passed from one person to another by word of mouth
. One variant is known as the Tibetan Memory Trick and has been performed by Danny Kaye
as well as Flo & Eddie
of The Turtles
. It was also used by Boston's WBZ
disc jockey
Dick Summer in the 1960s as the Nightlighter's Password.
The test has also been adopted and adapted for use as a "repeat after me" chant unofficially by the Boy Scouts of America
, with several variations in the wording, some including an eleventh line: "Eleven neutramatic synthesizing systems owned by the seriously cybernetic marketing department, shipped via relativistic space flight through the draconian sector seven." This last line may have originated as a tribute to Douglas Adams
and the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy books and has since been corrupted by the oral transmission of this script. The books include references to "Nutrimatic Drink Dispenser systems" owned by the "Sirius Cybernetics Corporation." In So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish
, one character mentions, "This hedgehog, that chimney pot, the other pair of Don Alfonso's tweezers."
A version appears in the 1997 novel
Matters of Chance by Jeannette Haien:
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
or television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
announcer
Announcer
An announcer is a presenter who makes "announcements" in an audio medium or a physical location.-Television and other media:Some announcers work in television production , radio or filmmaking, usually providing narrations, news updates, station identification, or an introduction of a product in...
. The tests usually involve retention, memory, repetition, enunciation, diction, and using every letter in the alphabet a variety of times. One of the more well known announcer's tests originated at Radio Central New York in the early 1940s as a cold reading test given to prospective radio talent to demonstrate their speaking ability. Del Moore
Del Moore
Del Moore was a comedian, a television and movie actor, and a radio announcer.Born Marion Delbridge Moore in Pensacola, Florida, he began his career in radio before moving to television. In 1952, he appeared in the first of several So You Want To . . . Warner Bros. comedy shorts with George O'Hanlon...
, a long time friend of Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis is an American comedian, actor, singer, film producer, screenwriter and film director. He is best known for his slapstick humor in film, television, stage and radio. He was originally paired up with Dean Martin in 1946, forming the famed comedy team of Martin and Lewis...
', took this test at Radio Central New York in 1941, and passed it on to him. Jerry has performed this test on radio, television and stage for many years, and it has become a popular tongue-twister
Tongue-twister
A tongue-twister is a phrase that is designed to be difficult to articulate properly, and can be used as a type of spoken word game. Some tongue-twisters produce results which are humorous when they are mispronounced, while others simply rely on the confusion and mistakes of the speaker for their...
for his fans around the world, resulting in many variants.
History
Announcer's tests originated in the early days of radio broadcasting, circa 1920. The tests involve retention, memory, repetition, enunciation, diction, and using every letter in the alphabet a variety of times. An excerpt of one early test, forwarded from Phillips CarlinPhillips Carlin
Phillips Carlin was a radio broadcaster and television executive. Carlin started his broadcasting career with the New York radio station, WEAF. He teamed up with Graham McNamee to announce the 1926, 1927 and 1928 World Series...
, who was known for co-announcing the 1926
1926 World Series
The 1926 World Series was the championship series of the 1926 Major League Baseball season, featuring the St. Louis Cardinals against the New York Yankees...
, 1927
1927 World Series
In the 1927 World Series, the New York Yankees swept the Pittsburgh Pirates in four games. This was the first sweep of a National League team by an American League team....
, and 1928 World Series
1928 World Series
In the 1928 World Series, the New York Yankees swept the St. Louis Cardinals in four games. Along with , this was the first time a team had swept consecutive Series....
with Graham McNamee
Graham McNamee
Graham McNamee was a pioneering broadcaster in American radio, the medium's most recognized national personality in its first international decade....
, is:
In approximately 1930, CBS Radio
CBS Radio
CBS Radio, Inc., formerly known as Infinity Broadcasting Corporation, is one of the largest owners and operators of radio stations in the United States, third behind main rival Clear Channel Communications and Cumulus Media. CBS Radio owns around 130 radio stations across the country...
established a school for announcers. The school was headed by Frank Vizetelly, who trained announcers to develop voices that were "clear, clean-cut, pleasant, and carry with them the additional charm of personal magnetism." At about the same time, NBC Radio published standard pronunciation guidelines for its sponsors. According to announcer André Baruch
André Baruch
André Baruch was a familiar voice as a film narrator and on radio as an announcer, news commentator, talk show host, disc jockey and sportscaster....
, NBC used to test potential announcers using copy filled with tongue-twister
Tongue-twister
A tongue-twister is a phrase that is designed to be difficult to articulate properly, and can be used as a type of spoken word game. Some tongue-twisters produce results which are humorous when they are mispronounced, while others simply rely on the confusion and mistakes of the speaker for their...
s and foreign names, such as:
Another test for an announcer candidate might be to "describe the studio in which you are seated so that a listener can readily visualize it."
One of the more well known tests originated at Radio Central New York in the early 1940s as a cold reading test given to prospective radio talent to demonstrate their speaking ability. Del Moore
Del Moore
Del Moore was a comedian, a television and movie actor, and a radio announcer.Born Marion Delbridge Moore in Pensacola, Florida, he began his career in radio before moving to television. In 1952, he appeared in the first of several So You Want To . . . Warner Bros. comedy shorts with George O'Hanlon...
, a long time friend of Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis is an American comedian, actor, singer, film producer, screenwriter and film director. He is best known for his slapstick humor in film, television, stage and radio. He was originally paired up with Dean Martin in 1946, forming the famed comedy team of Martin and Lewis...
', took this test at Radio Central New York in 1941, and passed it on to him. Jerry has performed this test on radio, television and stage for many years, and it has become a favorite tongue-twister
Tongue-twister
A tongue-twister is a phrase that is designed to be difficult to articulate properly, and can be used as a type of spoken word game. Some tongue-twisters produce results which are humorous when they are mispronounced, while others simply rely on the confusion and mistakes of the speaker for their...
(and memory challenge) for his fans around the world.
- One henChickenThe chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
- Two ducks
- Three squawking geese
- Four LimerickLimerickLimerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
oysters - Five corpulent porpoises
- Six pairs of Don Alverzo's tweezersTweezersTweezers are tools used for picking up and manipulating objects too small to be easily handled with the human hands. They are probably derived from tongs, pincers, or scissors-like pliers used to grab or hold hot objects since the dawn of recorded history...
- Seven thousand MacedonMacedonMacedonia or Macedon was an ancient kingdom, centered in the northeastern part of the Greek peninsula, bordered by Epirus to the west, Paeonia to the north, the region of Thrace to the east and Thessaly to the south....
ians in full battle array - Eight brass monkeys from the ancient, sacredSacredHoliness, or sanctity, is in general the state of being holy or sacred...
crypts of EgyptEgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world... - Nine apathetic, sympatheticSympathySympathy is a social affinity in which one person stands with another person, closely understanding his or her feelings. Also known as empathic concern, it is the feeling of compassion or concern for another, the wish to see them better off or happier. Although empathy and sympathy are often used...
, diabetic oldOld ageOld age consists of ages nearing or surpassing the average life span of human beings, and thus the end of the human life cycle...
men on roller skatesRoller skatesRoller skates are devices worn on the feet to enable the wearer to roll along on wheels. A first basic type of roller skate consists of a boot with four wheels with ball bearings, arranged in the same configuration as the wheels of a typical car.-History:...
with a marked propensity towards procrastinationProcrastinationIn psychology, procrastination refers to the act of replacing high-priority actions with tasks of low-priority, and thus putting off important tasks to a later time...
and slothSloth (deadly sin)In the Christian moral tradition, sloth is one of the seven capital sins, often called the seven deadly sins; these sins are called sins because they supposedly destroy the charity in a person's heart and thus may lead to eternal death.-Definition:Sloth is defined as spiritual or emotional... - Ten lyricalLyricalThe term lyrical may mean:*Lyrics, or words in songs*Lyrical dance, a style of dancing*Emotional, expressing strong feelings*Lyric poetry, poetry that expresses a subjective, personal point of view...
, spherical, diabolical denizens of the deepDeep seaThe deep sea, or deep layer, is the lowest layer in the ocean, existing below the thermocline and above the seabed, at a depth of 1000 fathoms or more. Little or no light penetrates this part of the ocean and most of the organisms that live there rely for subsistence on falling organic matter...
who haul stall around the corner of the quo of the quay of the quivery, all at the same time.
There are many variations to this version, many having been passed from one person to another by word of mouth
Word of mouth
Word of mouth, or viva voce, is the passing of information from person to person by oral communication. Storytelling is the oldest form of word-of-mouth communication where one person tells others of something, whether a real event or something made up. Oral tradition is cultural material and...
. One variant is known as the Tibetan Memory Trick and has been performed by Danny Kaye
Danny Kaye
Danny Kaye was a celebrated American actor, singer, dancer, and comedian...
as well as Flo & Eddie
Flo & Eddie
Flo & Eddie are a comedic musical duo.The two were the original founding members of the Top 40 rock group the Turtles. After the Turtles dissolved, Volman and Kaylan first joined the Mothers of Invention as "Phlorescent Leech & Eddie"...
of The Turtles
The Turtles
The Turtles are an American rock group led by vocalists Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman. The band became notable for several Top 40 hits beginning with its cover version of Bob Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe" in 1965...
. It was also used by Boston's WBZ
WBZ (AM)
WBZ is the call sign for an AM radio station in Boston, Massachusetts owned by CBS Radio, itself owned by the CBS Corporation. Originally based in and broadcast from Springfield, Massachusetts, WBZ was the first commercial radio station in the United States...
disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
Dick Summer in the 1960s as the Nightlighter's Password.
The test has also been adopted and adapted for use as a "repeat after me" chant unofficially by the Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
, with several variations in the wording, some including an eleventh line: "Eleven neutramatic synthesizing systems owned by the seriously cybernetic marketing department, shipped via relativistic space flight through the draconian sector seven." This last line may have originated as a tribute to Douglas Adams
Douglas Adams
Douglas Noel Adams was an English writer and dramatist. He is best known as the author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which started life in 1978 as a BBC radio comedy before developing into a "trilogy" of five books that sold over 15 million copies in his lifetime, a television...
and the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy books and has since been corrupted by the oral transmission of this script. The books include references to "Nutrimatic Drink Dispenser systems" owned by the "Sirius Cybernetics Corporation." In So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish
So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish
So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish is the fourth book of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy "trilogy" written by Douglas Adams. Its title is the message left by the dolphins when they departed Planet Earth just before it was demolished to make way for a hyperspace bypass, as described in The...
, one character mentions, "This hedgehog, that chimney pot, the other pair of Don Alfonso's tweezers."
A version appears in the 1997 novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
Matters of Chance by Jeannette Haien:
- One good hen
- Two ducks
- Three cackling geese
- Four plump partridges
- Five Limerick oysters
- Six pairs of Don Alphonso tweezers
- Seven hundred Macedonian horseman dressed in full battle array
- Eight sympathetic, apathetic, diabetic old men on crutches
- Nine brass monkeys from the Sacred Sepulchres of Ancient Egypt
- Ten lyrical, spherical heliotropes from the Iliad Missionary Institute