THE just-ended 2014 Zambia International Trade Fair in Ndola was also live on Radio. At least some radio stations took advantage of the week-long event to sell their services.
One would have thought that apart from concentrating on the commercial aspect of the live transmission, radio stations should have provided show-goers with an opportunity to have a feel of studio presentation.
Something like setting up a studio where they could read news live, and maybe allow fans go live on air.
Most of what listeners heard on radio were greetings and coverage of some stands, some of which could have been advertising their services.
PHOENIX
American President Barack Obama made an effort to recognise the United States of America soccer team’s performance at the World Cup.
Radio Phoenix, innovative as they have always been, played that conversation last Friday with Obama saying, “Hellow Tim, I just want to say that you guys did us proud.” He told the players who led the team to the Round of 16 in the World Cup tournament, and boosted the popularity of soccer in the United States.
In readout of the call, the White House said Obama praised the players “not only for their work on the field, but for carrying themselves in a way that made the country proud.”
Obama had a go at goalkeeper Tim Howard saying, “Tim, I don’t know how you are going to survive the mobs back home, man. You are going to have to shave your beard so they don’t know who you are.”
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But Phoenix also had lapses the other day, like when twice they played wrong clips during the main news.
It was a situation where the news caster read an item, but played a wrong clip all together and further after that mistake, the subsequent clip was also a wrong one.
DEAR JACK
Peter Sampa from Kitwe noticed a slip in one newscaster on a radio station he did not mention.
“Hi Jack, radio stations should endeavour to give correct information.
The Thursday’s 13:00 hours news on July 3 referred to Supreme Court Judge Marvin Mwanamwambwa as Amusaa Mwanamwambwa.
Surely, we all know that Honourable Amusaa Mwanamwambwa is past speaker of the National Assembly and making such a glaring error which can easily be cross-checked is disappointing, to say the least.
And may they stick to bringing news at 13:00 hours and not 13:05 hours, let them be time conscious please.”
TIPS
The announcer and news reader
A good speech is particularly important for the announcer and newsreader. The announcer is the anchor-man of a radio station.
He may be heard only briefly but he is heard throughout long hours of the day and over a period of years he can exert considerable skill on the speech standards of listeners.
Great care should be given to the selection of announcers particularly where the lingua franca of a country may be a foreign language. The standard of speech observed by the announcer and newsreader should stand as a model for others to follow.
It is generally said of the announcer that he should have: clear diction, correct pronunciation in every language that he uses, the ability to read easily and fluently and without any distracting vocal mannerisms or regional accents, an ability to communicate ideas clearly, a pleasing, friendly and acceptable microphone personality.
An announcer must necessarily be well informed over a wide range of subjects-music, sports, current affairs. The announcer who is also a newsreader must keep up to date with the background to the news and thoroughly familiarise himself with the names of people and places which appear in the news.
A good pronouncing dictionary and a pronouncing gazetteer should be part of the professional library of an announcer.
He should also listen to foreign news broadcasts in order to learn to pronounce the names of new political figures as soon as they appear in the news.
The narrator
The narrator features prominently in many different kinds of broadcasts the documentary, the educational series and the magazine programme.
Narration differs from newsreading. The newsreader is more formal and deliberate in his delivery whereas the narrator is often a more friendly and colloquial character. He is called upon to be much more descriptive in his delivery than is ever expected of an announcer. His pronunciation must be as faultless and his grasp of language equally as good as the announcer’s.
MULTICHOICE NEWS FLASH
As Big Brother Africa auditions kick off around the continent, we decided to have a sit-down with someone who openly claims that BBA changed his life.
Before Uti Nwachukwu joined the African reality show for the first time in 2008, he was a young man with an intense ambition for TV.
He was evicted from Season 3 of BBA but made a comeback in the BBA All Star edition in 2010 and though he slept a lot in between entertaining fans of the show, he walked away with the Mulla and a lot of clout.
Fast forward to today and Uti is doing everything he loves to do: modeling, acting, hosting a TV show and emceeing at prestigious events.
These are the kind of success stories that Africa wants to see and Uti thinks he has some sound advice to make somebody’s dream come true.
Check out this video of well-rounded BBA tips from the tall, dashing and dapper man.
For comments, observations and contributions; jackmwewa@gmail.com – 0955115777