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Passage 24   Differences Between Television and Radio Announcers

When television first began to expand, very few of people who had become famous as radio announcers were able to be equally effective on television. Some of the difficulties they experienced when they were trying to adapt themselves to the new medium were technical. When working on radio, for example, they had become accustomed to seeing on behalf of the listener. This art of seeing for others means that the commentator has to be very good at talking.

In the case of television, however, the announcer sees everything with the viewer. His role, therefore, is completely different. He is there to make sure that the viewer does not miss some point of interest, to help him focus on particular things, and to help him understand the images on the television screen. Unlike his radio colleague, he must know the value of silence and how to use it, at those moments when the pictures speak for themselves.

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