Characteristics of the Supranormal Speaking Voice: Radio Performers

Abstract

Characteristics of the Supranormal Speaking Voice: Radio Performers Radio performers use their voices to communicate with their audiences and compete in the radio marketplace. This thesis aimed to investigate what makes a good voice for radio. Perspectives on what makes a good voice for radio are likely to vary between radio employers/educators, listeners and clinicians. Therefore, this thesis explored good voice for radio using methods that considered these stakeholder perspectives. Five studies are presented; one using qualitative method and four using quantitative methods. The first study analysed interviews with radio employers/educators and presented a multi-dimensional model of what makes a good voice for radio, which was used in informing the design of four subsequent, quantitative studies on male radio performers. These four studies investigated features that characterised supranormal (better-than-normal) voice in radio performers, rather than dysphonia. They showed that a) good voice for radio is agreed on by listeners and judgments were predicted by an acoustic model with moderate accuracy; b) judgments of voices that were not “good for radio” were unreliable; c) voices of commercial and public radio broadcasters have different spectral characteristics; and d) radio performers’ voices have a higher speed quotient than controls, measured using high-speed videoendoscopy. These results imply that good voices for radio have different acoustic, perceptual and kinematic characteristics to controls. However, not all radio performers were perceived as “good for radio”; judgments appeared to be affected by other factors e.g., context and listener preference. Radio performers may also differ in voice quality to appeal to their stations’ target audiences. Finally, this thesis provides evidence for use of a stakeholder framework when describing the vocal features and demands of performers. Use of measures that are sensitive to the voice demands of performers is likely to facilitate optimal voice outcomes for these individuals.