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WGRZ is using Brian Williams for their opens....


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Posted

[YT]fQhoQOic9YU[/YT]

 

I don't think BriWi is the next Charlie Van Dyke......:bang:

Posted

He sounds about as excited to read that intro as he does the top stories on Nightly News...in other words...not so much. Ugh.

Posted

They've been using him for a few months. I meant to post a clip months ago to let you guys hear but never got around to it until yesterday.

Posted

Too bad my sound card went out months ago (I only know the main theme and the other theme that WTSP uses for their weather channel), but I can picture the open w/ Brian's VO.

 

Oh, and Charlie Van Dyke does WIVB's opens.

Posted

Roberta Solomon is the main V/O for WGRZ-TV along with KSDK-TV in St. Louis. Brian Williams seems to just only be there for some other stuff in Buffalo.

Posted
I have two: Why not?

 

I totally agree, why not?

 

I'm pretty sure the thinking is... we're an NBC affiliate... the NBC Nightly News is the highest rated national evening newscast... why not have Brian do the v/o for intros. Unless this station had a v/o person who's soooo recognizable... and one they'd been using for years and years... why not. Note, when I say recognizable... I mean to the average viewer... not to folks like us.

 

It's similar to Cronkite doing the v/o for the Couric show. It's a familiar voice to some/many who might lend a little credibility to the newscast. Note... I am not saying Williams is the next Cronkite... so let's not go there.

 

The station didn't pick Williams for his vocal quality (which, IMHO, is about the same or better than the likes of Eric Gordon, Greg O'Neil and Sean Caldwell, to name a few)... he was picked because of his possible vocal recognition.

Posted

Weak. But it kinda makes sense.

 

Just as weak as Michael Douglas's VO. (I still don't get that one) lol

  • 4 weeks later...
Posted

Just the thought makes me shiver. But guys, this is not the first time that a news anchor has done voiceovers. In the same group, WCSH/WLBZ has been using one of their anchors for voiceovers (same group, same network {NBC}, same region, same music).

Posted

You mean Cindy Williams, the 5:00pm/5:30pm/6:00pm anchor and reporter for Gannett-owned NBC-affiliated duopoly WLBZ in Bangor & WCSH in Portland (Maine).

Posted
I don't think he has a distinctive enough voice for that reason to make sense.

 

I disagree.

 

The viewer does not have to be able to recognize the voice as Brian's, in particular, just as one that is familiar to them. Familiarity breeds repeat visits to your newscast. That's a fact.

 

Also, I can think of half a dozen "professional" v/o artists who's voices are far less distinctive than Brian's, yet stations use them. Lots of bland voices out there. Note, I didn't say he was a great voice, just distinctive. Slightly nasal-y and whiny is definitely distinctive.

 

And perhaps the best reason to use Brian: he was most likely free of charge. Every penny counts.

 

All of that said, If I ran that station, I probably wouldn't have gone the Brian Williams route, just because I'm old fashioned when it comes to stuff like that. Give me an Al Vanik or Charlie Van Dyke anyday. But, it's not the stupidest decision in the world either.

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