Fights over “Distinctive Voices” Ensue at CNN for 360
December 21, 2007
Just wait a minute…
It appears that NBC wasn’t the only network with its heart set on Michael Douglas to voice their intros.
Reports are in that Anderson Cooper of CNN’s program 360 were considering the very same “distinctive voice” but were steered off course to consider other voices when all of a sudden NBC announces that they hired the Hollywood actor Michael Douglas to introduce their NBC Nightly News broadcast among other station branding voice overs.
“Damn that NBC Nightly News,” writes Anderson Cooper on his blog. “For about six months now we’ve been working on having someone with a very distinctive voice introduce 360 every night.”
Anderson goes on to explain that he formed an “exploratory committee” that met in “a backroom at Michael’s” to discuss the issue.
“Week after week, cobb salad after cobb salad, we argued over whose voice to use,” he explains. “Sometimes the discussions got very heated, and eventually we were asked not to return to Michael’s.”
So as not to confuse, “Michael’s” is a restaurant, not the abode of Michael Douglas.
Cooper speculates that people from NBC may have overheard the discussions and took action.
So where does that leave distinctive voices for 360?
According to Anderson’s blog other voices in the the running for the job introducing 360.
The four finalists (as reported on Anderson’s blog) are:
Fran Drescher
Clint Eastwood
Paul Reubens (aka Pee Wee Herman)
Cher
Cooper states “Personally, I’m arguing for Fran Drescher, but I’m keeping an open mind.”
Related Story: NYMag.com
Hey Anderson!
Although a group of us professional VO’s decided to try our hand (or voice!) at the NBC open, I’m sure anyone of us would be thrilled to be the “distinctive voice” of AC360!
Click below to take a listen!
http://audioconnell.com/blog/?p=301
Peace!
Liz
–
Liz de Nesnera
Bilingual English/French Voice Talent
“Voice Tracks Voiced Right!”
Reservoir Road Productions
liz@hireliz.com
English & French Demos:
http://www.hireliz.com/
I saw this “moment” live on CNN.
For those who didn’t:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=S7GciyCId28
My reaction is best summarized by what an associate wrote in a letter to Anderson Cooper as well as in a post on Anderson Cooper’s blog:
“Anderson,
You might be the closest thing America has to become the next Edward R. Murrow.
Don’t blow it on inane stories of picking a new announcer for your show; not everyone knew it was a joke, and many people I spoke to at senior levels of media and marketing saw it as offensive, especially suggesting [as a joke of an option] Professor Hawking (not ‘Hawkings’ as you called him).
I know many people in our media biz who literally dropped their jaws when they saw that “bit”, wondering what is going on at CNN.
Please focus on being the last, best hope for American journalistic integrity, which is your Brand, and stay away from goofy and insensitive.
Sincerely,
Adam Michaelson
Chief Marketing Officer, Michaelson Marketing Group”
I wholeheartedly agree with Mr. Michaelson.
-Nancy Wolfson
braintracksaudio.com
[…] any rate, while thousands of miffed people are racking their brains on what to do about the voice over, Peter K. O’Connell has […]
I have been following Anderson Cooper’s search for a distinctive voice to introduce Anderson Cooper 360. I have listened with interest to Ozzie Osbourne and Fran Drescher. I love them both and they ARE very distinctive. But I would like to challenge Anderson to make a really risky choice. In the light of this exciting political year, the most distinctive voices have NOT been those of the celebrities urging CHANGE. The MOST DISTINCTIVE VOICES have been those of America’s youth…distinctive because they are making their political voices heard. In my world, one of those distinctive voices is the voice of my daughter…24…beautiful…a budding actress. She is the voice of millions of young people, who for the first time in their young lives, have been swept away by the excitement of this political year, and will exercise their voices at the polls this year…believing for the first time that their voices really mean something this year. My daughter, Michelle, has become an avid viewer of Anderson Cooper 360 so that she can stay current with the political news of the day! Anderson Cooper 360 has the opportunity to ride the wave of our youth’s excitement…USE MY DAUGHTER’S VOICE to represent the voice of change in our world!