NPR Tries New Underwriting Voice, Again

Hansen

CURRENT.ORG reports that NPR is making another change to its voicing of underwriting announcements, naming former AMERICAN UNIVERSITY News-Talk WAMU/WASHINGTON underwriting announcer JESSICA HANSEN as primary voice by the end of FEBRUARY in a trial that will include evaluating the new arrangement and making an assessment of how to proceed.

HANSEN is replacing SABRINA FARHI, who was named the primary voice for underwriting announcements in OCTOBER, replacing FRANK TAVARES, who had read the announcements for the previous 31 years.

FARHI's apparent demotion comes amidst NPR's "vocal fry" controversy, in which some listeners are complaining about the common vocal characteristic among women that creates a low rough sound on some words at the end of sentences. FARHI's delivery has drawn attention from the anti-vocal fry contingent.

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