Re: I was just thinking...

[Donna Halper <dlh@donnahalper.com>]

Garrett asked--
>
>OK, consultant Donna: How would you have advised Ms. Stern to phrase
>this statement, making sure to include the two important facts:
>
>1) The weather is somewhat cloudy.
>
>2) This observation was made at 1170 Soldiers Field Road in Brighton,
>which does not experience the same weather as Logan Airport.

Well, since I am a consultant, I would first charge for my advice!
Seriously, we used to do temperatures and weather the way normal people
talk-- with the location of the city, such as "In Boston, it's 67 and
cloudy.  In Framingham it's..."  The key was to be conversational.  I have
no problem with a mention of the studios-- I just find it amusing that many
announcers phrase it such that it seems there is a cloud over the studio,
like that guy in Little Abner who had a cloud over his head all the time...
 "At our WBZ studios in Allston, it's 67 and cloudy."    

I just have a problem with radio clichés-- I think the conversational
approach works best-- how many real people say "the time right now is 7
o'clock"?  Or "the probility of precipitation is 80%"?  

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