Broadcast Speech

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 44, 17 May 1929, Page 15

Broadcast Speech

Advice by an Expert "THY voice is a celestial melody." Longfellow’s poetic description of the human voice could not well apply to the majority of people, according to the celebrated woman traveller and radio speaker, Gladys M. Petch, who just completed a world tour of radio stations when she spoke over KGO, the General Dlectric station at Oakland, California. Mrs. Petch, an Bnglishwoman, said to have the "best known voice on the air" in Europe, possessor of the "most perfect radio voice" of any woman, is interested in voices. "The criticism is often 11ade of Americans that they speak with a harsh nasal twang," Mrs. Petch told Bettina Angelo, feature newspape writer, who has been speaking over KGO for some time. "T think this is true for the most part, but it is not only true of Americans, but of people the world over who are not careful of their speech tones. "Some of your radio announcers in the United States have terrible voices, though of course there are some fine exceptions. I believe that the radio is going to concentrate public interest on the speaking voice and do a great deal towards improving speech," she added. "To what do you attribute your title to ‘the perfect speaking voice? " the European radio star was asked. "T have been giving lessons in Hnglish over the Government station at Oslo, Norway, and I have learned to speak slowly and distinctly through the necessity of making my points clear in the teaching of a language to a foreign race," The whole secret of a good speaking voice is to enunciate clearly and without the hasty slurring of vowels, or the harsh nasal twang of consonants, the expert radio speaker declares. Mrs. Petch lectures under sponsorship of the Norwegian Government from the big broadcasting station at Oslo, the city where Prince Olaf and Princess Martha were recently marpied. She is said to be the first British woman to speak from amy Italian, Austrian, or Ozecho-Sloyakian station and is frequently referred to as "the champion woman broadcaster."