Meet the “Voice” That Does the Talking for RTV 6 and 6 NEWS
John Young, that voice you hear on RTV 6
Recently, results of a Harris Poll were released that I found particularly interesting.
When it comes to advertising, is a male or female voice more effective to sell a product?
No real surprise, the respondents said it really depended on the tone and content of the ad. In other words, what feels right.
Here at RTV 6, since the mid-80’s, one voice has felt right for us.
Since 1986, John Young has been the man who has done the talking for Channel 6.
He has recorded thousands (maybe tens of thousands) of commercials, news and station promos, radio spots and news opens for RTV 6. If you call the TV station, John has even recorded the greetings on our station phone system.
I’ve had the good fortune to have worked with John for over 20 years! He’s a terrific, hard-working talent. I thought it might be fun to reveal the man/voice behind the TV station.
PAUL: Okay John, do you remember when you became the Voice of Channel 6?
JOHN YOUNG: I not only remember, but I’ll never forget.
It was in the mid 80s, and I fell in love with Indianapolis years earlier working summer jobs at a radio station, long gone, called WFIE between my high school senior year and college freshman year. We were on Meridian in an all glass studio. And just down the street was channel 6.
Coming to WRTV was a thrill. It is a rare and amazing time line that I’m still there but more a tribute to the focused management style of WRTV. They aren’t distracted by sideline issues but stay very intent on spending time thinking about what matters. I’ve had a real desire to never let them down as their loyalty is rare for today’s tv world, but internally they have a similar story. People have worked there for decades.
PAUL: How did you get started doing voice-over work?
JOHN YOUNG: It was an accident.
I was happily managing a popular radio station in Atlanta. Just down the street was Ted Turner’s operation (WTBS, the local TV station that eventually became TBS, the cable Superstation.) They assured me I could get everything they needed done in a 1 hr a day recording session.
That happened only because I work fast. But the training was priceless. Being on a tight budget Ted didn’t have lots of voices. He had, well, ME. That meant my 1 hr session might have Andy Griffith and the Braves promos, followed by a Wrestling promo (he owned the WCW).
We’d have a kids promo for the Flintstones and perhaps a Charles Bronson action weekend thrown in. I never knew until the next producer walked in what to expect. It forced me to find different moods and approaches.
Soon I began picking up more stations leading me to have to make a decision about my future. I wasn’t looking at the income as much as what I enjoyed doing, so I feel very fortunate that the opportunity presented itself.
PAUL: You are represented in a number of markets around the country, doing voice work on both TV and radio stations. What other cities might we hear your voice?
JOHN YOUNG: I have to think. Since I sit in a room all day I don’t focus on market size or location but on reading what’s in front of me.
Louisville has been a long relationship. Nashville, Memphis, Cleveland, Buffao, Syracuse, Ft Wayne, Peoria, Montgomery, Richmond, San Francisco, Detroit, Atlanta, Augusta, Kansas City, Austin, Fresno, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh. There are more but that is a good start. I do radio promos for the Klove network which adds 100 or so cities.
Since I seldom hear my work I don’t get carried away with details because everyday brings in new needs for that day.
PAUL: Okay…you can be heard all over the country. So just how the heck do you do what you do? In other words, what is a typical day like for an announcer?
JOHN YOUNG: It takes a real commitment. I know it probably seems melodramatic as many would think “all you do is sit and talk.” But since the requests are time sensitive I have to remain focused and concentrate with few distractions.
I start reading around 8am and finish at 6pm. I have the convenience of working from my home (John has a studio in his house) so I don’t lose travel time. But I also go some days without anything but coffee.
Every client gets the best service I can give. They don’t need any excuses and I give them service with minimal vacation days. I don’t remember when I had a sick day.
Every station is doing more with less and truthfully, each person I work with is working longer and harder than me so I can not let them down. The staff at WRTV is especially gifted. The hours the marketing team devotes has paired me with some of the best looking work I’ve ever done.
PAUL: You’ve been doing voice-over work for a while. What’s been the biggest change you’ve seen in your business?
JOHN YOUNG: More competition. Both at my level and with cable tv offering a variety of choice.
At the end of the day however, for me, more doesn’t mean better. I often joke that I pay for all those cable channels and only watch the same ones over and over. From Lost to 20/20, the View, GMA, and yes even Dancing with the stars, I’ll sit at night and usually start with ABC and most often stay there. The big networks still have the best shows.
But with cost of business and competition it’s a challenge. Advertisers know however, that to still reach the most people effectively, television and radio still deliver the most people at the best price. So I can only pray if we all do our job better than the next guy, we’ll have a job tomorrow.
PAUL: Finally, if someone wanted to do what you do, what kind of advice/guidance would you offer to get into the voiceover world?
JOHN YOUNG: Be very patient and try really hard not to take anything personally.
Don’t expect too much, too quickly. Don’t do it thinking it’s an easy way to make money.
I run into so many folks dying to do this. But producers who have a lot riding on efficiency do tend to depend on people who get the job done. Don’t we all? We buy products we know and trust. This kind of career is a slow build. It takes more references to be given vs someone running slick ads bragging on themselves.
I’d recommend a person be a student of the business. I watch more commercials than programs. No one can talk to me when commercials are on. I study the reads. I have coaching even after all these years. I know I can do better and work at being my best. If a person wants to do this, go to agents websites and listen to commercials. Read out loud everything, from the Bible to a magazine ad. Make it interesting. Learn to find the hot words in a sentence immediately. Remember your job is to get someones attention without yelling, to convince them without arm twisting, and that at the end of the day you’re representing someone bigger than you.
RTV6 was doing well before I came along, and it will continue after I’m gone. From Coca Cola, to Ford, Delta Airlines and other commercials I do and have done, THEY are the star, they are the product and I’m just telling someone about it. It’s not about me.
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Well put. Thanks John, for all the wonderful reads! You can obviously hear John’s work literally every hour on WRTV. Good stuff.
BTW, I am going to be taking Spring Break with my family. So have a great week.
Be back with a new post on March 26 or so.
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