How to shift from the "Broadcast" sound, to voice acting. It can be done!

Why do all broadcasters sound like clones?

Hello, and welcome to today’s edition of The Gift of Gab!

How to shift from the "Broadcast" sound, to voice acting. It can be done! - 4:30

Hello, and welcome to today’s edition of The Gift of Gab!I’m your host, Gabrielle Nistico, and today we’re exploring a curious question:

Why do all broadcasters sound like clones?

Thanks for joining me — and my very official news setup. How do you like this?

As many of you know, I’m a former broadcaster. I’ve worked in both radio and television, and like many people who’ve transitioned from broadcasting into voiceover, I had to do a lot of work to — as I like to put it — beat the broadcaster out of me.

Even after all these years (and I’ve been out of the news and broadcast scene for a long time — I mean, my hair is probably a dead giveaway!), broadcasters still sound... well, exactly the same.

Let’s take a quick pause — Because my cat is about to take... really, dude? Right there? There’s a box — right there — and this cat is going to take a crap and stink us all out of the room.

So... Why Do Broadcasters Sound Like That?

What happened? Why do they all sound the same?

There’s this unmistakable “news sound” — a broadcaster tone or cadence that so many people easily slip into. It’s been parodied endlessly in pop culture. You’ve heard it, you recognize it instantly.

But here’s what I want to unpack:

Is it a learned behavior?

Did we all just mimic our way into it, generation after generation? And are we still doing that today?

My Own Broadcasting Story

When I was working in radio, I didn’t receive any real training.Instead, someone in upper management said:

“Oh, you want to do what that person does? Well, just mimic them. Do what they do.”

That was it.There was no artistry, no coaching, no guidance. Just mimicry.

So I did.

• I mimicked the morning show DJs

• I mimicked the midday hosts

• I mimicked the news anchors

• I mimicked Diane Sawyer, and anyone else I respected

I was a copy of a copy of a copy.

It wasn’t until many years later that I started to develop my own voice, my own unique sound — and finally let go of that broadcaster persona.

What Is the “Broadcast Voice,” Anyway?

Broadcast has this weirdly specific tone — almost like its own version of a Mid-Atlantic accent, but more rigid.

And it’s not just how we speak. It’s:

• The rhythm

• The pattern

• The predictable delivery

• The tone of voice

It’s this oddly formal cadence that makes sense only in a newsroom... and nowhere else.

If you tried to speak like that in a casual conversation, people would think something was wrong.

If You're a Broadcaster Entering VO...

If you're a broadcaster — a reporter, anchor, DJ, producer — or even if you’ve just been around that world long enough that the “news voice” is creeping into your voiceover work...

👉 Come see me. We can fix it.

I’ve done it. Many others in the VO world have done it.It is possible — with the right tools, the right people, and a little patience.

Want Help?

I actually have a dedicated class just for former broadcasters on my website. It’s designed to help you shed that broadcast sound and find your authentic voiceover delivery. Find more about it here.

Take a look at it. If you have questions, I’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment, send me a message — I’m always happy to help however I can.

Thank you so much for watching!

704-674-8294 / GabrielleNistico.com / gabby@voiceovervixen.com

Gabrielle Nistico, Gabby Nistico, The Voiceover Vixen, The Business First VO Coach, #VoiceoverVixen #VoiceOnFire #BusinessFirstVOCoach Voiceover, Charlotte, North Carolina, Voiceover Demo, Voiceover Coaching Advice, broadcast, news anchor, good voice, news anchor voice