Denver has a lot to do to get ready for the Democratic National Convention, including fixes both large and small that could help this city put its best foot forward.
First up: Going public with the fact that the anonymous voice that started sounding off on DIA trains last summer belongs to Mayor John Hickenlooper.
While former Mayor Wellington Webb had a big photo posted at DIA welcoming visitors to Denver, Hickenlooper didn't feel the need to go so public, and when the train announcements were replaced, he lent his voice -- but not his identity -- to the project. Still, there's modest, and then there's unnecessarily mysterious -- and with Alan Roach (former Rockies announcer) and Adele Arakawa (tough 9News anchor) already telling travelers where to go to get baggage or to quit "delaying the departure of this train," the third voice just seems redundant.
Unless, of course, you realize that it belongs to the mayor himself, who's welcoming you to his town.
And now word has it the Hickenlooper message will be re-recorded, so that the mayor IDs himself and offers a proper greeting to folks visiting Denver.
Hearing is believing.
-- Patricia Calhoun
Denver has some serious voiceover issues. It's so irritating to have voices in the airport and Free Mall Ride jazzed up. I don't need goofy sound effects, knee-slapping humor or "famous" voices.
I don't even want voices with weird Midwestern twang or the dude who sounded like a flaming queen on the Free Mall Ride.
San Francisco's subway and European airports get it right: have a nice voice with a neutral accent deliver the information. And then shut up.
Posted at: March 20, 2008 12:39 PM