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Is there a word/term for a person whose recorded voice on the radio announces the upcoming content, for example, musical piece, on radio?

I am not sure host or narrator would be quite correct, since they seem to imply more dynamic or extended engagement, respectively.

For example, the voice could say:

And now, interview with Mr.X

And then the interview is carried out by a completely different person. Then the voice will say:

Ludwig van Beethoven, piano sonata no.X

And the music will play.

Is there a specific term for this person's occupation?

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    I don't think recorded fits with the rest of the question: most announcers are employed specifically to speak live and link together recorded segments (though the entire programme may then be recorded for later transmission).
    – Tim Lymington
    Commented Dec 15, 2014 at 16:16
  • @TimLymington: I was thinking about a specific radio station which airs mostly classical music and I believe the voice is pre-recorded. I.e. it doesn't say "Beethoven, sonata 2" every time Beethoven's second sonata is aired.
    – Armen Ծիրունյան
    Commented Dec 15, 2014 at 16:20
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    That's an announcer. Doesn't matter whether it's recorded or not.
    – Hot Licks
    Commented Dec 16, 2014 at 3:21

5 Answers 5

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I would call them continuity announcers

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    They are not usually recorded, because part of their job is to cover in the case of unexpected events: "We apologize that due to technical difficulties we are unable to broadcast the scheduled episode of 'Jam Making Today'. Instead, here is some music."
    – DJClayworth
    Commented Dec 15, 2014 at 17:40
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    Note that continuity announcer is British English. Very few people in the US would have any idea what a continuity announcer is (we would probably just say radio announcer).
    – phenry
    Commented Dec 16, 2014 at 0:08
  • Continuity announcer is sometimes used in the US, but mostly I think you'd just hear "announcer".
    – Jon Kiparsky
    Commented Dec 16, 2014 at 5:56
  • The Guardian, 13 Nov 2012: "Claire Gibb was a continuity announcer at Film4 before following her then boss to the BBC Public Domain..."
    – Dɑvïd
    Commented Dec 16, 2014 at 12:56
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First thing that came to mind was the simple "announcer".

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I would use the term emcee. Emcee is the spelling of the abbreviation MC, which stands for "Master of Ceremonies", which is someone who "introduces speakers, players, or entertainers".

To be more exact, I would use a phrase like "emcee of the radio program", though just "emcee" would likely do.

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    Is "emcee" in current use for a radio host? The OED has a citation for that usage from the mid 1960s, whereas it has citations for "deejay" (what's with all the spelled-out letters?) from the 1950s to the 2000s.
    – David Richerby
    Commented Dec 15, 2014 at 18:38
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    Deejay stands for "Disc Jockey", which is a person who jockeys discs (CDs or records). In other words, a DJ is someone who picks the music on the radio (or at a club, rave, etc.). Since the implication of the question is that this is more about interviews and classical music, which is probably on a rotation or preset schedule, I would say that emcee is more appropriate.
    – Nick2253
    Commented Dec 15, 2014 at 18:41
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    @DavidRicherby At least in my area, the people who "run" the music stations, like pop and classic rock, are called DJs, and the people who "run" the talk stations, like NPR, are considered emcees.
    – Nick2253
    Commented Dec 15, 2014 at 19:32
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    @Nick2253 OK -- thanks. Sounds like this might be a US/UK thing, then. I don't think I've heard them called emcees in the UK.
    – David Richerby
    Commented Dec 15, 2014 at 19:40
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    An "MC" or "emcee" is similar to a continuity announcer, but the term is employed only in the context of a live program. (for example, the "host" of an awards program is often called the "MC"). To the best of my knowledge, the term is not generally used in radio. (either in US or UK English)
    – Jon Kiparsky
    Commented Dec 16, 2014 at 5:53
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A radio personality, radio host, radio announcer, or radio DJ (or just "DJ" or "disk jockey").

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  • Either an announcer or a narrator.
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