CDR and Colorado Region Announcing Guidelines
The only person who is allowed to use the microphone, while turned on, are the individuals assigned to announce a particular heat as a work assignment. In addition , Chief staff that need to make particular announcements for operational reasons, are also allowed to operate the microphone. But a Chief may ask the assigned announcer, to make the announcement for them.
If anyone else is hanging out at the announcing tent, please ask them to leave for sometimes background chatter comes over the mic.
These rules do apply for trophy presentations as well.
ALL ANNOUNCERS must comply with these guidelines or will result in loss of announcing privileges.
When announcing, always remember your three most important duties:
- Announce every time and penalties
- Announce every time and penalties
- Announce every time and penalties
Drivers see their times on the timing display, so the penalty piece is perhaps most important. Either the driver has the radio tuned in to the announcing frequency or he/she has someone listening to times and penalties. Again announce all penalties, including late calls, even if another car is coming through the lights. Knowing or not knowing if a penalty was present, can dictate how the driver takes his/her next run.
- Please use the competitors names regularly along with updating what class they are in if there is a lot of switching back and forth between classes. It’s certainly still okay to give the car number, but it should be done along the lines of this “in the 190 Miata is Ron Bauer just finishing up” or something similar. . If all that is said is “DS #70 crosses the line with a time of ….” most people won’t know who that is. It’s also recommended that you comment on what car they are in (ie: purple Mini.)
- A little humor and commentary is great, just please keep it positive. When you talk about someone, assume their mother is in the stands. Chatting with yours. Also, please keep content/humor relevant to the driving event, animal noises or sound effects not related to the event should not be used. Additionally, do not talk about the other specialties over the mic. Saying things such as “timing must really be screwed up” is very inappropriate. You’re job is to keep the crowd informed, not 2nd guess what other workers are doing.
- Once the runs begin, things happen really fast, so I suggest running through the field before the heat to give attention to sponsor names, cars, etc., “setting the field” as it is called on TV. If you have some tough names to pronounce, it is OK to ask for input or go find the person on grid prior to the competition runs.
- The mic is power. YOU control the tempo and atmosphere of the event. Please help Timing and Scoring and the other officials run a smooth event.
- If there are sponsors at the event, please plug them at 3 times per heat. This would include food vendors that may be present at the events, as well. You can also, and we encourage, you mention the driver’s sponsors when they are either on course or just tripping the finish lights.
- Your main job is to keep the crowd and drivers informed of the times, penalties and current standings. In a perfect world, if someone on the opposite course turns on their radio to listen to you, they should be able to determine what class is running, who is leading, and the times of those coming in. Pretend that those listening aren’t able to actually see the action and therefore you are the one “showing” them what’s going on.