[CC-ARES-RACES] Sven - The Voice of the Weather Service - Gets Fired

[JD Delancy]

I wonder if this is a nation wide trend..

---------------------Original Message-------------------------
  Date: Mon, 13 May 2002 16:34:15 -0500
  From: "Larry Eblen" <Larry.Eblen@noaa.gov>
  Okay all, 

  You complained so badly about "Sven's" Swedish accent on the NOAA Weather Radio, 
  that he's been fired. 

  That's right, beginning next week, Sven will no longer be the Voice of the
National Weather 
  Service. 

  The new Voice(s) will be Craig and Donna.  Here's a Press Release on the change. 

  Larry 

  ------------------------------------------------- 

  Contact: Susan A. Weaver    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                        NOAA
02-R203 
  (301) 713-0622 

           NEW NOAA WEATHER RADIO VOICES DEBUT NATIONWIDE

   NOAA's National Weather Service will begin using the new voices for NOAA Weather 
  Radio at the Austin/San Antonio Office next week.  Listeners in South Central
Texas will 
  hear current weather conditions and severe weather warnings delivered via the new 
  computer voice program with a lifelike male and a female voice.  The program will
be 
  customized at each weather forecast office to ensure words and geographical names
are 
  understandable to listeners in each individual area. 

   The National Weather Service, an agency of the Commerce Department's National 
  Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, carried out an extensive evaluation of
computer 
  speech programs, as well as a survey of public and constituent comments, in order
to 
  select male and female weather radio voices that will effectively provide public
warnings of 
  severe weather conditions. 

   NOAA Weather Radio provides continuous broadcasts of the latest weather
conditions 
  and forecasts across South Central Texas 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.  During 
  severe weather threats, however, the Austin/San Antonio forecasters interrupt the
routine 
  weather broadcasts with warning messages that can activate alarms on NOAA Weather 
  Radio receivers, alerting the listener that an emergency exits.  Programmable
alarm 
  receivers, known as S.A.M.E. radios, are also available that allow the listener to
specify the 
  county or counties for which the radio will alarm.  By using this feature, alarms
will not 
  activate for weather threats outside of the local area, and workers are not
disturbed 
  unnecessarily. These are especially valuable for schools, hospitals, and public 
  organizations. 

   "Your NOAA Weather Radio can mean the difference between life and death during a 
  hurricane, tornado or flash flood," said retired general Jack Kelly, director of
the National 
  Weather Service.  "We chose a software voice that is more easily understood
because it 
  combines phonetic sounds with natural language.  At the same time, it integrates
with our 
  console replacement system in delivering prompt warnings in situations where
seconds 
  can save lives." 

  The National Weather Service first used a computer synthesized voice technology in 
  1997.  Automating NOAA Weather Radio transmissions enabled the weather service to 
  send out multiple independent warnings over multiple transmitters simultaneously,
allowing 
  speedier delivery of severe weather warnings and more lead time for the public. 

   The National Weather Service is the primary source of weather data, forecasts,
and 
  warnings for the United States and its territories.  NWS operates the most
advanced 
  weather and flood warnings and forecast system in the world, helping to protect
lives and 
  property, and enhance the national economy.  For more about the National Weather 
  Service Austin/San Antonio Office, visit http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ewx.

                                 - 30 -

  The new and old voices are on the NOAA Weather Radio Web site 
  at-http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/newvoice.htm

  To learn more about NOAA Weather Radio - http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr