OK, maybe this could be an urban legend but over the years I have heard that back in the 50s and 60s, even well into the 70s many radio stations actually required that their announcers smoke cigarettes to get that deep radio voice. Is there any truth to that?
I do know that in the many of pics of radio studios and/or disc jockies from back then taken in small markets and major ones that I have seen, an astray and a pack of smokes in the studio were as common as the mic was. I also have met a number of past and present announcers who have told me they would have never taken up the habit had they not gotten in radio. But still to have a PD or GM back then, even when smoking was the "in" thing to do to say "...you need to smoke Winstons" just seems a bit too much to me.
I guess there are those who still believe cigarettes and radio go together like bread and butter. A friend of mine who works at a station in the midwest, he is a health nut. Runs several miles everyday and works out at the gym and even avoids meat. BUT..he smokes 2 packs of Marlboro Lights a day. I asked him about that and his response was "..hey I do it ( smoking Marlboro Lights ) for radio !!".
I do know that in the many of pics of radio studios and/or disc jockies from back then taken in small markets and major ones that I have seen, an astray and a pack of smokes in the studio were as common as the mic was. I also have met a number of past and present announcers who have told me they would have never taken up the habit had they not gotten in radio. But still to have a PD or GM back then, even when smoking was the "in" thing to do to say "...you need to smoke Winstons" just seems a bit too much to me.
I guess there are those who still believe cigarettes and radio go together like bread and butter. A friend of mine who works at a station in the midwest, he is a health nut. Runs several miles everyday and works out at the gym and even avoids meat. BUT..he smokes 2 packs of Marlboro Lights a day. I asked him about that and his response was "..hey I do it ( smoking Marlboro Lights ) for radio !!".