Time Out New York’s Stephan Lee and Lindsey Wojcik get to the bottom of who’s behind the voices on the New York subway system after being asked by a reader.
They write, “If the voices on the subway sound almost too perfect, it’s because the people behind them are veteran Bloomberg Radio talking heads, including Charlie Pellett, Jessica Ettinger Gottesman, Dianne Thompson, Melissa Kleiner and Catherine Cowdery. Of these, Mr. Pellett’s voice is probably the most recognizable—he’s the one who commands, ‘Stand clear of the closing doors, please’ and, ‘Please be patient.’
“Thompson announces station arrivals on the 1, 2, 3 and 7 lines, while Gottesman covers the 4, 5 and 6 trains. Deirdre Parker, MTA deputy director of public affairs, says, ‘For the most part, the female voices announce the station stops, destinations and other routine messages. The male voices usually deliver public-service announcements and warnings.’
“To get these radio anchors to record your voice-mail message, you may need to appeal to their civic spirit. Bloomberg Radio offered up their time as a public service to the city and began recording the voices in October 2001.”
Read more here.
