2025 PLD Raise Every Voice Fall Invitational

2025 — Lexington, KY/US

• Invite
• Results

SR Broadcasting

Event Description:

BROADCAST ANNOUNCING—Senior & Junior Divisions

Judge Instructions

Rules Summary

1. In this event, students assume the role of a radio broadcast announcer. During all rounds of Broadcast Announcing, the judge may turn his or her back on the contestant while the contestant is actually performing. Eye contact is NOT a part of this event, and should NEVER be part of a judge’s evaluation of the performance.
2. Competitors must remain outside the room until called to perform.
3. As each competitor finishes, the judge should collect the script except during Round II, and the student may leave. The judge then calls in the next contestant.
4. Students are permitted to time themselves during any Broadcast Announcing round.

Round I: COMMERCIAL.

Each student prepares, in advance, a news script using up-to-datematerial. The students may find material in AP script (available at localradio stations), newspapers, internet sites, etc. Each student mustcompose/ prepare his/her own scripts. Students may not use the samescript from tournament to tournament. Each competitor must provide acopy of the script to the judge. There is no requirement for particulartypes of stories to be included in the news script.

An introduction, a sign-off, and a brief commercial must be included in the broadcast. The suggested duration of the commercial is 15 seconds.Delivery of the script should last for three minutes, with a 15-second grace period both above and below the time limit.

The judge will invite competitors into the room one at a time, receive acopy of the script, and indicate when to begin. Students must presentall of the copy as it appears in the script .Students who share scripts will be placed last in this round.

Round II: STUDENT PREPARED NEWS-SCRIPT.

Each student prepares, in advance, a news script using up-to-datematerial. The students may find material in AP script (available at local
radio stations), newspapers, internet sites, etc. Each student mustcompose/ prepare his/her own scripts. Students may not use the same
script from tournament to tournament. Each competitor must provide acopy of the script to the judge. There is no requirement for particulartypes of stories to be included in the news script.

An introduction, a sign-off and a brief commercial must be included inthe broadcast. The suggested duration of the commercial is 15 seconds.Delivery of the script should last for three minutes, with a 15-secondgrace period both above and below the time limit.

The judge will invite competitors into the room one at a time, receive acopy of the script, and indicate when to begin. Students must presentall of the copy as it appears in the script.Students who share scripts will be placed last in this round.

Round III: BREAKING NEWS ROUND (This is new for 2025 - 2026!)

(3 minutes prep; 2-3 minutes performance suggested but not timed)

The breaking news broadcast should be about a news event taken fromwithin the previous ten days' news suitable for live broadcast.The same prompt should be assigned to all students.The news event, from a relevant, reliable, and up-to-date news source,must be international, national, or statewide. Such events might be anaccident, a fire, the visit of some important person, some political, social or
religious event. It might be an athletic or cultural event.The material provided cannot be edited or cut, but the material provided
will be approximately 90 seconds of breaking news material; this will allowtime for any additional information, such as a sign-on, sign-off, transitions,and/or commentary.Any lead-in or lead-out must be off the student’s memory; no materials may
be brought in by the student.The student must assume he or she must read the entire material as if itwas just delivered in a newsroom.
The target time for this broadcast is two minutes, but the event will not betimed.The student may use notes which they have written during the 3-minutepreparation time; students may ONLY write on the provided script (thus,host schools must provide a clean copy for each student).

Final Round:NEWS PROGRAM.

In a separate Prep Room, at five-minute intervals, competitors receive a packet of news-copy, prepared bythe tournament director. Competitors edit the copy and include animpromptu commercial, per the prompt included in the packet, toprepare a five- minute broadcast. An introduction, transitions, and sign-off are required. During the round, a student may use a stopwatch whileperforming; judges will NOT give time signals.Each competitor has 30 minutes to prepare the broadcast. The PrepRoom monitor will send contestants to their competition rooms at five-minute intervals.

There is a fifteen-second grace period, after which the student must bedropped in rank/rating.No performance violating the grace period may receive‘1’ in the round.

Criteria For Judging

I. Intellectual Content

Did the announcer communicate the ideas contained in the material? Did the announcer's mood relate to the content? In news programs, did the announcer employ good transitions?

II. Speech and Voice Habits

Was the announcer's voice quality pleasing -- not breathy, nasal, strident, or thin? Was the pitch normal -- not too high, too low, or monotonous? Was the rate varied -- not too fast, too slow, or monotonous? Was the inflection normal -- not too much, too little, or monotonous? Was the phrasing and pausing adequate -- not poorly placed or jerky? Was the articulation pedantic, careless, or exaggerated? Did substitutions or added sounds occur? Were there pronunciation errors?

III. Audience Rapport/Management of Type of Broadcast

Did the announcer sound natural and enthusiastic in the presentation? Did the announcer relate to the audience appropriately for the type of broadcast? Did the arrangement of material flow? Was the choice of material appropriate and timely?