Date:  Fri, 27 Jan 1995 16:53:56 -0600

From:  "Timothy C. Frazer" <mftcf[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]UXA.ECN.BGU.EDU>

Subject: Re: TV and dialect



Responding to Jeff's interesting commentary on TV: when I mentioned the

NBC Handbook on Pronunciation, I was referring to the publication which

was used by the network to train radio speakers: The __NBC Handbook of

Pronunciation___ compiled by james F. Bender (New York: 1943, 1951, 1964).

Tom Donahue and William Van Riper both argue that this book, along

with John Kenyon's work on pronunciation (including Webster's Second

International) led to the spread of the rhotic Inland Northern dialect in

radio and in films. (Old movie buffs will remember the r-less dialects

in thirties movies. I have a tape of a 30s "Shadow" broadcast which is

full of r-lessness).



I'd like to get another thread going on the shift from a pseudo-British

or upper-class NY dialect to Inland NOrthern around the time of WWII in

the media, but that's too great a digression from where we are.



Tim