Whether we like it or not, voice-tracking a radio show has become a way of doing business in the radio industry. Traditionalists fault the use of the technology to squeeze the cost out of radio for a larger return on investment. However, done properly, voice tracking can be just as effective at communicating with the listener as a live announcer. The key word in the last sentence is properly. As instructors, we should teach students about live, voice-tracked, and fully automated program delivery methods. They will encounter them on their first job.

I teach my students about these forms of program delivery through our university radio station, which has a "state-of-the-art" system that can handle live, live-assist, voice-tracking, and full automation. I have students produce good programming on their time schedule that airs when they are in class or away for the weekend.

While some schools might not have the ability to do so, it is an excellent experience for a student to learn how to adjust a voice processor to reinforce or bring out the best in their voice. Let students experiment with several different types of microphones, if available, and find their signature sound working with a producer or director.