Why do radio spots get re-recorded while following identical script?

Question

I've heard this a couple times (usually talk radio stations). Always wondered why.

Take a radio ad for Bayareajobs.com that airs locally. The version that plays now, while identical to the spot that first aired a few months back in terms of scripted dialog, is clearly a different reading.

Why do they do this? To keep the ads sounding "fresh"? Do they go in and re-record or just splice together one or more different takes recorded initially?

Why do I care? No big reason, just always wondered.

Answer 1

I take it you are listening to a San Francisco station. This is a big city that has many union announcers. In all liklihood, the original rights to the voice work has expired and someone else records the spot.

Or the announcer who originally recorded the spot is no longer with the station and they can't play his voice anymore.

Or, the advertiser may have requested a different voice this go-round - as you say, to keep it fresh.

Or (believe it or not), they lost the original and had to get a new script from the advertiser and have someone re-record it. This happens more often than you think.

-a guy named duh