By Michael Alison Chandler
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, January 15, 2006

Some of the region's most talented and well-known voices will not be entering Metro's competition to record the trains' "doors closing" message, because they say they don't want to work for free.

Dozens of the professional voice-over performers who prompt people to press seven to delete voice mail or remind them not to leave bags unattended at the airport are urging the transit agency to protect the integrity of the work done by the "nameless, faceless voices you hear every day."

"We're kind of amazed that an organization the size and prestige of Metro would have a contest where the honor would be working for nothing for about a year," said John Badila, whose voice has welcomed people to the White House, guided them on audio tours along the Blue Ridge Parkway and narrated a show for the planetarium at the Smithsonian.

The gig that Metro is offering is to record a new variation on the old theme of "Doors closing, please stand clear of the doors." Metro officials are hoping a fresh voice might inspire a little more hustle in the crowded stations. The winner would also be asked to record other station announcements, without pay, over the course of a year, such as the message reminding people to step to the side on the escalators.

"It's a contest for fun, not for profit," said Metro spokeswoman Candace Smith.

She said Metro never paid for the last "doors closing" announcement, recorded in 1996 by a friend of a Metro employee. She added that Metro is not a for-profit company and that every year it has to ask for more money from local governments, and sometimes riders, to keep running.

A standard union fee for a recording that's three minutes or shorter and does not air on television or radio is $237, said Pat O'Donnell, executive director of the Washington-Baltimore chapter of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, which has 2,600 local members.

"We're not talking about a fortune here," said Badila, who has done voice-overs for more than 20 years. The main issue is recognizing the legitimacy of their profession, he said.

"How would [people] feel if they were on a Metro train and they knew the driver wasn't being paid, or the people who fix the rail weren't being paid?" asked Melissa Leebaert, who might be recognized for her role at the nearby IMAX theater. Her voice routinely tells people to "please take your seats" or "move to the center." She was also a Channel 5 announcer who let people know what was coming up next.

"Everyone thinks it's something everyone can do," Leebaert said. "Most of us are actors with quite a lot of training."

As of Friday, 140 CDs and audio tapes had been submitted to Metro, Smith said. As outlined on Metro's Web site, contestants must include recordings of two potential messages using three tones of voice for each: polite, serious and authoritative.

The deadline for submissions is Friday. Ten people will be called to audition, and a panel of industry experts will help make the final decision early next month.

Smith said Metro's intention with the contest was not to limit the opportunity to star before hundreds of thousands of riders each day to professionals, but to open it up to everyone.

"All year, we've made a point of listening to our riders, and give them a voice," Smith said. "This contest does exactly that."