President-elect Donald Trump is breaking from 11 presidents’ worth of tradition and replacing Charles Brotman as the “presidential announcer” during the inauguration parade. Brotman, a long-time, highly visible member of the D.C. PR community who once headed Brotman and Associates, which became Brotman|Winter|Fried, is known mainly for his work in sports-related activities.
According to CNN:
“The 89-year-old Brotman — once the voice of the Washington Senators baseball team — has announced every inauguration parade since Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1957.
“He told WJLA he was “heartbroken” and “destroyed” by the decision at first.
“I’ve been doing this for 60 years,” he told the Washington ABC affiliate.
“In his place, the Trump team has tapped Steve Ray, a 58-year-old Washington-based freelance announcer who has worked with the MLB’s Washington Nationals and for local radio stations.
“”All of us think of Charlie as as much of the Washington landscape as any building,” Ray told The Washington Post. “I’m on top of the world. From my point of view, I am not filling his shoes, I’m not taking his place, I just happen to be the guy who’s next.”
“Trump transition spokesman Boris Epshteyn said Brotman will be honored as “announcer chairman emeritus.””
Brotman may be gone from the inaugural parade, but he’s signed on with NBC’s Channel 4/WRC as a commentator during their coverage of the inauguration.
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