I Don't Understand Network Promo VoiceCasting

Do many of today's promo voices all sound the same?

If I turn my head and fail to hear the network letters, I can't tell which network is which. Yeah, the voices often sound fine (some are terrible), but I just can't tell many of the voices or their networks apart. Why do networks targeting 35 plus viewers use promo voices that sound 20? Why do networks targeting 18-34 use promo voices that sound like seniors? What don't I understand? I understood when Casey Kasum/Danny Dark were the network exclusive voices of NBC, Ernie Anderson/Bill Rice for ABC, and when Joe Cipriano was exclusive on FOX. Each network had a true sound...

Okay, perhaps an argument can be made for program specific voices, as opposed to network specific voices, but why must sooooooo many promo voices be directed to the same guttural dramatic whisper? I look forward to a break-out promo voice. My favorite network promo voice was probably Danny Dark due to his range, as he could hit the mark on so many types of shows effortlessly. Robert R. Lynn from St. Louis who was the voice of Channel 11 was fantastic too in the 80s and early 90s; it's ashame a national audience never got to catch his work (ISDN wasn't quite in vogue). BTW, I love the wacky guy NBC uses from time to time, the guy who had a big campaign for White Castle about ten years ago... Don't know why he is not consistently on some fitting network. If he is, I haven't heard him. Anybody know his name?

On a personal note, I would love to use the mood I used on my Audio Book Demo Section under Humorist on network promos. I think that flavor would be a break from conventional promo wisdom...

I know, I know. "Bruce, we have focus groups who dictate the sound we use." Don't forget focus groups panned Seinfeld. Don't forget Don Hewitt programmed 60 minutes from his gut. Frankly, half the time when I place media buys based on empirical data, the advertiser fails to get results, and often THEN that advertiser will defer to "my gut" on how to allocate broadcast ad dollars... "My gut" generally trumps the data.
www.brucehorlick.com and www.radiostorybooks.com