People in 30 million cars across the U.S. and Canada may be familiar with the voice of Jessica Ettinger, the Today Show radio anchor for Sirius XM, but in New York City, most have also likely heard her on the subway: she is the voice of the Lexington Avenue line.
"People ask me why they know my voice," she told NBC 4 New York. "They think they know me from television."
She's not on TV with the Today Show crowds, but she works out of the studio at Rockefeller Center. And on a recent day, one short walk away toward Lexington and underground, she hears herself say on the train: "This is the Pelham Bay Park 6 local train."
"That was me!" she said excitedly.
"I love being the voice of the 4, 5 and 6 train," she said, admitting "it's been very weird."
Fifteen years ago, Ettinger lent the MTA her voice while working at Bloomberg News. They had her record "the next stop is" just once, and then she recorded the names of all the stops on the line.
Now her announcement days could be numbered. The MTA is considering shorter messages like "2 local to the Bronx" to save time amid record ridership.
Local
Ettinger is OK with it.
"My kids are now 9, they've heard me on the subway," she said. "It would be OK if it goes away."
But riders who met Ettinger, stunned to see the face behind the voice, weren't on board.
"Don't cut Jessica!" one woman pleaded.
Even her pals at NBC had no clue she was the voice of the 6 train. Today Show hosts Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie gasped as Ettinger offered a sample "the next stop is Grand Central."
Guthrie had to know: "Are they still using your voice? Do you get residuals?"
"Zero," said Ettinger, joking it was "a gift to the city of New York."
