Radio Jockey
A radio jockey is basically someone who gets paid for playing his favorite tunes. All of us are well acquainted with Hrishikesh Kannnan. His voice became a household name when the first ever FM radio-show happened on August 15 1993. The opening up of the airwaves to the private sector saw the surge in radio programmes and consequently the need for professional and well- trained RJs.
At different workplaces people know one another by faces or names but there is one profession where you may not be known by your name or face but by your voice. The moment you speak people suddenly jump up and recognise you and feel happy to be with you. Such voices start right in the morning - "Good morning Delhi, you are listening to ........." and continue till midnight. These voices have become so famous that they have become household names like Amin Sayani, Shamshir, Karan, Nitin, Dev, Rajeev Tyagi, Hardeep Chandpuri, etc. All these are Radio Jockeys and their profession is called Radio Jockeying.
The radio boom - that was seen in the from of transformation from AM (amplitude modulation) channels to FM (frequency modulation) channels - witnessed a new industry rising. This gave opportunity to various private players such as Radio Mirchi, Radio Mid-Day, Red FM, Radio City, etc. As a result, there has been resurgence in the popularity of Radio City, etc. As a result, there has been resurgence in the popularity of Radio. This FM boom has thrown open a number of avenues and opportunities to young, energetic and enthusiastic who have an ear for music and a passion to entertain. The profession of Radio Jockeying has just taken off in India and the demand for Radio Jockeys is likely to shoot up in the coming years as 10 more new FM channels are proposed.
The tasks of a Radio Jockey is basically to present a radio programme or convey some message in 'earable', conversational style so that the listener has a feel of face-to-face talk. The Radio Jockey acts as brand ambassador of the FM channels and it is the performance of these Radio Jockeys that makes or mars the radio station.
Eligibility:
The job of Radio Jockey is of diversifying nature depending on the subject matter of the programme. However, some basic qualifications are needed to enter the field. A person needs to be at least graduates. He should not be more than 35 years of age. However, there are some private radio stations which do take plus-two qualified persons. The person should have a good voice, diction, flare and fluency. Pronunciation must be accurate. For this one can practise various typical words of their respective languages. As such command over the languages is not required, however one must have flow in the language. One should also have presence of mind, have fairly goodgeneral awareness and be willing to learn and grasp rules of the entertainment industry. Unlike in other service jobs where eye contact is vital, in Radio Jockeying it is the voice contact that is most essential.
Courses:
Since the field is upcoming, not much training institutions have come up. Though there are number of universities and institutes that offer courses in communication and broadcasting, there are hardly any specialised courses in Radio Jockeing field. The courses offered by these institutes vary from two-month certificate course to one-year postgraduate programme. Besides, there are a host of crash courses in voiceovers or mixing run by professional in the field.
However, formal training is not enough in this
field. To develop confidence and flare one need to have exposure. This can
be cultivated by listening to various other announcers, on BBC and other
channels and get their fader in/fader out moves right. Some amount of
modulation training will definitely be an added advantage for the right job.
WHERE TO STUDY
AIR offers a two-month in-house training course to its Radio Jockeys.
Besides, AIR, Chandigarh has been conducting a week-long 'Vaani Certificate'
course for training its presenters from July 12, 2004.
The Take One Academy of Broadcasting, Chandigarh, offers trainees a chance
to present a show on the local AIR channel once a week.
The Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad (MICA), which takes in
students through CAT (IIM), offers internship with FM radio channels like
Radio Mid-Day, Red FM and Radio Mirchi as part of its one-year graduate
programme in Broadcasting Management. www.mica-india.net
A course is conducted by the Xavier Institute of Communications, Mumbai -
400 001, called ABCD - Announcing, Broadcasting, Compering and Dubbing.
Career prospects
There are many opportunities with various leading FM channels and private
radio ventures. With the increase of such channels there will definitely be
large requirement for such persons. In the very initial stages the earning
is anything between Rs. 7,000 to Rs. 15,000 per month. But these are just
the beginnings and are on the lower sides. After a few years experience one
can see a sharp rise in their incomes. Besides Radio Jockeys can earn more
by doing voiceovers, advertisement jingles for radios, television channels
and corporate houses. These groups prefer radio jockeys because of their
voice standard. All of a sudden, a job in radio is respectable. Indians,
like student Deepa Chanana, are paying hefty fees for courses, run by a
Delhi media company, to learn how to write and read for broadcast. However,
what is called radio jockeying in India is far from lucrative. For all those
of you who have a passion for music and desire to pursue a career in a
related field, Radio Jockeying could be just the field for you.
Jobs & Internships
Courses
Workshops Events
Trainers
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I will be the leader of a company that ends up being worth billions of dollars, because I got the answers. I understand culture. I am the nucleus. I think that’s a responsibility that I have, to push possibilities, to show people, this is the level that things could be at. I think that’s a responsibility that I have, to push possibilities, to show people, this is the level that things could be at.
I think that’s a responsibility that I have, to push possibilities, to show people, this is the level that things could be at. So when you get something that has the name Kanye West on it, it’s supposed to be pushing the furthest possibilities. I will be the leader of a company that ends up being worth billions of dollars, because I got the answers. I understand culture. I am the nucleus.
"I will be the leader of a company that ends up being worth billions of dollars, because I got the answers. I understand culture. I am the nucleus. I think that’s a responsibility that I have, to push possibilities, to show people, this is the level that things could be at."