Working in Radio
If you’re willing to start at the bottom, work hard and learn the
business inside and out, you have an excellent chance to break into
radio—perhaps even before you finish high school. Among the many
famous people who started out in radio are Ronald Reagan, Dan Rather
and George Carlin.Beginning a Radio Career The radio industry cur-
rently employs over 100,000 people, a number that is likely to grow as
more stations go on the air. An average-size station employs between
20 and 25 people. About a third of those will have on-air responsibili-
ties. Entry-level positions in radio seldom pay well. In fact, many small
stations may start you at little better than minimum wage. But the
experience gained at these low-budget operations more than makes
up for the small salaries. During the first year or two in radio, you
pay your dues by learning the ropes. The small radio station provides
inexperienced people with a chance to become involved in all facets
of the business.On-Air Positions People who speak on the air often become
familiar companions as they pass the day with us on the radio. On-air
positions include announcers, deejays, newscasters, sportscasters, talk
show hosts and the people who lend their voices to the hundreds of
commercials we hear every day.- An announcer is anyone who reads commercials, pub-
lic service announcements, promotions or station iden-
tifications. The duties of an announcer vary, depending
on the size of the station. At a small station, announcers
also work as writers. For example, a midday announcer
who is on the air from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. may also be
responsible for writing the 4 and 5 p.m. newscasts and
any commercials that are needed. - A deejay is the host of a music program. Deejays must
be announcers and entertainers, especially during radio’s
prime time (from 7 to 9 a.m. and from 5 to 7 p.m.),
when people are listening in their cars driving to and
from work. Deejays are actually on the air less than you
might think. Music and commercials take up at least 50
minutes of every hour. A typical hour on the morning
show of a full-service station may consist of 15 min-
utes of news, 14 minutes of commercials, six minutes
of sports, 12 to 15 minutes of music and five minutes
of network news. That leaves just six minutes or so for
the host to speak. Many of today’s most popular deejays
have sidekicks, and most specialize in comedy.
-^ Newscasters, like other journalists, work hard at know-
ing their subjects. A newscaster is someone who reads,
and often writes, the news over the air. Newscasters must
study the court system, law enforcement, education and
a host of other topics of public interest to give credibility
442 MIXED MEDIA
announcer
a person who reads com-
mercials, public service
announcements, promotions
or station identifications on
the radio
deejay
the host of a radio music
program; short for disc jockey
newscaster
the person who reads the
news over the air; in televi-
sion, also called an anchor