Who is a Radio Jockey?
A radio jockey also known as a radio host is a work for radio stations who interacts with callers and selects and plays song tracks for or on request of the audience.
Radio Jockey (RJ) is a most aspiring, flourishing as well as demanding amongst the youth.
Apart from the whole technical field of commerce, mathematics, IT, engineering and so on, there are a number of other fields which to some extent require technicality and also demands a whole lot of creativity.
If a person is not creative and innovative enough, then there are possibilities for a person by not becoming a radio jockey. The career of radio jockey requires lot of innovation, creative bent of mind, liveliness and so on.
Being an RJ is not too tough. It just needs a passion, will to be and most importantly the clarity of mind. Some of the points are as follows:
Tips to Become a Radio-disc Jockey:
Here are a few tips on how to apply and become a radio jockey:
- Complete an undergraduate and bachelor’s degree in the required field
- Take an internship
- Try your hand at any local station for gaining a little experience
- Improve your skills by networking with professionals in this field
- Get reputed in a smaller market before making it big
Best Courses Offered:
- Certificate Course in Announcing, Broadcasting, Comparing and Dubbing (ABCD)
- Certificate Course in Radio Jockeying ( CRJ )
- Certificate Course in Radio Production Programme
- Diploma in Radio Jockeying ( DRJ )
- Diploma in Radio Management
- Diploma in Radio Programming and Management ( DRPM )
- Diploma in Radio Station Operations and Management
- Post Graduate Diploma in Radio Programming and Management (PGDRM )
Colleges Offering These Courses:
- Northpoint Centre of Learning, Mumbai, Maharashtra
- Xavier Institute of Communication, Mumbai, Maharashtra
- Harkisan Mehta Institute Of Media, Research and Analysis (HMMRA)Mumbai, Maharashtra
- Department of Communication and Journalism, University of Mumbai, Mumbai, Maharashtra
- ARM Academy of Radio Management, New Delhi, Delhi NC
- Center for Research in Art of Film and Television (CRAFT), New Delhi, Delhi NCR
- YWCA Institute of Mass Media Studies, New Delhi, Delhi NCR
- The Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad (MICA)
- Alis Academy of Radio and Television, Bhopal
- RJ Institute of Radio Jockeying, Chandigarh
Radio Jockey Required Skills:
Becoming an RJ is one of the topmost, in-demand career option for many youngsters. It has very become a trending career since the past decade. Just interacting and playing sounds tracks doesn; make one successful radio jockey. There are a few mandatory skills which one should have. Some of them are,
- Have a good voice
- Ability to modulate as per the situation
- Accurate diction
- Clear pronunciation
- Language Fluency
- Control the voice pitches
- Good sense of humour
- Creativity
- Spontaneity
- Good knowledge on music and things related o it
- Down to earth nature
- Approachability
- Friendly
How to Apply and Become a Radio Jockey:
1. Be creative:
Having a creative approach is a must. It is not hardcore science and maths where you are required to cram the formulas and methods, but the whole process and career revolve around your creative approach.
How and in what manner can you bring forth the innovation is the vital part of being a radio jockey.
If there will be no creativeness, listeners will give your program a farewell. So try and bring novelty each day, whatever you do.
2. Focussed approach:
The next most important thing is to have a focussed approach. It does not mean that you need to stick to one thing, but it means that you should be fully focussed on what you do. As whatever you will do, be presented to the listeners.
The listeners will hear what you have prepared, so make sure you do not distract and lose your listeners by deviating from the path you have chosen.
Just focus on the link you are going to speak in front of the mike and for your listeners.
3. RJ must have a good sense of humour:
An RJ should have a good sense of humour because radio is listened by most of the population of our country and it includes both rural as well as urban areas.
Most importantly, it is a listening device, people may get bored of listening to one person the whole day, so in order to make the concept interesting, it is vital to add some humour to your link. Or you are likely to lose your listeners.
4. Knowledge and awareness is must:
As most of the Indian population cater to radio for almost all sorts of information, so it must be kept in mind by the RJ that he is up to date regarding the information, current affairs and the general awareness.
If he or she will not have the proper information, then it may mislead the listeners or you may even lose the credibility of your radio station.
5. Good and fluent speaker:
One must also have full fluency in speaking. An RJ must not fumble while speaking. Clarity of speech and delivering the message should not be ignored.
Only good and fluent speaker is demanded by the listeners of radio. So, focus and practising about speaking is a must.
6. Command over the languages:
One must also have perfect command over languages like Punjabi, English, Hindi or any depending on the region where the radio station is located.
If your listeners are Punjabi, then speak in Punjabi because if you will speak in English, they obviously will not understand all that you are speaking.
7. Confidence is the key to succeed:
If you do not possess confidence, then go wherever you wish to, you will never be able to present yourself in front of others. So, be confident in what you do.
Having a good script in front but no confidence to speak that in the mic will do no good for you. So, be confident in what you say as it goes on air.
8. One must be flexible and adaptable:
It means that if an emergency arises and you have to report immediately to your listeners, then you should have that skill of adapting yourself to that time in such a manner that the listeners do not feel detached while listening.
When listening, it creates a sort of intimate relation with the listener, so to maintain that, be spontaneous and quick-witted.
9. Be original and have your own style:
Do not be artificial in front of the mic. This is because if you will be fake, it will not help you for too long but one day your station will lose credibility, authenticity as fake things does not last for long. So be realist, show what you are in actual. Do not be fake.
10. Knowledge of all the technical instruments used in the radio station:
In a radio station, many instruments like mixers, CD players, headphone, microphone, faders etc. are used by the RJ’s to control the voice, pitch, modulation, to add effects, background music or the underlays.
So in order to control all those side by side, learn about the technical instruments that are used in the studio.
11. Practice on the modulation of the voice:
Being plain while speaking will create monotony in what you do, so to prevent the listener’s from getting bored, learn to bring modulation in your voice.
If your voice will have no modulation, then your listeners may switch to another radio station for their entertainment.
12. Listen to radio maximum time:
Listening to the radio will do half good for you because only reading books or doing any theoretical course relating it will be of no use. Make your own effort and work hard to your own.
13. Openness is needed:
A Radio Jockey needs to be open for his or her ideas. RJ should be straight forward. If he or she will hide anything, people will not believe him or her the next time and it will affect your performance and credibility.
So to prevent all this, just be open. Put before the listeners a clear picture of all what is happening or happened in the near past.
14. Try and talk on the current topic:
Do not take up the topic form extreme past, unless it is required to relate with your present. Try and focus on the current event, daily happenings and so on.
Talking about the on the spot matter, you will be able to attract more listeners towards your program.
15. Have full control of yourself and always remain calm:
Remaining calm is must especially in the cases of playing contest with the listeners. The RJ’s tend to ask their listeners to indulge in all what they do and in case any person answers rudely, do not be impatient instead be calm and peaceful.
In such situations, you need to behave calmly with your caller. So learn to have control on your anger be cool.
16. Be accurate and precise:
Accuracy is also required. Along with that also be precise in what you say because of long and lengthy things loose interest immediately and creates void like situation for the listeners. Just be short and crisp so as to give the listeners your best.
17. Admit when you make mistake i.e be down to earth:
Being down to earth is a must because if you make a mistake and do not admit it, you may get fired at the end. So to prevent this, just admit if you make a mistake, no matter how big or small it is.
You can admit it on air by apologizing in some creative manner. This will help make you a good, trustworthy and listener-friendly RJ.
18. Add a funny element to your links:
Not always being simple and serious is required rather add some fun element in what you say. Say it with some style and uniqueness as it will add value to what you say and ultimately will help build your goodwill.
Sometimes try and change your voice and speak, or mimic someone through voice, or anything that you like to do.
19. Do not use technical jargon while speaking:
If RJ will make use of all the technical words, all the listeners will throw away their radio sets in anger as it will not help them anyway, neither in entertaining themselves nor in educating and so on. So be simple.
Speak in a manner as you are conversing with someone. Use regular words, slang, funny words so as to make your program effective and attractive enough.
20. Punctuality:
Be punctual, on time. If your program goes late on air, the listeners may think of program not being run for the rest of the coming day.
People may create such sort of notion towards you within one day. So be on time, start your work accordingly and let your listeners wait for your program to get on air. This way you will also feel happy and the listeners will also feel good towards your program.
21. Connectivity:
Nope, it is not about connecting your mobile phone to a charger but you connecting yourself with the audience by way of communication. If you will not connect to your audience, you will fail to become a good Radio Jockey.
So, try and connect with your listeners as you speak not only to one person at a time but billions of them. So talk to whom you are targeting, do not just speak.
22. Speak a lot:
The one who speaks a lot can be a Radio Jockey. Speaking only is not enough but speaking from within your heart is a must.
Speak in a manner as if you feel someone’s pain. Say what your heart says and do what our heart asks to do.
23. Practising on a daily basis:
“Practice makes a man perfect” is an old saying but it is very true. Practice a lot about what you learn during your internships and learning period.
Only repeating what you do will make you learn in a better manner and make you next to the perfect. Though lot of hard work is required but indeed it is the truth and no one can deny that.
24. Time factor:
Yes! Timeliness is utmost. Remember at what time you started with your program and when will you have to end. Keeping these factors are necessary as only timeliness will teach having good control over the programs that are being run.
If in case any program runs for too long say one hour or two, people will call and abuse for binging on one thing whole day long. So keep time factor in mind and then work accordingly.
25. Bring magic in what you speak:
It is not about running your magic stick or calling magician in your studio but all about your magical voice.
You think that you are speaking to none but in the actual whole world out there may be listening with attentive ears to what you say or convey to them.
Conclusion:
So, above are some of the points of how to become a Radio Jockey. To be whatever you want to, there is a need of some dedication, hard work and most importantly the interest.
If you will not have an interest in a particular field, then you will not be able to give your best to it. So, to give your best, first you need to perform in the best manner. For doing that you need to indulge in that work and move in the depth of that work. Though it takes time but being an RJ is altogether a fun and one also learns a lot. So the one who loves talking and who speaks from the heart can be the best in this field
