Radio Producer

A radio producer creates content and manages all aspects of production for a radio station. They generate original ideas and develop those of others, carrying out research into the appropriate field so that the idea can get off the ground. Though they may help create a variety of things, such as talk segments, competitions and a wide range of shows, they will rarely appear on air themselves. However, they will often be referred to by presenters and they may be head talking in the background. This is more likely during commercial radio as, when i was analysing Capital Radio, presenters frequently joked with their producers. However they may have the skills to step in for a presenter, if necessary.

They will often collaborate with a variety of people, such as presenters and third-party content contributors. They will also work closely with fellow producers who may advise them on their work. To ensure everything is running smoothly and to professional standards, a producer may direct people around the radio in an appropriate manner. Radio producers will often work on the  business side of the radio station. This will involve managing budgets efficiently and allocating resources to people appropriately. They may also be involved technically, helping presenters while they are on the decks and using software for the content they are using. The may also manage a station's website and social media pages. Through these they may have to handle complaints from listeners, with the intellect to respond to them professionally and without showing any bias. 

They will establish contacts within many other media platforms, including television, film and other radio stations. This may be for various things, such as getting someone to be interviewed by a presenter, help with creative output  and gaining information for the benefit of their radio station. A producer will often gather information from various sources and subsequently assessing and evaluating them for use. They will also obtain permission and licensing for a wide range of things. For example, they will gain licenses to play songs on air, as well as sounds effects and audio archive material. They will also contact people to get permission to conduct media-related things. This could involve interviews (they may contact someone's agent) and  filming (they may contact the owner of the premises/area they are filming on).

A producer may get the job, having worked their way up from the bottom. This might mean that they started off as a runner or assistant and have gained sufficient experience to be offered the role of producer. They may also have worked as a producer on a small-scale, such as for community and hospital radio stations. A radio producer may be hired by a bigger radio station as they have the ability to transfer their skills onto a larger scale. Another route is gaining direct experience in the form of a apprenticeship, though these are rare. This route is more likely for smaller-scale production jobs, where they can learn and contribute as they go along. One general way is being hired straight away, having already establishing yourself as a reliable, professional producer. This may involve transferring from other departments within a company. For example a producer on a BBC TV show may be hired by a BBC Radio. This may be because the role has become available and they need a BBC producer, who will already understand how the production system works.

A producer will need many skills to succeed and thrive in their job. These include the ability to create original ideas and content, that suit and will appeal to the listeners of their station. As they will be creating things, they will need to be able to pitch their ideas and script/write them appropriately for different media platforms an audiences. They may also have to tailor content due to location and audience preferences. This means that they will have to understand things such as demographics and how to read them correctly. As they are working in a technology-filled environment they will need skills to use certain equipment properly, such as recording material and using the correct software to edit it and finally upload it to a system or platform. Due to the interaction they will have with many different people a producer will need skills such as patience, intelligence and the ability to talk to someone neutrally. This may be put into practice as they may teach trainees where they will have to communicate effectively to make sure they understand what they are being taught. 

A producer will need extensive knowledge of the type of radio station they are working in, as well as the ability to search in the right places for information they need. As radio is a busy industry a producer will work with strict deadlines and so will have to have the ability to cope with being under pressure. Radio production has many laws which a producer will have to learn.  These include industry laws and ethics, which will tell a producer what is and isn't allowed on air. Other laws can include copyright rules, which a producer will have to know so a station isn't brought into disrepute for playing a song or other audio material without permission.

Qualifications will help a producer get into a job as this means a station won't have to train a entry level person the basics, which would appeal to them. Qualifications such as Film and Television production teach students all about the system and phases. They may also partake in work experience which will introduce them into a professional environment. Other radio stations may allow trainees to become producers, with established producers helping them by teaching them all that they need to know. Some stations may even accept graduates from other courses, as they may have a broad range of knowledge as well as skills such as the ability to work under pressure, preparation skills and planning skills.

A producers salary can depend on what station they work at and their seniority. An assistant producer would earn around £25,000 a year while a senior producer with much experience could earn up to £50,000 a year. They may get extra money for content created. How much research work they do will depend on the type of radio station. For example, a producer at Capital Radio may research pop-culture questions for a quiz while at Radio 4, a producer may find news-stories on a wide range of topics that can be debated. The level in the difficulty can depend on how much they need, however. A producer can work at any time of the day, as a radio station will need constant directing and organizing. They will also put in lots of work out of work hours, researching and creating content from home. A producer may also be called in to do various things for the radio station if the needs persists. A producer will usually work under a fixed contract with the length depending on the type of radio station. They may only work for 6 months at a time or years at a time. They may also be freelance, doing work for various shows on a wide range of different radio stations. A producer may earn extra money for extra content created.

This job role is for a fixed term of 9 months- to cover maternity leave. The job is as a Senior Content Producer for the BBC based in Aberdeen: 

http://careerssearch.bbc.co.uk/jobs/job/Senior-Content-Producer/7758

Reporter

A reporters role at a radio station is to gather and present stories, which make up that stations news output. Reporters can work for any type of radio station, including commercial, public services and community, while possibly working for other media strands of the station such as television and online. They might work alone or in a small group, with this varying with the size of the radio station that they are working with. Reporters can be based anywhere, as some may be based abroad to report on international news (foreign correspondents) while some may be based domestically reporting from the scene of a large-scale news story. This can involve detailing what is occurring on-scene and interviewing people who were involved/witnessed the event. Others may be primarily based at the radio station, presenting news as it comes in and writing pieces for online. Some reporters may even work at home, creating pieces which they will then send into a radio station for broadcast. How much they contribute and how much time they put in will depend on factors including the type of radio station and who they work with. For example a reporter for a station such as Key 103 may only create a small news bulletin but for a news-based station such as BBC Radio 4 they may create a longer feature in the form of a documentary. Reporters can work on a wide range of news stories such as politics, sports, celebrity news and finance. How much they do on each topic, if any, as stated previously can depend on the type of station as some will have much more of one news-genre than another. While based at a station a reporter may be assigned a specific news story, which they must then research and assess the reliability of the stations sources. A reporter may also have to pitch news items for consideration to broadcast to a stations commissioner, producer or editor. To research a news story a reporter may interview those involved or who witnessed it, while also using various forms of research to gather as much information as possible. This may include secondary resources such for some news stories and personal news contacts for others. They may also have to utilize other resources such as a library, which may hold information such as statistics for it's local area. This can be the same for the internet with various websites archiving historical events, which a reporter may refer to or use for more information. When conducting an interview they will be expected to get the answer that provides the most information- and the one listeners want to hear. They will conduct both pre-recorded and live interviews and so for the latter will have to have the confidence and intelligence to respond quickly to an interviewee's answers with appropriate questions. Some reporters may also have to contribute to the radio stations other media platforms, such as posting news bulletins on social media, and compiling pieces for use on a website. This might mean that they have to shoot video footage and take pictures of the news event that they are reporting on. Typically before joining a radio station as a reporter an individual will most likely have had journalism experience, in either print or television, before moving into radio. Someone who has worked for many years in print journalism will have lots of experience in the reporting field, with a great sense of what makes a good story and what to do to get the information on it. This may mean that they instantly get a high up role in a radio station's news hierarchy.  A person may also have been a news reporter for a small station such as a community, hospital or student radio and have had the experience to the job competently and professionally on a larger scale. The hands on experience having already worked on a radio station may impress any possible employers as it would mean that you would need minimal training, due to already having the essential skills. The pre-employment work in radio would show that you have a genuine interest and would appeal to a potential employer.  A radio station may have trainee schemes in which they train people in all skills required to become a radio reporter with the select few who excel going on to be fully-employed by the company. A reporter may start off small on a news team in radio, such as doing runner-type jobs, assisting other reporters in their work. Some people who have certain qualifications may be employed by radio stations as they might already have the skills to do the job. Some reporters are hired solely for their expertise in a certain field. They may report often or on occasion depending on the size of the certain news topic. For example a station aimed at teenagers will most likely have a showbiz correspondent, with a reporter on current affairs such as politics and foreign news having a peripheral role.  There are many skills that a reporter will need to thrive and do well in their job. These include knowing how to gather information on news stories, through many different sources. These can include internet research, phone calls, interviews and other archive resources such as libraries. They will know have to know how to do each of these things correctly and to a professional standard. For interviews, a reporter will have to try and get as much information as possible to create a picture of the news event for the listener. A reporter has to know what makes a good news story, so if an event came up or was sent in for consideration by an individual they must decide quickly whether it is in the public interest to broadcast. They must know what their specific radio audience wants, this might be through looking at the demographics for the station and the popularity of articles on the stations website. However, they may report on a variety of news so must have the ability to adapt and present/write in a certain manner. A good reporter will have a broad knowledge of current affairs so that they can report on a variety of things with some basic information on an event and its general background. Other necessary skills that would be required include having an appropriate personality, so to draw answers out of people without them feel threatened. To do this a reporter must possess patience and determination. A good presenter will present in a different style for different people. For example if they are talking to a woman about the death of her child, they will show empathy, speaking slowly and not cutting into the interviewee's answers. But if they are interviewing someone that may be being charged with a crime they will push the interviewee to get as much information out of them as possible. A reporter must also be able to work with a variety of people, such as other reporters, producers and technical people as well as independently. Due to the fast-paced nature of the job excellent time-keeping is key, along with the ability to meet tight deadlines. As this will be hard, a reporter must be able to cope with the pressure, keeping cool and intelligent during times of stress. A reporter has to maintain a fair presenting style and not appear bias to an individual or group during their pieces, as this could possibly detract people from listening. This is prominent among sports pundits as some are bias to their own teams, which leads to criticism. A reporter will most likely be taught basic rules about the media and their working environment. These will include media ethics laws for their reporting and health and safety laws for the studio in which they work. Due to the high amount of technical equipment that they use, they will need an extensive knowledge of how to handle the appropriate equipment and how to edit it accordingly. They may then have to upload it to a website or social media page so they would have to know how to do this. Education is essential if one is to become a reporter as unlike a presenter, personality isn't  a huge part of the job but intelligence and knowledge on a wide range of current affairs is. A reporter will almost definitely require a background in journalism if they are to get the job. This may mean they have been the reporter on a community, hospital or student radio before applying for a bigger radio station. It may also mean that they have worked in print journalism and are looking to make the transition to radio. Those routes would most likely be required without a degree as a reporter will have picked up significant experience along the way. If someone is looking to directly apply for a job at a radio station, they may need a degree such as one in Broadcast journalism or some other form of radio-related degree, as a station may want them to have an extensive knowledge on radio and reporting. A media, radio-related qualification would help as it would teach you the necessary skills needed to be successful in the role as a radio reporter. Some people may specifically get degrees in subjects such as science, politics and history, so that they can become specialist reporters on their topics for a radio station. Reporters will most likely receive training from a radio station, to help them adjust to how that station handles certain things. Other forms of training will typically involve them learning more about current affairs, possibly in the form of a lecture and how to improve their IT skills. A reporter may earn any amount of money, ranging from a small fee for a weekly topical news show to a yearly, fixed-salary fee for daily news bulletins. There are a wide range of stations reporters work on, with each station's news output varying in size. this will most likely effect the salaries of various reporters. For example a news-based radio station such as Radio 4 will have many different news-based programmes with a variety of specialist reporters whereas a commercial radio station will only have someone to read an hourly news bulletin. A reporter, depending on the size and success of a radio show can earn between £20,000 and £50,000. The conditions of their workplace will depend on exactly that-where they work. A public service radio station such as the BBC will have state-of-the-art radio equipment with technology to get breaking news as it comes in. The technology will also allow them to make news pieces easily and professionally.  They may also be able to travel to places where news events are taking place - at the expense of the radio station. On the other hand, someone working for a community radio station may work in a cramped small room, with old equipment and resources that they have to pay for themselves. As stated above how often they work will depend on the type of contract they work under. A reporter for a large radio station which delivers news regularly will most likely be under a  fixed term contract. This may also apply for news-bulletin presenters on other radio stations. Some reporters may get paid per-appearance. This mostly applies to specialist reporters as they will not be required all of the time. The following is a link to the BBC's job page, advertising an opening for a job as a broadcast journalist. The role is on a 6 month fixed-term contract and sees a reporter trying to find 'great stories and turning them into compelling radio'. The radio station is BBC Radio Berkshire. http://careerssearch.bbc.co.uk/jobs/job/Broadcast-Journalist-BBC-Radio-Berkshire/7703

Radio Presenter

Radio is a huge media platform that has different styles, purposes and content for different listeners. Radio Presenters become the voice of their respective radio show and can determine whether they are a success or not through their popularity and ratings. They can present many different varieties of speech-based shows from current event talk shows to entertainment programming. Due to the wide range of shows radio presenters usually have their own unique personality and presenting style, which usually correspond to the type of show. Presenters must also establish a personal connection with the listener and be fit for the role as they can depend on the success of the show. This may be through social media where they can regularly interact with their followers or via call-ins on their radio show. A radio presenter will typically work with their producer to help make the show as good as possible. They may also create their own ideas, write their own scripts and research various topics that may be being used during the radio show. While a show is broadcasting they will be expected to act professional at all times and to be respective of their listeners and colleagues in the studio. They may have to control the equipment in the studio too, making the transitions between music/jingles and speech as smooth as possible. A presenter would also need knowledge of sophisticated software as they may need to edit their own material, such as a jingle or podcast. Also, they may perform on-air tasks such as live calls and interviews. A typical music based programme presenter will announce songs, give facts about them and possibly give an opinion on them. This is in contrast to a topical debate show where a presenter will often ask questions that the audience want the answers to as well as making the conversations as interesting as possible. All types of presenters want to make their show as appealing as possible for the audience that is listening. As with all jobs, their would be many disadvantages and hardships to it. Hours may be long and unsociable and you would have to put in extra hours outside of work, such as creating content and promoting the radio station. Some presenters work through the night so would be extremely tired and would sleep through the day. This may lower their enthusiasm for the show. There are many ways in which someone can get into a radio presenting job. One possible way is starting off at a low position at the radio show, such as being a runner. You then may then being to make your way up the hierarchy, joining the production team and subsequently becoming a presenter when a vacancy is available and you are deemed acceptable for the job. A presenter could get a job straight away if they have already had experience working at a radio station, such as a community or internet radio station. This could be either due to being a popular and successful host or establishing contacts with some people while working in the industry. Others may be employed for their knowledge of certain subjects, with this route being more likely for factual radio shows or a sports or news journalists. A presenter may start off with a small show such as an evening or night slot, before making their way up to a morning or afternoon show. Celebrities may present a radio show if a show needs more listeners or want to add the flair of a celebrity personality to their show. A celebrity may present a show due to a contract with their employer (for example a BBC TV presenter may present a BBC radio show). There are several things that a radio presenter needs to do well and succeed in their job. These include good knowledge, confidence and excellent presenting skills. They will have to suit their job perfectly and present with an appropriate style.  While on air they may have to do many different things such as games, news segments and interviews. They may create their own personal relationship with their listeners, which could be through social media or promotional events outside of the job. Putting in extra hours may be because of promoting the station, or it could be learning about new equipment, training courses or creating new content. The more work shows the determination for the success in their job. A presenter has to work effectively and quickly as they would have many strict deadlines, so they would have to show their resilience when under pressure. A presenter may have to create new original content, either with someone or on their own, so they should know how to work professionally both independently and in a team, using their creativity to make the best things possible for their listeners. It would help hugely to have a wide range of knowledge relating to what you are presenting. For example a music based programme presenter may reveal facts about a singer or their song, while a sports presenter may have specialist knowledge in a certain field. A presenter who knows what they are talking about shows that they are intelligent in their presenting capacity. While in a radio studio, a presenter will be surrounded by technical equipment and would need extensive knowledge of how to use them. They will have to understand how to use the radio decks, as they will more likely than not be the one to transition between songs, speech and jingles. They may have to create a podcast, so would have to know how to use recording equipment effectively and subsequently how to correctly and professionally edit it with the appropriate software.The piece may then need to be uploaded to a site so they would have to know how to do this. During a show slight technical mishaps may occur so they would need basic knowledge on how to correct it. A presenter would needs knowledge on the legal side of presenting, such as what not to say and what songs are allowed to be played and which aren't. Basic workplace skills such as health and safety would need to be taught as a radio studio features many electrical items and they may be told how to limit the chances of a fire related accident.  Qualifications such as degrees or a-levels do not necessarily give a person an easy route into the job, as even though they may know about the radio industry, the technical side or have good general knowledge they may lack good presenting skills and confidence. Someone without qualifications may have excellent experience in the job and essential presenting skills,  as they may have previously worked on a radio station in the form of a community radio, student radio or hospital radio. A presenter needs to have experience and knowledge in many different parts of the radio industry, as explained above having many skills helps greatly in the job. A degree such as Broadcast Journalism may provide people with many skills and they may get an entry level job at a radio station, before working their way up. A presenter may be hired due to specialist knowledge in a certain area so a radio-related degree may not necessarily get them a job. A vocational radio course at either college, university or a workshop may give someone the knowledge and hands on experience to work on a larger scale, which may be something an employer would rather have. Training will most likely be provided by a radio station, who would want to make sure that a presenter knows exactly what they are doing, as the equipment may be more sophisticated than anything they have used before. A job as a radio presenter can be very stressful due to strict deadlines and timetables. This and unsociable shifts may lead to a lack of interest and effort from a presenter to put in as much hard work as possible. As they may be expected to complete certain tasks in small amounts of time while also broadcasting, a presenter may not have the tenacity to do their work to a professional standard. Due to this a presenter may come under pressure from a producer or the station. A radio presenter can work many different shifts across many days. These include early mornings, late nights and evenings. They may have a regular slot or fill in when another presenter is absent. As their are many different times when a radio presenter can work, they may have little time for other activities which may affect social and family life. The most popular presenters generally work at times most people will be listening, usually morning and afternoons. The BBC breakfast show post is currently held by Nick Grimshaw, which is a much sought after spot. As it is a popular show Nick Grimshaw has subsequently become a celebrity appearing on other shows and doing alot of TV work.  How much money a radio presenter makes can depend on the size of the radio station and the experience and popularity of the presenter. A beginner presenter who presents a small show may earn anything from minimum wage to a couple of hundred pounds per show. This can depend on the size of a station. For example someone who works a small show at BBC radio 1 will earn considerably more than someone doing similar hours at Real Radio for example. A presenter, once established, may have a contract to do a certain amount of shows for a monthly or yearly wage. This could range from £17,000 a year to £50,000 a year. As previously mentioned this can depend on the size of the radio station, the time of the show and the popularity of the presenter. Some presenters can become celebrities in their own right due to popularity of their show and may earn high amounts of money.  Chris Moyles when presenting the prestigious breakfast slot on Radio 1 was estimated to be earning around £650,000 a year. The money presenters make may also be for promotional events and work for other media platforms.  Depending on what station a presenter is working at the conditions may differ greatly. A community radio station may be a cramped, old fashioned radio studio and therefore may be difficult to work with. A public service or commercial radio station however, may have excellent brand new equipment which would make it easier for a presenter to work with. The following is a link to the community radio station Salford City Radio, where people can propose shows to broadcast and present themselves:   http://www.salfordcityradio.org/volunteer.php There are generally no job advertisements externally for the role of presenter, as people already working at the station get chosen first.