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. |