Radio personality

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A radio personality (Randy J. Allum) at work at the now-defunct WKZV in Washington, Pennsylvania in 1997 WKZV studio.jpg
A radio personality (Randy J. Allum) at work at the now-defunct WKZV in Washington, Pennsylvania in 1997

A radio personality is a person who has an on-air position in radio broadcasting. A radio personality who hosts a radio show is also known as a radio host (North American English), radio presenter (British English) or radio jockey. Radio personalities who introduce and play individual selections of recorded music are known as disc jockeys or "DJs" for short. Broadcast radio personalities may include talk radio hosts, AM/FM radio show hosts, and satellite radio program hosts, and non-host contributors to radio programs, such as reporters or correspondents.

Contents

Description

A radio personality can be someone who introduces and discusses genres of music; hosts a talk radio show that may take calls from listeners; interviews celebrities or guests; or gives news, weather, sports, or traffic information. The radio personality may broadcast live or use voice-tracking techniques. [1] Increasingly in the 2010s, radio personalities are expected to supplement their on-air work by posting information online, such as on a blog or on another web forum. This may be either to generate additional revenue or connect with listeners. [2] With the exception of small or rural radio stations, much of music radio broadcasting is done by broadcast automation, a computer-controlled playlist airing MP3 audio files which contain the entire program consisting of music, commercials, and a radio announcer's pre-recorded comments.

History

In the past, the term "disc jockey" (or "DJ") was exclusively used to describe on-air radio personalities who played recorded music and hosted radio shows that featured popular music. [3] Unlike the modern club DJ who uses beatmatching to mix transitions between songs to create continuous play, radio DJs played individual songs or music tracks while voicing announcements, introductions, comments, jokes, and commercials in between each song or short series of songs. [4] During the 1950s, '60s and '70s, radio DJs exerted considerable influence on popular music, especially during the Top 40 radio era, because of their ability to introduce new music to the radio audience and promote or control which songs would be given airplay. [5] [6]

Although radio personalities who specialized in news or talk programs such as Dorothy Kilgallen and Walter Winchell have existed since the early days of radio, exclusive talk radio formats emerged and multiplied in the 1960s, as telephone call in shows, interviews, news, and public affairs became more popular. In New York, WINS (AM) switched to a talk format in 1965, and WCBS (AM) followed two years later. Early talk radio personalities included Bruce Williams and Sally Jesse Raphael. [7] The growth of sports talk radio began in the 1960s, and resulted in the first all-sports station in the US, WFAN (AM) that would go on to feature many sports radio personalities such as Marv Albert and Howie Rose.

Types of radio personalities

Notable radio personalities

Notable radio personalities include pop music radio hosts Wolfman Jack, Jim Pewter, Dick Clark, Casey Kasem, John Peel, Charlie Gillett, Walt Love, Alan Freed, The Real Don Steele and Charlie Tuna; [9] sports talk hosts such as Mike Francesa; shock jocks and political talk hosts such as Don Imus, Howard Stern and Rush Limbaugh. [10]

Career

Education

Many radio personalities do not have a post-high school education, but some do hold degrees in audio engineering. [11] If a radio personality has a degree it's typically a bachelor's degree level qualification in radio-television-film, mass communications, journalism, or English. [12]

Training

Universities offer classes in radio broadcasting and often have a college radio station, where students can obtain on-the-job training and course credit. [13] Prospective radio personalities can also intern at radio stations for hands-on training from professionals. Training courses are also available online. [13]

Requirements

A radio personality position generally has the following requirements: [14] [15]

Opportunities

Due to radio personalities' vocal training, opportunities to expand their careers often exist. Over time a radio personality could be paid to do voice-overs for commercials, television shows, and movies. [17]

Salary in the US

Radio personality salaries are influenced by years of experience and education. In 2013, the median salary of a radio personality in the US was $28,400.

A radio personality with a bachelor's degree had a salary range of $19,600–60,400. [18]

The salary of a local radio personality will differ from a national radio personality. National personality pay can be in the millions because of the increased audience size and corporate sponsorship. For example, Rush Limbaugh was reportedly paid $38 million annually as part of the eight-year $400 million contract he signed with Clear Channel Communications. [19]

See also

Related Research Articles

Music radio is a radio format in which music is the main broadcast content. After television replaced old time radio's dramatic content, music formats became dominant in many countries. Radio drama and comedy continue, often on public radio.

Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. They may feature monologues, dialogues between the hosts, interviews with guests, and/or listener participation which may be live conversations between the host and listeners who "call in" or via voice mail. Listener contributions are usually screened by a show's producers to maximize audience interest and, in the case of commercial talk radio, to attract advertisers.

Voice-tracking, also called cyber jocking and referred to sometimes colloquially as a robojock, is a technique employed by some radio stations in radio broadcasting to produce the illusion of a live disc jockey or announcer sitting in the radio studios of the station when one is not actually present. It is one of the notable effects of radio homogenization.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WTDY-FM</span> Hot adult contemporary radio station in Philadelphia

WTDY-FM is a commercial radio station that is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The station is owned by Audacy, Inc. and broadcasts a hot adult contemporary format. WTDY features programming from Premiere Networks.

WABC is a commercial radio station licensed to New York, New York, carrying a conservative talk format known as "Talkradio 77". Owned by John Catsimatidis' Red Apple Media, the station's studios are located in Red Apple Media headquarters on Third Avenue in Midtown Manhattan and its transmitter is in Lodi, New Jersey. Its 50,000-watt non-directional clear channel signal can be heard at night throughout much of the Eastern United States and Canada. It is the primary entry point for the Emergency Alert System in the New York metropolitan area and New Jersey. WABC simulcasts on WLIR-FM in Hampton Bays, New York, on eastern Long Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KKSF</span> Black Information Network radio station in San Francisco

KKSF is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Oakland, California, and serving the San Francisco Bay Area. The station is owned by iHeartMedia and has an all-news radio format, with programming from the co-owned Black Information Network (BIN). The studios are located on Townsend Street in San Francisco's SoMa district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WNTM</span> Radio station in Mobile, Alabama

WNTM is a talk radio station based in Mobile, Alabama. The station calls itself "News Radio 710." WNTM is owned by San Antonio-based iHeartMedia and the broadcast license is held by iHM Licenses, LLC. Its studios are located in the same building as Channel 5 WKRG-TV on Broadcast Drive in Mobile, and the transmitter is just north of downtown. WKRG-TV supplies local news and weather, while Fox News Radio supplies national newscasts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Quinn</span> American talk radio host (born 1943)

Jim Quinn is an American conservative radio talk show host based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, currently hosting Quinn in the Morning on WYSL in Avon, New York, and WAVL in Apollo, Pennsylvania. Until its cancellation in November 2013, his program The War Room with Quinn and Rose was aired on 12 stations across the U.S. and was also heard on XM Satellite Radio Channel 244 from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WWBX</span> Boston radio station

WWBX is a radio station with a hot adult contemporary format in Boston, Massachusetts. The format started at 98.5 FM on February 9, 1991, and moved to 104.1 FM, replacing WBCN on August 12, 2009, to allow for the launch of WBZ-FM at 98.5 the next day. Its studios are located in Brighton, and its transmitter is on the upper FM mast of the Prudential Tower.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WILM (AM)</span> Radio station in Wilmington, Delaware

WILM is a news/talk AM radio station broadcasting in Wilmington, Delaware, United States. The station is owned by iHeartMedia. WILM is known as the station where radio and television talk show Joe Pyne developed the confrontational style now standard in radio and TV talk shows. Another well-known WILM personality was Tom Mees (ESPN) who worked at the station in the 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WXYT (AM)</span> Radio station in Michigan, United States

WXYT is a commercial radio station licensed to Detroit, Michigan, featuring a betting-oriented sports format known as "The Bet Detroit". Owned by Audacy, Inc., the station serves Metro Detroit and much of Southeast Michigan. Studios for WXYT are located in Southfield, while the station transmitter resides in Ash Township. In addition to a standard analog transmission, WXYT is licensed for HD Radio broadcasting, is relayed over the third digital subchannel of WXYT-FM and is available online via Audacy.

KTSB is a commercial AM radio station in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It is owned by Griffin Communications and airs a sports radio format. The station is the Tulsa affiliate for Fox Sports Radio, and also carries local shows. KTSB studios and offices are located across from Guthrie Green in Downtown Tulsa, and it transmits from a three-tower facility located along East 11th Street in an undeveloped area of East Tulsa.

WTKK, known as "106.1 FM Talk", is a radio station that is licensed to Knightdale, North Carolina and serves the Raleigh-Durham media market. WTKK airs a Talk radio format and is owned and operated by iHeartMedia. Sister stations include WDCG, WNCB, and WRDU. The station's studios are located in Raleigh, and the transmitter site is in Garner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KTIE</span> Talk radio station in San Bernardino, California

KTIE is a commercial radio station licensed to San Bernardino, California. It is owned by the Salem Media Group, with studios on University Avenue in Riverside, California, and it airs a conservative talk radio format. The station serves the Inland Empire of California, including San Bernardino, Riverside, Redlands and Lake Arrowhead.

WIOD is a commercial news/talk radio station licensed to Miami, Florida, serving the Miami metropolitan area and much of surrounding South Florida. Owned by iHeartMedia, WIOD serves as the Miami affiliate for ABC News Radio, The Glenn Beck Program, The Sean Hannity Show, The Schnitt Show and Coast to Coast AM, and syndicated personalities Clyde Lewis and Bill Cunningham. The WIOD studios are located in Pembroke Pines, and the station transmitter is in nearby North Bay Village. Besides its main analog transmission, WIOD simulcasts over the HD subchannel of co-owned WBGG-FM, and streams online via iHeartRadio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WMMI</span> Radio station in Shepherd, Michigan

WMMI is a radio station located in Shepherd, Michigan. It airs a classic country format branded as "Buck 92".

Several events occurred in radio in 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WLAD</span> Radio station in Danbury, Connecticut

WLAD is a commercial radio station licensed to Danbury, Connecticut. It broadcasts a talk format. WLAD is owned by Berkshire Broadcasting. The studios and offices are located on Mill Plain Road in Danbury and the transmitter is off Brushy Hill Road, also in Danbury.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WBEC (AM)</span> Radio station in Pittsfield, Massachusetts

WBEC is a commercial AM radio station broadcasting a talk and sports radio format. It is licensed to Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and is owned by Townsquare Media.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of radio disc jockeys</span> History of radio employees

The history of radio disc jockeys covers the time when gramophone records were first transmitted by experimental radio broadcasters to present day radio personalities who host shows featuring a variety of recorded music.

References

  1. ↑ L. A. Heberlein - The Rough Guide to Internet Radio 2002 - Page v. "In addition to putting songs together, a good radio host can tell you things you didn't know about the artists, the songs, and the times."
  2. ↑ Rooke, Barry; Odame, Helen Hambly (2013). ""I Have to Blog a Blog Too?" Radio Jocks and Online Blogging". Journal of Radio & Audio Media. 20 (1): 35. doi:10.1080/19376529.2013.777342. S2CID   144905276.
  3. ↑ Shelly Field (21 April 2010). Career Opportunities in Radio. Infobase Publishing. pp. 2–. ISBN   978-1-4381-1084-4.
  4. ↑ Higgins, Terry. "Club Features New Breed of Disc Jockey". Milwaukee Sentinel. Milwaukee Sentinel, June 29, 1984. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  5. ↑ Udovitch, Mim. "Last Night a DJ Saved My Life: The History of the Disc Jockey By BILL BREWSTER and FRANK BROUGHTON Grove Press". New York Times Book Review. New York Times Company. Retrieved 8 July 2016.
  6. ↑ Battaglio, Stephen (10 March 2002). "Television/Radio; When AM Ruled Music, and WABC Was King". New York Times. Retrieved 8 July 2016.
  7. ↑ Jim Cox (26 October 2009). American Radio Networks: A History. McFarland. ISBN   978-0-7864-5424-2.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Radio and Television Job Description". CareerPlanner.com. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
  9. ↑ "Series: Charlie Tuna". www.radioechoes.com.
  10. ↑ Leopold, Todd. "The kings of the radio: All-time great DJs". CNN . Archived from the original on 14 April 2016. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
  11. ↑ "Radio Jockey Education and Job requirements". educationrequirements.org. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  12. ↑ "Announcers and DJs". Occupational Outlook Handbook. bls.gov. September 8, 2022.
  13. 1 2 "ASU Dept. of Radio-TV". Arkansas State University. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  14. ↑ "Radio Jockey education and job requirements". educationrequirements.org. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  15. ↑ "RJs Talk About Their Careers in Radio". YouCareer.in. 1 September 2013. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  16. 1 2 "La locución es mostrarte tal cual eres -" (in Spanish). 2018-05-08. Retrieved 2020-05-09.
  17. ↑ "Radio Jockey: Job Prospects & Career Options". webindia123.com. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
  18. ↑ "Disc Jockey (DJ), Radio Salary, Average Salaries". Payscale.com. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
  19. ↑ Farhi, Paul (3 July 2008). "Rush Limbaugh Signs $400 Million Radio Deal" . Retrieved 26 September 2018.
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