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The FM boom has done for radio what the satellite channels did for the tube. It has thrown open a host of opportunities, making radio jockeying one of the hot job options for youngsters with the gift of the gab, an ear for music and a passion to entertain, writes Chetna Keer Banerjee

Want to be heard more than be seen? Dream of becoming another Amin Sayani or a more contemporary Shamshir, Karan or Nitin? Well, there's a whole world of possibilities awaiting you.

With a number of private players ruling the airwaves now-Radio Mirchi, Radio Mid Day, Red FM, Radio City and the like — there has been a resurgence in radio's popularity. The FM boom has done for radio what the satellite channels did for the tube. It has thrown open a host of job opportunities, making radio jockeying one of the hot options for youngsters with the gift of the gab, an ear for music and a passion to entertain.

"Radio jockeying as a profession has just taken off in India and the demand for RJs is going to shoot up by next year with nearly 10 more FM channels coming up," says Shamshir Luthra, a leading name in this field. "This is the best time for taking up radio jockeying as a career," he adds.

But first an understanding of what the term means and entails. Opines K.C. Dubey, Station Director, AIR, Chandigarh, "Basically, radio jockey is the fashionable, modern name for the good old presenter." Elaborating on this, Hardeep Chandpuri, Director, RadioBuzz, Chandigarh, who has trained at the Broadcasters Training Institute, New Jersey, USA, says, "In the West, the big names in radio, like Casey Kasem, or 'Shock Jock' Shadoe Stevens, are called on-air personalities. In India, with the spread of FM radio, the RJ has come to be known as the on-air equivalent of the DJ."

Brand builder

Essentially, the task of a RJ is to present a programme or convey a message in a chatty, conversational style, giving the listener the feel of a face-to-face talk. A radio jockey is a brand ambassador whose performance makes or mars the radio station. What then are the qualifications and qualities that are needed to make it as a RJ?

Says Dubey, "To become a casual presenter at our local AIR station, a person has to be a graduate and below 35 years of age. In addition, the aspirant must have a good voice and diction and be fluent in the three languages-English, Hindi and Punjabi." A written test plus an audition is conducted to select presenters, who are then called for shows depending on 'programme exigencies.'

Advises Brian Mendonca, a senior English announcer for AIR Rajdhani channel (formerly Delhi B), "For an audition, it is important to get the pronunciation right. For instance, one should work on the names of the western classical composers like Haydn, Beethoven or Karajan (High-den, Bay-to-ven, Kara-yaan). Practise with tongue-twisting names, modulate your voice and don't blow your nose."

Sound sense

Private channels do take in plus two students as well and preferpeople aged below 34. " The basic qualities needed for a RJ are a presentable voice, sense of humour, right diction and the ability to be spontaneous and bring in an element of surprise," says Chandpuri.

Mendonca voices similar views. "The most important quality an announcer needs to have is presence of mind. You musn’t speak bad English, or air a wrong tape by mistake. Speak at a natural pace and visualise someone listening to you."

"Even when a presenter makes a mistake, he has to be smart and quick enough to cover it up. Once, when I was recording, the microphone fell with a loud thud. But I pretended as if the sound was of somebody else joining me in the studio," says Chandpuri.

Dev, an RJ at Radio Mirchi, who took up this job because of his passion for entertaining, points out, "In many other professions, eye contact with the clients is important. But in this line, voice contact is crucial as it keeps the audience hooked to a programme. If voice contact is lost due to excessive commentary or irrelevant talk, a radio jockey will not click."

Modulation matters

But is it basically learning on the job or does a structured course help? "Formal training does get you started but to be a confident presenter you need to do your job right. Neophytes should listen to other announcers, on BBC and other channels, and get their fader in/ fader out moves right," feels Mendonca.

Shamshir too is of a similar view. "Although there are some institutes offering courses in communication, if a person possesses these skills, he does not need any crash course to become a RJ."

Some amount of voice modulation training may, however, give you an edge. Says Shailja Thakur, who is doing a course at the Take One Academy of Broadcasting, Chandigarh, "My pronunciation, especially of Urdu and Hindi words, has definitely improved with training."

Echoes her batchmate, Bhawna Sharma, who is doing her Mass Communication and Business Studies from USA and has joined the course during her summer break, " The voice culture classes help to get the diction and intonation right."

Voice value

But does it pay to become a radio jockey? In the West, certain big names in the field command a price for each word that they utter. In India, the RJs in the metros who've carved a niche for themselves, too are raking in the moolah. "In the initial stages, the earning is anything between Rs 7000 and Rs 15,000 per month but thereafter the sky is the limit," says RJ Nitin. On a per show basis, the payment starts at Rs 200 to 250. Says Mendonca, "We're paid Rs 450 per shift regardless of the time involved. FM announcers, both on AIR and private channels, earn more." But RJs can earn a lot on the side by doing voiceovers or ad jingles for television channels or corporate houses.

Though the starting remuneration may not really make you break into a song, once you make a mark, you can make others dance to your tune. "Remember, this is the only job that allows you to play music at work and pays you for it," sum up Mendonca and Chandpuri.