Radio presenter job
- 1. Radio Presenter What is the job? This particular job requires someone with good communication skills, due to radio presenter being the voice of the station and is required to inform and entertain, therefore building a relationship with the audience, whilst working closely with the production team and taking direction from a producer or editor. Radio presenters are often based in recording studios; however there may be times when they are required to work on location presenting outside broadcasts. As well as presenting the show a presenter will have to work with the studio equipment. Presenters often work for a variety of stations which will all have different target audiences; therefore it is vital that a presenter can cater for all types of audiences. Presenters could also be expected to review there own output and accept feedback on their performance. Depending on the station a radio presenter is working for, they can either be required to present live or recorded shows, scripted and unscripted. As well as being the voice of a station, a presenter may also be required to conduct interviews, host live events, write scripts, come up with original ideas and carry out a variety of other production tasks. Some presenters may also be required to write material for websites and a variety of other platforms. How do you get into the job? There is no clear path into radio presenting, however most presenters get into the job by gaining hands on experience working in hospital, student or community radio and then move on to larger stations with wider audiences. It is also possible to enter this particular industry by studying a under graduate or post graduate degree in either MA in radio or media production. What essential knowledge/skills do you need? To become a good radio presenter there is specific knowledge and skills needed. A few of these are: - It is important that a radio presenter can use their voice effectively for a specific radio station, therefore making It engaging and entertaining for the audience - It is vital to have good research skills so that a presenter can gain knowledge about different station and programme styles as well as audience demographics. - They must be able to work both independently and in a team. - It is also important to be able to react quickly in case of problems on air such as technical problems. - Radio presenters need to be aware of the law, ethics, copyright and industry regulations when presenting on air so that don’t slander. - They will also need a high level of IT skills and be able to operate the recording equipment in a variety of different radio studios. - They will also have to multitask between presenting and operating the studio equipment.
- 2. What training and qualifications do you need to get in the job? A degree or qualification is not essential for the role of a radio presenter, therefore when hiring a radio presenter the employee mainly looks for hands on experience, weather that is working on hospital, student of community radios. They will also take into account the amount of time a person has spent developing their presenting skills as well as their personal style, therefore it is vital to have evidence of hands on experience rather than specific qualifications when apply for the role of a radio presenter. However there are a variety of media degrees and college qualifications available which will improve a person’s presenting skills and their personal style. What salary, conditions and working practices are involved in the job? In terms of salary a source says that a radio presenter can earn between £14,000 £100,000 a year. However it is obvious that different presenters will earn different salaries depending on a variety of factors, such as how popular that particular presenter is, the time slot of the show they are presenting on and how large the audience for the particular station the presenter is working on. A prime example of this is Chris Moyles who presented the breakfast show on radio 1 with a salary of over £600,000 a year. In terms of working conditions it is very volatile due to the job being not very secure due to things such as fixed term contracts, working hours vary enormously, presenters may start presenting on a show and then not engage and entertain the target audience and presenters are never guaranteed a job. However if a presenter does engage the audiences and becomes popular it is a very rewarding job. What employment contracts they usually operate under? Most radio presenter’s work fixed term contracts, therefore they will be hired to work on a variety of stations or a fixed time, for example a presenter may be given a 1 year contract with a particular station.