Becoming an RJ

Alternative Careers | August 27, 2010 | Share

Going back around 50 years from now, the Indian society was hardly dependent on electronic media as a source of entertainment. People found entertainment in live cultural shows, dance, music, drama, sports etc. Then came radio. Radio along with being a source of entertainment was more of an information source considering the fact that there weren’t too many ways of tracking what was happening around the country especially during the pre-independence days. The radio was the first form of electronic media which pretty much became the life support of people, but at the same time their cultures were never ignored. Radios at that time would transmit messages from around the country keeping people informed at all times and at the same time allowed people to listen to their favorite songs whenever they wanted to. AIR or All India Radio was the first radio station which came into existence in the year 1936 which was completely controlled by the government. They offered a wide range of shows which included dramas, interviews, news, songs and pretty much everything which was possible over audio media.

But with the arrival of television and the internet, radio suffered a major setback as its popularity slowly came down. This forced All India Radio to open up the FM radio for private channels which brought about a new life into the radio scene. With the number of Radio Channels which were introduced over the years, the scope for becoming a radio jockey also increased. People gradually started gaining more interest in radio yet again with the channels coming up with different, creative, out of the box ideas to catch the publics attention. This led to an increase in the demand for creative and smart radio jockeys or RJ’s who could handle public speaking extremely well.

It is not at all difficult to become an RJ. This job profile requires very little on paper and more on the outside. Anyone who has a passion for music, can speak well, can interact with people over the phone, has good communication skills, has a presence of mind, has a sense of humor, is creative and extremely energetic or is able to modulate oneself according to the situation can become an RJ. Anchoring a music show isn’t the only thing an RJ needs to do. They are responsible for entertaining people, keep them updated about various things which requires them to have knowledge of what’s happening in and around their city, host radio game shows and other contests etc. The performance of a radio jockey needs to be extremely tight and smart at the same time. Even though the voice of a person matters a lot and grips the listeners attention, it is more important that the RJ’s leave an imprint so that they come back to listen to the same show again. Handling the calls is another important thing as mostly it is live. It is important to have an adjusting personality especially when talking to people who call on their show and ond should be able to interact in a way that the caller feels comfortable.

Eligibility:
There is no specific degree required to become a radio jockey as it is a talent based profile. But a candidate should at least a Class 12th graduate. Though there are a few institutes which give training for radio jockey, no formal education is required for the same.

Given below is a list of institutes which provide training for radio jockey:
Xavier’s institute of Communication and Film and Television Institute (FTII), Pune.
The British council,
National School of Drama
YMCA

Once a person becomes an RJ, the opportunities in the same line are endless. Radio Jockeys get paid a lot too which depends completely on their talent and work hours. So I say gargle up and if you think you have the potential to do something different, go for it.

Urvi Bhatia
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