Grooming of Talent & writing for Radio

1. ON AIR PERSONALITY: 

1. Announcer 7.         Anchor Person
2. Compere 8.         Master of Ceremony
3. Disc jockey 9.         Host
4. Commentator 10.       Interviewer
5. Moderator 11.       News Reader
6. Presenter 12.       News Caster

1. ROLE/JOB DESCRIPTION OF AN ON-AIR PERSONALITY:

• He/she is considered an identification of the station
• He/she is in direct link with the listeners and serves as the bridge between the station & the listeners
• His/Her main job is to keep the listeners informed about presentation and programming activities

1. QUALIFICATIONS, REQUIRED: 

1. Vast general knowledge
2. Well-educated
3. Good power of observation

• Intelligent & witty
• Articulate
• Communicative
• Command over language
• Good literary taste, particularly in poetry
• Good sense of humor
• Awareness of station’s policy and code of censorship
• Should have sense of timing 

1. ESENTIAL INGREDIENTS REQUIRED 

Voice is known as:

V         Value your Voice!

O         Open up posture!

I           Improve your articulation!

C         Connect with your listener!

E         Exercise! Read and record

S          Start with a smile! 

1.	Pronunciation		Mode in which a word is pronounced or spoken
2.	Accent		Prominence given to a syllable, weather by higher musical pitch or by stress. Intensity, distinction. Modulation to express feeling.
3.	Diction		Wording and phrasing, verbal style, the choice of words in writing etc.
4.	Pitch		Pitch is commonly designated as high or low, and it is a precisely definable characteristic.
5.	Volume		Volume is the common term applied to intensity or loudness of sound.
6.	Tempo		Time rapidity of movement, rate of motion and speed of movement in music & speech.
7.	Pace		The rate of speed and progression.
8.	Rhythm		Harmonious correlation of notes in music and measured Flow of words & phrases in verse or prose.
9.	Tone		Sound, especially with reference to pitch, quality and strength. Modulation of voice to express emotion.
10.	Modulation		Regulate, adjust, or vary tone or pitch of speaking voice from one key to another.
11.	Pause		Interval of inaction or silence; temporary stop.
12.	Emphasis/Stress		Stress, laid on word (words) to indicate special significance vigour, intensity of expression, feeling, action etc.
13.	Timbre		Characteristic quality of sounds, produced by each particular voice or instrument.

5. ABILITIES & COMPETENCE OF A GOOD DJ: –

• Should be able to simultaneously handle and perform as: –
  1. Voice
  2. Scriptwriter
  3. Producer
  4. Censor
• Should keep the minds of the callers active
• Should be friendly & respectful
• Should be able to present the program in a flow with a variety of inputs, maintaining spontaneity. Also, should possess creative acumen with innovative approach.
• Should be very lively & relaxed and able to cater & please the majority.
• Should not give an air of dullness, tiredness, and melancholy.
• Should have the capability to tailor the program, in the light of listeners’ feedback.
• Should no impose superiority of knowledge from a pedestal.
• Should be familiar with music genres.
• Should try to elevate the level of listeners’ intellect & information.
• Should be selective in jokes and exercise care in appropriate wordings.
• Should not use accentuated & exaggerated accent, both in Urdu and English.
• Before chalking out program plan, DJ should first determine the audience. Should have the knowledge about his/her listeners’ habits, activities etc.
• Should be original in his thinking.
• Should be bold enough to admit his/her faults, mishaps, mistakes etc.
• Should be well informed and keep pace with the advancement; be it technological, programming etc.
• Should be computer literate and conversant, to some extent, with software wand allied fields.
• Should have a patience to ignore immature & irresponsible behavior of the listeners and be open to criticism.
• Should be conscious of proper sequencing, progression, and segmentation of the slot.
• Should avoid politicizing social issues.
• Should narrate interesting anecdotes and events of national and international importance.
• Should keep his conversation in conformity with the time of the slot.
• Should avoid repetition of words & sequences.
• Should not use high-flown, highbrow, ornamental, flowery & bombastic expression.
• Should keep in mind a theme of the slot & the mood set to be carried through.

Some points to remember:

• Success as a performer in radio depends heavily on the kind of vocal personality. If it is vibrant and distinctive, the listeners will remember.
• In radio a performer’s physical appearance is of no importance.
• Only vocal quality is not enough. Professional counseling can improve vocal technique and confidence to a great deal.
• It is felt that women have large and growing role in radio, particularly in news, entertainment shows.

Talent for Radio:

In Radio and TV, the term talent is used for the outside people involved and associated with program.

• Major categories of talent are: –
• Drama Artists
• Vocalist
• Musicians
• Instrumentalist
• On air personality
• Writers
• Talent is booked from outside and paid on the program-to-program basis according to the fee structure.
• “Talent hunting” is a term used for searching and finding fresh talent particularly for dramatic and music programs.
• The practice in vogue for this purpose include, through advertisement/announcements, inter personal contacts and through Colleges and Universities.
• There are different criteria for training and grooming the talent for different program. Let us discuss under heads of drama, music, scripting and on-air personality

The Role of On-Air Personality:

An interesting way to view the role of on air-personality in radio it to consider the uniqueness of the presentation. What we take for granted today was not always the case: Radio announcers in the early years were literally announcers. They “announced” events to an audience. The audience did not participate in the event; acting more like spectators, so in that connection, the radio voice was similar to the public-address voice that announced the players at a football game. Personality was not associated with the announcing voice.

• With the emergence of the youth culture and the life-style factors of popular music, the entire perspective changed. And the announcer was less an announcer than a companion.
• Today’s on-air personalities are communicators. They must perform, entertain, and persuade—sometimes all within a few seconds. Communicators must reinforce the station’s mission: reaching a target audience and maintaining the overall sound of the station.

 The portable Companion:

• When radio changed from a mass-entertainment mode to a music-and-information mode, the way the audience interacted with radio changed dramatically. No longer was it necessary to commit a block of time to get the full impact of the scheduled program, as you would have to do with a soap opera or situation comedy.
• Now the audience could tune in and interact with the program and the program host for a short period of time. This means that a heavy responsibility is placed on announcers. They must be companions—friends to listeners, hosts, and facilitations.

       The Broadcast Communicators;

• The role of companion and facilitator demands that the presence of the radio personality be one of natural ease and comfort to the listener. Many managers describe the ideal announcer as sounding like an intelligent next-door neighbor or an engaging party guest. In any event, the formality and stylized delivery of announcer and the artificial intonations and expression that were the hallmarks of that style run contrary to the modern requirements of comfortable companionship.
• There are no inviolable rules, but some basic requirements widely accepted: –
• A clear speaking voice free of defects.
• Normal delivery free of affectation.
• The ability to communicate one-to-one.

The sum of these attributes is what allows an announcer to channel energy and talents into the goal of achieving a coherent station sound.

Effective on-air Communication:

Besides the specialized requirements, the quality of the announcing staff is evaluated according to various criteria, including literacy, energy, consistency, dependability, adaptability, and conscientiousness.

Literacy:

Knowledge of the language and a reasonable general education are essential for almost anyone doing on-air work. Mispronunciations and grammatical gaffes alienate even an unsophisticated audience.

Energy:

Effective on air personalities project an energetic demeanor while on the air; this is a universally accepted principle of broadcast communication. A person who displays a lackadaisical attitude is not likely to be a very interesting person off the air and certainly will be a disaster on the air.

Consistency and Dependability:

Air personalities who demonstrate occasional flashes of brilliance are typically, less useful than announcers who do a less-than sparkling but consistent job.

The essential point is that the average radio listener stays tuned to a station for only a short period of time. Hence, the person who stays tuned long enough to catch the occasional flash of brilliance is not characteristic of the audience as a whole.

Although not strictly a principle of effective on-air communication, dependability is a major concern. There are few other professions that require such rigorous standards of attendance, punctuality, and efficiency.

Adaptability:

The wide variety of tasks that air personalities are called on to perform mandates an individual with an ability to quickly adapt to changing situations. They cannot wait for a supervisor to tell them what to do in every situation, in the event of a local or national emergency.

Conscientiousness:

Attention to detail is the name of the game in radio. Logs must be filled out correctly. Commercials must be played on schedule. Time commitments must be met, and every minute must be used to maximum efficiency.