Free Sample
The Complete Guide to Becoming A Broadcast Announcer and Radio Disc Jockey
What the job really pays, what the work really looks like, and how to decide if a mic is worth your time
by Alumigogo Books
Chapter 1: What Does a Broadcast Announcer and Radio Disc Jockey Actually Do?
Let's start with a scene that has nothing to do with what you imagine. It's 4:50 on a Tuesday morning. You're not in a cool downtown studio with neon lights and a row of shiny consoles. You're in a small building at the edge of a strip mall, in a town of about 40,000 people. The parking lot is empty except for your car and the overnight janitor's. You unlock the side door with a key you were given on your first day, punch in a four-digit code on the alarm panel before it beeps, and walk down a hallway that smells like old carpet and burnt coffee.
Inside the studio, the lights are already on. The previous DJ, who did the overnight shift from midnight to 6:00 AM, left his headphones on the desk, next to a half-empty energy drink and a stack of weather printouts. The control board is a long board with a dozen sliding faders, each one corresponding to a different audio source: two microphones, three CD players (yes, some stations still use them), a phone line, a computer running the automation system, and a satellite feed. The monitor speakers hum low. The clock on the wall says 4:53. You have seven minutes until your shift begins, and the first thing the program director told you on your first day was simple: "The sign-on is at 5:00. Not 5:01. People are listening."
This