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JoshPeter
Ms.Boes
English10
17February2014
DeliveringtheLatestBulletin
In1921,RichardD.AronsbecameAmericasfirsteverradioannouncer.(AmericasFirst
Announcer)Hesetthebarforallradioannouncersbeforehim.Alloftheskills,aswellasthenecessities
ofthejobwerefirstintroducedbyhim.Whenworkingataradiostation,manyofthethingsyouwill
deliverwillconsistofmaterialofpublicinterest.Acertainskillsethastobeacquiredaswellyoucant
justshowupanddothejob.Alongwiththeskills,youhavetohavesomekindofpostsecondary
education,likeacollegeoruniversity.Youmightalsowanttoconsiderhowmuchmoneyyouwillbe
makingbeforeyougointothisfield,andwheremightbeagoodplacetomovetotogetthebestjob
available.Ifyouwanttogointoajobasaradioannouncer,therearesomeskillsthatyouhavetohave
alreadyacquired,andsomeyouhavetopickupalongtheway.
Jobsataradiostationseemprettysimplisticandobvioustothegeneralpublicaudience.There
mightbeapersonfordeliveringyoureverydayinterests,suchascurrentnews,localandnationalsports,
aswellastheweather.(CareerPage)Anotherguyatthestationwillplayallofthestationsmusic,
knownasthediskjockey,orDJ.Hecommonlytakesphonecallsforrequests,aswellascontestsand
othersuchsweepstakes.He,aswellasothersattheradiostation,selecttheprogrammingcontentfora
certaintimeslotduringtheday.Jobsattheradiostationareuniqueintheirownright,nottomention
otherthingsthatmakethemstandoutfromotherjobs.
Inmorethanoneway,workingasaradioannouncermaynotbelikeotherjobs.Forstarters,it

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isnotuncommonforapersontoworkhoursthatareirregular.Onepersonmayhavetheextremely
earlyshiftataradiostation,ortheymayworkthereallylateshift.Inotherjobs,youdon'thavetobe
alertonalloftheuptotheminuteinformation.Whenyouworkasanonairradioannouncer,youhave
toknowwhatisgoingonintheworldatalltimesoftheday.Ifthereisabreakingnewsstory,youhave
tobereadytoreportthatthemomentyouhearofit.Youhavetohavetheabilitytothinkquick,and
thenreportit.Alotoftimes,thatisjustpartoftheskillsetthatonehastohavetobeapartofthis
career.
Noteverybodycanjustgointothisfieldofwork,someskillshavetobeacquired.First,the
mostimportantandmostobvious,youhavetobeabletospeakwellandhaveagoodvoice.Ifyou
mumblealotandhavesuchasoftvoicetothepointthatanyonecanhardlyunderstandyou,thenyou
probablywouldn'thavethisjobforalongtime,ifyouevengotitinthefirstplace.Ifyoulistentopeople
ontheradio,theyareveryeasytounderstandandtheyenunciatetheirwords.Notonlydoyouhaveto
beabletospeakwell,youhavetobeabletoreadwithgreatfluency.Thatcomesovertimethrough
readingregularlyandreadingaloud.Anothertraitthatisgreattohaveinthisfieldistheabilitytothink
critically.Thisisoneofthethingsthatteachersreallyhitoninschool.Theyalwayshavestudents
practicecriticalthinking.Thismightmainlyhavetodowithsolvingproblemsthatmightarisewhileyou
aredoingyoujob.Criticalthinkingandproblemsolvingwouldcomeinhandyiftherewereproblems
withthecomputersthatareusedonthejob.Beingabletofixthoseproblemsonthecomputers,aswell
asbeingabletousethem,arealsoanessentialpartofthejob.Asdescribedbefore,workingasaradio
announcerinvolvesrunningacomputertoplaymusic,soyoucouldn'treallydoyourjobifyoudidn't
knowhowtouseone.Togointothisfield,however,youhavetohavemorethanjustskills.
Whenpreparingforthiscareer,onehastoattendsomekindofhighereducation.Thereare

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certainmajorsyoumightexpectthatoneshouldgointowhileatcollege,andwithinthose,thereisalittle
roomtomovearound.Themainonesthatapersonwhoisgoingintothisfieldshouldconsiderare:
communication,speechcommunication,broadcastjournalism,andradioandtelevision.Communication
andspeechcommunicationallhavetodowiththecommunicationandspeakingaspectofthejob,as
onewouldexpect.Broadcastjournalismmainlyfocusesonthewholereportingaspectofthings.Being
readytodeliverastorytoawiderangeofaudiencesisthemaintopicinthisone.(MajorsBroadcast
Journalism)RadioandTelevisionmajorsmainlyfocusonpreparingstudentsfortheactualworkplaceat
aradioortelevisionstation.Skillscanbeacquiredwhileincollege.Nowthatyouhavetheskillsandthe
schoolingforthisprofession,itistimetotalkaboutwhatisimportant,money.
Moneyplaysafactorineverycareerchoice,andjobsinradioannouncingarenodifferent.The
averagestartingwageforsomeoneinthisfield,forlargecitiesinthestateofIowa,is$20,856.(IHave
APlanIowa)ThoseareincitieslikeDesMoines,CedarRapids,andCouncilBluffs.Inasmaller
townlikeCarroll,itwouldbelower.Ifyouhavebeenatthejobforawhile,andareexperienceenough,
thentheaverageforthestateofIowaisbetween$30,840and$36,780.(273011Radioand
TelevisionAnnouncers)Itpaysmore,however,inDesMoinesthanitdoesinCedarRapidsand
Omaha/CouncilBluffs.ItwouldpayalotmoreincitieslikeNewYork,Miami,orLosAngeles,
becausethosecitiesarebiggerandthereforehaveamuchlargeraudience.Thenationalaveragefora
radioannounceris$32,000.(RadioPersonalitySalary)Youwillstartsmallandmakealittlebitof
money,butovermanyyearsandwithlotsofexperience,youwillmakelotsofmoney.
Ajobasaradioannouncerataradiostationisacareerinwhichyoucanbeverysuccessfulinif
youhavetherightskillsandtherighteducation.Youcanlearnalotofnewthingsthatyoudidn'tknow,
anditisalsopossibletomeetatonofnewpeopleandfriendsbecausethiscareercantakeyoulotsof

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differentplaces.Forsomeonewhodoesn'tnecessarilylikebackbreaking,hardwork,andwhoisgood
atcomputersandcommunication,thisistherightcareer.However,inordertoperformwellatthis
career,youhavetohavesomegoodcommunicationskills,andbeabletopicksomeupwhileatthe
job.

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"RadioandTelevisionAnnouncer:JobDescriptionPart1."Careerplanner.com.Careerplanner.com,
n.d.Web.16Feb.2014.

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<http://jobdescriptions.careerplanner.com/radioandtelevisionannouncers.cfm>.
"RadioPersonalitySalary."JobSearch.N.p.,n.d.Web.16Feb.2014.
<http://www.indeed.com/salary?q1=Radio+Personality&l1=>.