Careers in Radio Presenting
There are a variety of careers available for radio presenters. Those who are fortunate enough to be able to make a career in radio presenting generally possess a compelling and distinct voice, an ability to orate well and clearly as well as a natural gift for gab.
Radio Announcer
Announcers serve as a radio station's voice to the public. They are required to deliver a host of information to the listeners, from programming information, public service announcements and station breaks. They may also, depending on the need and situation, be asked to lend their voice to regular programming. For example, their voice can supply an additional source for commentary or scripted comments during news announcements or weather and sports information. As a well-known representative of the radio station, announcers are also frequently asked to participate in community events such as parades, interviews or sporting events.
Show Host
Show hosts are in charge of representing their own specific program on the radio station. This differs from the role of a radio announcer, who lends their voice to the radio station in a wide range of capacities and situations. Though show hosts only work with their own specific show, they are responsible for completing a variety of tasks for that show, such as interviewing guests, writing scripts and editing the program for airplay.
News Anchor and News Analyst
News anchors, as their name would suggest, offer recent news coverage and current events for their listeners. Depending on the radio station's size and scope, this may be on a small scale, covering local news and community events, to a large scale, covering world events and international politics. News anchors will either cover a news event as it is happening or read a news report that has been previously scripted. Often, they do both.
News analysts, in contrast, are more specialized in their radio commentary. Often times, there will be an analyst for economic news or arts and cultural events, for example. Sportscasters then, in a sense, are a type of news analyst.
Disc Jockey
Before CDs became widespread, disc jockeys enjoyed a greater role and position in radio presenting. They are still widely employed by radio stations, however, as they are the ones responsible for sharing with listeners the various bits of information about the music that is being played on the station: artist, title, program notes, etc. DJs also read a variety of other information such as intermittent news or weather reports and sponsor information.