Radio Jockey or RJ is a very familiar word today. Isn’t it wonderful that a voice can connect people? People feel related to it and can also feel those emotions behind the voice of an RJ. The history of Radio begins in the era when there was still British rule in India around 1920s and according to the time the size, technology and fan following of Radio have evolved. With the great development in media and entertainment industry, in every aspect be it technology, popularity, skills, creativity, and career, everything has seen progress in the last two decades. Also, being Radio Jockey or RJ has evolved as a major career in today’s media and entertainment industry. Though the form of listening to the programs might have changed, still the fan base for Radio has not decreased. One of the main factors that have made Radio as an emerging and flourishing industry is technology, today, individuals can easily access radio using their mobile phones. If an RJ has a soul connecting voice and sense of humour he/she will have a great number of followers, and in the present time, an RJ is not less than any celebrity.

Career Scope as RJ-

It started with Akashvani which is now officially known as All India Radio (AIR). In the early days of radio, there was only one channel available on radio that is AIR, also with a lot of disturbance in the range of signals. But today, there are more than 360 radio stations in India in different languages, and still there is a rise in these radio channels according to the developments happening in the country. The career scope in radio is being increased with the years, and one of the popular jobs in radio is being an RJ. Today, the job opportunities as an RJ are available in both the sectors, that is, government and private. The main criteria for becoming an RJ is a good voice with clear and correct pronunciation, also an individual should be right with the vocabulary while talking or communicating on air. Elaborating more on job opportunities, the government radio station that is All India Radio provides many job opportunities to the candidates who are aspiring to be an RJ. AIR also functions in regional languages, so, there is no language constraint for being an RJ, and the facilities offered by the government such as good salary packages, job security, health insurance, and holidays. Further, when it comes to private radio stations, there are many popular private radio stations available in India with an excellent number of listeners. Being an RJ or getting a chance working in such radio stations can bring good popularity to an individual, because these are channels which an individual listens to on regular basis, eventually making those RJs very famous among the mass. Today, if an individual gains popularity as an RJ he/she is considered as a celebrity and the career keeps growing to the heights. A voice to which an individual can connect easily will gain great fame in the field of radio because radio is only one-way communication where only an RJ speaks and a large mass listens to their voice. Hence a voice of an RJ can create or develop an emotion in the listener.

Eligibility for Becoming an RJ –

All you need to become a successful RJ is a good and clear voice because you need to speak and hold the masses for hours, as it is the only medium available to connect with the people on the radio.  The voice is like the main character for any program of any RJ because a large number of listeners can only form a bond with the voice they are able to hear on radio. An attachment gets created between the listeners and RJ, if an RJ is speaking cheerfully with joy-filled in their voice, the listener will feel happy listening to such RJ’s. Not only having good and suitable can help in being an RJ, the pronunciation of words should be very clear, also the vocabulary. Apart from these major elements, an RJ should be good in expressing emotions through their voice, should be spontaneous and humorous at the same time, creative, interactive and should be updated with all the current issues and latest trends and news of every industry. All these are the skills that are essential to be an RJ, other than in this there are many courses available to be an RJ, but there is no fixed education or degree required to become an RJ.

Courses Available for Becoming an RJ –

There are many universities, colleges, and institutions that offer numerous courses in mass communication under which Radio is counted as a core subject. The courses available to become an RJ are mentioned below:

1. Certificate courses in Radio Jockey
2. Diploma in Radio Jockey
3. Bachelor’s in Journalism
4. Bachelor’s in Mass Communication
5. Diploma in Journalism or Mass Communication
6. Professional Radio Jockey Courses
7. PG Diploma in Radio
8. Master’s in Journalism
9. Master’s in Mass Communication

Today, the career in radio has grown immensely, especially the role of an RJ has gained popularity because they are the ones who represent a channel and its culture to the mass. The mass gets easily connected to the voice they listen on a daily routine, they connect to them like a friend and will feel every emotion that is expressed by a good RJ. Being an RJ is a job full of excitement as well as challenging because whatever may be going in personal life, and RJ should always be active and talk with a joyful voice with too much patience. By this, I am signing off with a hope that this article will help those students or aspirants who are thinking or willing to become an RJ.