Salaam-Namaste! This is your inner voice speaking

MUMBAI: “You have an awesome voice. Have you ever thought of becoming a radio jockey?” If such compliments come your way often, you better begin fine tuning your vocal chords. And what better time than now to consider a career in the growing radio industry.

For decades, radio in India meant the ubiquitous All India Radio (AIR). Liberalisation hit the sector in 2003 which launched almost 340 private FM channels, and radio has never sounded the same again. Media players like Bennett & Coleman, India Today group, Newscorp and Mid-day Multimedia forayed into the segment with their FM channels. Overnight Radio Mirchi, Red FM, Radio City and Go 92.5 were singing their way with potpourri of entertainment and infotainment.

Over the next 18 months, 60 new channels will tune in. These include the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG) in association with Adlabs, Hindustan Times, Dainik Bhaskar-Zee combine (promoters of this paper) and others. With stations in over 90 cities, the Rs 300-crore industry will bridge Rs 1,000 crore by 2010.

The industry, which now employs around 800 people, will also see a surge in demand for media professionals capable to handle a host of radio station functions. A station has around 30 to 40 people depending on how big the channel is. Shariq Patel, station head-Mumbai for Go 92.5, says the industry will need over 10,000 media professionals across functions by the end of the decade.

Radio isn’t just about hosting a show as a radio jockey (RJ), even if it is perceived to be the most glamourous. There is much more to it than what you hear. It’s a great mix of inherent characteristics and nurtured skills. “A good voice, clear diction, exceptional communication skills, creative mind, humourous nature, ability to connect with your audience and hold their attention for hours,” points Amit Kumar Singh, an RJ with Red FM in New Delhi. Channels are always on the look out for graduates to qualify.

Bennett, Coleman’s media and entertainment arm, Entertainment Network India Ltd (ENIL) ran a special programme branded Radio Mirchi RJ Hunt. Says Krishnan Iyer, human resource head of ENIL, “It is aimed at attracting aspiring RJs and giving them an opportunity to showcase their talent. The best will be hired.”

The India Today group has a training institute in Delhi charging students between Rs 1.5 to Rs 2 lakh for a course. ENIL too has launched a training institute to help wannabe RJs. But Iyer does not divulge costs. Besides recruiting finance, sales and marketing, human resource and administration personnel, the other levels of recruitment in a radio station will be in the technical and non-technical.

While sound engineers and technical staff are hardcore professionals from specialised institutions, programming, production and creative are a mix of trained and nurtured professionals hired either from the industry or allied media like television and advertising agencies. At the helm of the affairs is the station head of a radio channel. Institutions like the Mudra Institute of Communications (Mica), Ahmedabad is a popular resource for radio stations besides others that offer media and mass communication specialisation. Other recruitment modes for mid-level and senior managers are referrals and head hunters. Entry-level positions are mainly filled by media school graduates.

Compensation packages hinge on the individual and the channel. There is no time frame for growth, but the multi-skilled experts rise faster. Entry-level candidates are mainly chosen from the summer interns from various media schools. While there is no real salary, actual expenses are reimbursed. However, once you are absorbed, you earn between Rs 8,000 and Rs 10,000 across all levels. An experienced RJ can earn between Rs 15,000 to Rs 30,000. The established ones earn much more hinging on their popularity and the value they bring to the channel.

Salaries in the technical department depend largely on the level of expertise, efficiency and ability to deliver quality sounds. The station head gets between Rs 80,000 to Rs 1.2 lakh. The normal working hours are eight to nine hours, and four hours for RJs.