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Radio and Television Announcers provide information and entertainment by speaking to audiences using radio and television broadcasting stations.

NATURE OF THE OCCUPATION

Radio and Television Announcers may:

Identify stations

Announce news, commercials, and public service messages

Introduce various types of radio or television programs

Describe sports and public events, such as parades and conventions

Interview guests

Give necessary network cues so that selected stations may receive intended programs

Memorize or read scripts

Give network program cues

Ad-lib (speaking without written or memorized text)

Operate a control board or give cues to the operator

Make promotional appearances

Write scripts and news copy

Keep records of programs

Review and select recordings for broadcast

Coordinate and run contests or other station promotions

Take transmitter meter readings (may need restricted operator's license from FCC)

The equipment and materials used may include:

OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTIES

Radio and Television Announcers may specialize in these areas:

159.147-010 ANNOUNCERS provide information and entertainment by speaking to audiences reached by radio and television broadcasting stations.

159.147-014 DISC JOCKEYS announce (on radio only) programs of musical recordings and comment on music and other matters such as weather, time, traffic conditions, and public service announcements. Closely related to Disc Jockeys are Video Jockeys (V.J.'s), who work on a small number of televised programs announcing music videos and interviewing featured guests.

159.147-010 SPORTS ANNOUNCERS broadcast descriptions of sporting events as they happen. They may also interview sports figures during or after sports events.

159.147-010 INTERNATIONAL BROADCAST ANNOUNCERS present programs in a foreign language for broadcast to other countries.

131.262-010 NEWSCASTERS analyze and broadcast news received from various sources. Besides selecting news items, they may prepare scripts and present news over radio and television.

Some Announcers may be known by their mode of broadcasting, such as Radio Announcers, Television Announcers, commercial announcers, local announcers, and network announcers. Other Announcers specialize according to type of programming, such as weather, sports events, business, and general news. Most newscasters, however, are actually broadcast journalists. They write and edit much of their own copy and also go on the air. (See MOIScript #191, Journalist). Many weathercasters are actually meteorologists, with postsecondary degrees, who study the earth's atmosphere. (See MOIScript #283).

In addition to learning about these specialties, you may also find it helpful to explore the following MOIScripts:

WORKING CONDITIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

Working conditions are usually pleasant because of the variety of work and the many personal contacts that are part of the job. Radio and Television Announcers may be supervised by a program director, station manager, or station owner.

Announcers may work outdoors on remote broadcasts or indoors in clean, well lighted, well ventilated offices & studios. Conditions may be extreme, noisy, or even hazardous during some assignments. Sports announcers often work in crowded broadcast booths. Announcing traffic conditions from inside a helicopter can involve noise from the wind and extreme heat in the summer.

TV anchors typically work 48 hours per week. Most Announcers in large stations work a 35- to 40-hour week. Their work week at radio stations is usually spread over 6 days. Many Announcers in small stations work 4 to 12 hours of overtime each week. Working hours may be unusual and consist of both time on air and time spent in preparing for broadcasts. Because some stations broadcast 24-hours a day, some Announcers may work rotating or split shifts. Depending on their assignments, some Announcers may have to travel long distances to cover sporting events, news, and public interest stories.

Some Announcers belong to unions, such as the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) or the National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians (NABET). Announcer who join a union must pay dues. Employing stations need a marketable on-air staff; therefore, union membership does not ensure job security in this profession.

You Should Prefer:

• Activities concerned with the communication of information

• Activities resulting in esteem from others

• Activities performed at odd hours and a variety of locations

You Should Be Able To:

• Use reason and logic

• Understand the meanings and relationships of words

• Communicate ideas orally and in writing

• Deal with others in a pleasant manner

• Read quickly and accurately

• Perform a variety of duties which may change often

• Handle unexpected situations in a calm manner

Math Problem You Should Be Able to Solve:

The station manager wants you to play at least 9 songs per hour and play a commercial 20 times a day from 8:00a.m. to 5:00p.m. How many commercials do you play per hour?

Reading Example You Should Be Able to Read and Comprehend:

Read and understand the technical words of a sports game, political event, or public happening to be presented to the public.

Writing Example You Should Be Able to Produce:

Select news items and prepare scripts to be presented to the public.

Thinking Skill You Should Be Able to Demonstrate:

If you are given a script that you are supposed to read over the air, and the script has discriminatory statements, you need to think about whether or not you will read the script. Legal problems need to be taken into consideration.

Although no license or test is required for employment, a restricted permit may be obtained from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) upon request by a worker. Employers may expect their personnel to know broadcast laws and rules, operating procedures, general technology, and basic broadcasting theory and practice. A pleasing appearance and good grooming are important for Television Announcers.

EDUCATION AND PREPARATION OPPORTUNITIES

NOTE: On-The-Job Training provided by the employer or a Certificate (program of up to one year of study beyond High School) or an Associate Degree (two years of study beyond High School) or a Bachelor's Degree (four years of study beyond High School) or a Master's Degree (five to six years of study beyond High School) may qualify a person for this occupation.

The following education and preparation opportunities are helpful in preparing for occupations in the MOIScript:

***SCHOOL SUBJECTS***

0700 CAREERS , 0900 COMMUNICATIONS , 1000 COMPUTERS , 1200 ELECTRONICS , 1300 ENGLISH , 2200 MATH , 2400 MUSIC , 2500 PERFORMING ARTS , 2800 PUBLIC SPEAKING

***VOCATIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS***

There are no Vocational Education Programs related to this MOIScript

***POSTSECONDARY PROGRAMS***

148 RADIO & TELEVISION

Programs in Radio and Television provide opportunities to gain the knowledge & skills needed for employment in the production & broadcasting of radio and television programs. Programs focus on both professional and educational careers. In addition, individuals completing an approved teacher training program can earn a Michigan Teaching Certificate. (See program 157)

Courses vary from school to school but may include:

Search for a College and/or Instructional Program

***APPRENTICESHIP OPPORTUNITIES***

There are no Apprenticeships related to this MOIScript

***MILITARY TRAINING PROGRAMS***

Please check the Military web site at http://www.myfuture.com

BROADCAST JOURNALISTS AND NEWSWRITERS

The military publishes newspapers and broadcasts television and radio programs for its personnel and the public. These news services are an important source of general information about people and events in the military. Broadcast journalists and newswriters write and present news programs, music programs, and radio talk shows.

What They Do

Broadcast journalists and newswriters in the military perform some or all of the following duties:

• Gather information for military news programs and publications

• Write radio and TV scripts

• Develop ideas for news articles

• Arrange and conduct interviews

• Collect information for commercial media use

• Select photographs and write captions for news articles

• Write news releases, feature articles, and editorials

Work Environment

Broadcast journalists and newswriters work in broadcasting studios on land or aboard ships, or sometime outdoors, depending upon the research needed for their articles.

Training Provided

Job training consists of 9 to 12 weeks of classroom instruction. Course content typically includes:

• Newswriting and research

• Newspaper format and layout

• Photojournalism (writing news stories featuring pictures)

• Radio and television programming and production

Physical Demands

Normal color vision and the passing of a voice audition are required for some specialties in this area.

Helpful Attributes

Helpful school subjects include English, journalism, speech, typing, and media communications. Helpful attributes include:

• Ability to keep detailed and accurate records

• Interest in researching facts and issues for news stories

• Ability to write clearly and concisely

• Strong, clear speaking voice

Civilian Counterparts

Broadcast journalists and newswriters work for newspapers, magazines, wire services , and radio and television stations. Their duties are similar to those performed by military journalists and newswriters. They may be employed as newscaster, disc jockeys, writers, directors, producers, editors, or correspondents.

Opportunities

The military has about 1,800 broadcast journalists and newswriters. On average, the services need about 130 new broadcast journalists and newswriters each year. After job training they research news stories and music programs. Eventually, they may become editors or editorial assistants or managers of broadcasting stations.

E-Learning Courses and Programs

OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXPERIENCE AND METHODS OF ENTRY

Joining the school debate team may provide helpful experience. Postsecondary educational programs in radio and television may provide work experience or internship opportunities with campus or public stations. Other ways are part-time jobs with local radio and TV stations and training in military service. A bachelor's degree will be helpful and might be required by some employers.

School-to-Work opportunities include:

informal apprenticeships

mentorships

job shadowing experiences

touring a local Radio and Television Announcer employer

internships

volunteer work with a Radio and Television Announcer employer

community service work with an agency

To get a job as a Radio or Television Announcer, apply directly to radio and television stations. You should present or send a resume, a recent photo, and an audition tape. Some assistance in locating jobs may be gained from a school placement office, a local office of Michigan Works!, or acquaintances in broadcasting. Want ads in newspapers or in trade publications may be helpful. In addition, you should access and search the Internet's on-line employment services sites such as:

National Association of Broadcasters Career Center( http://www.nab.org/bcc/ )

RTNDA Job Services ( http://www.rtnda.org/jobs/ ) 

Michigan Talent Bank  

America's Job Bank  

Classifieds Employment  

Yahoo! Careers  

MONSTER.COM  

You should also enter an electronic resume on these on-line services.

EARNINGS AND ADVANCEMENT

Earnings of Radio and Television Announcers vary according to employer, size of the community, nature of the work, and the Announcer's popularity. Television Announcers' salaries are usually higher than those of Radio Announcers. Announcers' earnings are higher in metropolitan areas than in smaller areas. Those employed by commercial stations usually earn more than those in educational broadcasting earn.

Announcers work hard for lower pay unless they are able to work in larger markets. Detroit has been a top ten television market for many years. The top ten markets in the United States (1999) are New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Boston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Washington D.C., Detroit, and Atlanta. The 1999 top ten radio markets are New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Detroit, Dallas-Fort Worth, Boston, Washington D.C., and Houston.

Nationally, in 1998, the annual salaries of Radio News announcers were:

Nationally, in 1998, the average and starting salaries for Television Announcers were:

A few highly experienced and talented Television Announcers "free- lance" for commercials or non-broadcast industrial videos. The 1999 rates for these productions are nationally negotiated and depend upon whether the principle (actor or Announcer) is "off-camera" ($359.95 per session) or "on-camera" ($478.70 per session). There are additional fees depending upon the number of commercials taped in the same session and usage fees (number of times the tape is aired in various markets). Radio Announcers received a minimum of $200 for each radio commercial recorded to which usage fees were added. Very highly experienced Announcers with an ability to draw large audiences may negotiate PSC's (personal service contracts). They are confidential and frequently limit the amount of free-lance work the Announcer may do.

In Michigan (1999), Broadcast Announcers in both radio and television while working in television commercials that were made in and played in the Detroit area earned $300.25 as principal performers on camera and $251.15 for off camera commercials. Principal Performers for radio commercials earned $143.15 per session. These jobs initially require hard work at low pay. Higher pay comes if an announcer is able to work in larger markets.

Depending on the employer, most Announcers receive paid vacations and holidays. Some may also receive life, accident, disability, and hospitalization insurance; sick leave; and severance pay. Overtime may not be paid. Benefits frequently are not provided to part-time workers. Many small radio stations hire part-time disc jockeys.

Beginners usually enter this occupation after radio and TV training in a postsecondary school. Some may start as an on-air personality at small radio stations and apply for announcing positions in larger stations as they occur. Advancement is based on voice quality, an attractive personality, and experience. A few top local announcers advance to networks with higher income and more exposure. A possible career ladder for Announcers may be: small station Announcer; large station Announcer; and program director.

Announcing may also lead to a career or additional duties in time sales, promotion and publicity, or management.

EMPLOYMENT AND OUTLOOK

Nationally, there were about 52,000 Radio and Television Announcers employed in 1996. Employment is expected to grow more slowly than the average for all occupations through the year 2006. The industry distribution for Radio and Television announcers looked like this:

Employment growth is expected to result from the licensing of new radio and television stations and from more cable television systems beginning their own programming. There will be more entry job opportunities in radio than in television. These jobs generally will be located in small stations, and the pay will be near minimum wage. In major networks the trend is toward specialization. Business news, weather forecasting, and sportscasting are receiving increasing emphasis.

There were about 1,650 Radio and Television Announcers employed in Michigan. Most worked in commercial and public radio and television.

Employment in this occupation in Michigan is expected to grow about as fast as the average for all occupations through the year 2005. It is estimated that there will be about 70 openings annually for Announcers with 10 due to growth and 60 due to replacement of those who retire, die, or leave the labor force for other reasons. Additional openings will occur as some announcers change jobs or occupations. Because of the attractiveness of the broadcasting field and the relatively small size of the industry, there will be great competition for entry-level jobs. Employment opportunities for beginners are best in radio and in small, local television stations.

Large radio and TV stations in major metropolitan areas will continue to seek highly experienced, proven Announcers. Applicants with postsecondary training in broadcast journalism are preferred for announcing, although other areas such as mass communications or telecommunications may be acceptable. Vocational training may be sufficient for Disc Jockeys.

Although a significant increase in the number of stations (particularly cable) is expected, increased use of automatic programming equipment and advancements in broadcast technology may limit employment growth.

MICHIGAN'S EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK TO 2005

SOURCES OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Printed Occupational information is available upon written request from the sources below.

SUMMARY PROFILE

The occupation of Radio/Television Announcer can be summarized by the following:

MOISCRIPTS are Copyright 2003, Michigan Department of Career Development