Radio and Television Announcers

Career Description: Talk on radio or television. May interview guests, act as master of ceremonies, read news flashes, identify station by giving call letters, or announce song title and artist.

Industry: Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media

Other Job Titles for Radio and Television Announcers:

• Realistic: Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
• Investigative: Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
• Artistic: Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
• Social: Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
• Enterprising: Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
• Conventional: Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
• First Interest High-Point: Primary-Rank Descriptiveness
• Second Interest High-Point: Secondary-Cutoff/Rank Descriptiveness
• Third Interest High-Point: Tertiary-Cutoff/Rank Descriptiveness

• Prepare and deliver news, sports, and/or weather reports, gathering and rewriting material so that it will convey required information and fit specific time slots.
• Read news flashes to inform audiences of important events.
• Identify stations, and introduce or close shows, using memorized or read scripts, and/or ad-libs.
• Select program content, in conjunction with producers and assistants, based on factors such as program specialties, audience tastes, or requests from the public.
• Study background information in order to prepare for programs or interviews.
• Comment on music and other matters, such as weather or traffic conditions.
• Interview show guests about their lives, their work, or topics of current interest.
• Discuss various topics over the telephone with viewers or listeners.
• Host civic, charitable, or promotional events that are broadcast over television or radio.
• Make promotional appearances at public or private events in order to represent their employers.
• Operate control consoles.
• Announce musical selections, station breaks, commercials, or public service information, and accept requests from listening audience.
• Keep daily program logs to provide information on all elements aired during broadcast, such as musical selections and station promotions.
• Record commercials for later broadcast.
• Locate guests to appear on talk or interview shows.
• Describe or demonstrate products that viewers may purchase through specific shows or in stores.
• Coordinate games, contests, or other on-air competitions, performing such duties as asking questions and awarding prizes.
• Attend press conferences in order to gather information for broadcast.
• Provide commentary and conduct interviews during sporting events, parades, conventions, and other events.
• Give network cues permitting selected stations to receive programs.
• Moderate panels or discussion shows on topics such as current affairs, art, or education.
• Conduct interviews for broadcasts.
• Act as a liaison between talent and directors, providing information that performers or guests need to prepare for appearances and communicating relevant information from guests, performers, or staff to directors.
• Obtain rights to scripts or to such items as existing video footage.
• License the use of photographs through stock photo agencies.
• Mount, frame, laminate, or lacquer finished photographs.
• Photograph legal evidence at crime scenes, in hospitals, or in forensic laboratories.

Emerging Tasks

• Develop story lines for broadcasts.
• Maintain organization of the music library.
• Write and edit video and scripts for broadcasts.
• Store, pack, and maintain inventory records of props, products, and display items.
• Supervise and train staff members on daily tasks such as visual merchandising.
• Teach artistic techniques to children and adults.
• Monitor the academic eligibility of student athletes.
• Oversee the development and management of the sports program budget and fundraising activities.
• Perform activities that support a team or a specific sport, such as participating in community outreach activities, meeting with media representatives, and appearing at fundraising events.
• Provide training direction, encouragement, motivation, and nutritional advice to prepare athletes for games, competitive events, and/or tours.
• Teach instructional courses and advise students.

• Analyzing Data or Information: Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
• Assisting and Caring for Others: Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
• Coaching and Developing Others: Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
• Communicating with Persons Outside Organization: Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates: Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• Controlling Machines and Processes: Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
• Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others: Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
• Developing and Building Teams: Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
• Developing Objectives and Strategies: Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
• Documenting/Recording Information: Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
• Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment: Providing documentation, detailed instructions, drawings, or specifications to tell others about how devices, parts, equipment, or structures are to be fabricated, constructed, assembled, modified, maintained, or used.
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships: Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
• Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information: Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards: Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
• Getting Information: Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates: Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
• Handling and Moving Objects: Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events: Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material: Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
• Interacting With Computers: Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
• Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others: Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
• Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People: Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems: Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings: Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
• Monitoring and Controlling Resources: Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money.
• Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment: Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
• Performing Administrative Activities: Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.
• Performing for or Working Directly with the Public: Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
• Performing General Physical Activities: Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
• Processing Information: Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
• Provide Consultation and Advice to Others: Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
• Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment: Servicing, repairing, calibrating, regulating, fine-tuning, or testing machines, devices, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of electrical or electronic (not mechanical) principles.
• Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment: Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.
• Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others: Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
• Scheduling Work and Activities: Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
• Selling or Influencing Others: Convincing others to buy merchandise/goods or to otherwise change their minds or actions.
• Staffing Organizational Units: Recruiting, interviewing, selecting, hiring, and promoting employees in an organization.
• Thinking Creatively: Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
• Training and Teaching Others: Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge: Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.

Detailed Work Activities

• advise member stations concerning programs or schedules
• broadcast weather forecast over television or radio
• collect details for stories or articles
• communicate visually or verbally
• demonstrate goods or services
• edit written material
• evaluate length, content, or suitability of program for broadcast
• maintain daily logs or records
• make presentations
• observe signal light on switchboard
• operate broadcast regulating equipment
• operate recording or broadcast studio controls
• present commentary or news in broadcast medium
• rehearse role from script
• research topics for programs
• schedule work to meet deadlines
• signal directions or warnings to coworkers
• use interviewing procedures
• use journalistic interviewing techniques
• use public speaking techniques
• monitor consumer or marketing trends
• plan meetings or conferences
• prepare reports for management
• provide customer service
• use knowledge of written communication in sales work
• use public speaking techniques
• use sales techniques
• use word processing or desktop publishing software
• write sales or informational speeches
• use film production techniques
• use negotiation techniques
• write story copy
• use film production techniques
• use graphic arts techniques
• use knowledge of multi-media technology
• use object-oriented computer programming techniques
• use oral or written communication techniques
• use project management techniques
• use word processing or desktop publishing software
• write story copy
• weld together metal parts, components, or structures
• use computer graphics design software
• use creativity in graphics
• use graphic arts techniques
• use knowledge of multi-media technology
• use library or online Internet research techniques
• use oral or written communication techniques
• use public speaking techniques
• use stage lighting controls or instruments

Overall Experience
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.

Job Training
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers.

Education
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. Some may require a bachelor's degree.

Examples
These occupations usually involve using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals. Examples include funeral directors, electricians, forest and conservation technicians, legal secretaries, interviewers, and insurance sales agents.

• Average hourly wage (2007) -$12.53
• Average annual wage (2007) - $26,060.00

• Employment (2006): 58,905

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