StudentsHow2
Fall 2023
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How to be a successful college radio show host by Anna Tart
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reparing for your first radio show can be nerve-racking and may almost seem impossible if inspiration does not strike. Knowing how to build your identity and stay relevant can be difficult to manage before going onair for the first time. “Don’t get in your own head,” said Greta Wagner, the WZMB station manager at East Carolina University. “I feel like it makes it 10 times worse to put that much pressure on yourself.” While it can be overwhelming before going for your first show, utilizing these different resources and techniques can help.
Be yourself
Letting your personality shine is the best way to grab your audience's attention. According to Shayna Jones, the WZMB 91.3 FM adviser at ECU, people tend to pressure themselves into becoming someone they are not while on-air. “Be authentic to you and then your topics and your music will naturally align,” she said. Building an on-air persona that reflects who you are is a great way to express your interests and connect with listeners. Talk about things that interest you: When scripting your • How to show, it is important work a to include topics radio board that you know.
Also in this issue:
The production booth at WZMB
photo by Anna Tart
Whether it includes a movie, a major news headline or even a recent outing you had with friends, the possibilities are limitless.
Be prepared
Knowing what you will be talking about before going live is a key component in ensuring that your show flows smoothly. Some radio hosts like to have a script on hand during their shows, whether it be a bulleted list or a word-for-word document. It is also important to rehearse and review your script before going live. Cont. on p. 2
Radio host To do this effectively, try incorporating personal anecdotes or lessons you may have learned from your own experiences in relation to topics.
However, Wagner said that for shows with co-hosts, some DJs may Cont. not write a script. from “That’s what Demitri and I do, but p. 1 it’s a little easier for us because we have a show together, and with two people you don’t really need that much stuff because you just have a conversation on-air,” Wagner said. Jones believes that by taking time to prepare, you can also consider other assets you can bring to your show whether that’s guests, quotes, soundbites, clips, or anything else that can add a unique perspective.
Use resources
Some radio hosts may only engage with their
Stay relevant
While preparing for your show, pick the most up-to-date topics to stay relevant. Jones suggests that if your topics are more than 24 hours old, it is considered old news and is not relevant anymore. “News is updating so quickly that I think relevancy is key, so you have to have the latest and the greatest,” Jones said. However, this may not always be the case, especially if you have one show each week. Jones suggests that you can also take older topics and add a unique twist to them or talk about them “from a unique angle that maybe not everyone is talking about.”
Demitri Suruy as he prepares his show’s tracklist. photo by Anna Tart
Uplifting young voices can highlight the latest stories, trends and humor ahead of mainstream radio. This unique capacity allows open conversations about various topics, both in person and over the airwaves.
reasons college radio is important
College radio stations can give you an indepth look into how a real station works. Through positions such as producer, music director and station manager, anyone can get involved in running the station.
You can learn how to bring the airwaves to life by delve into audio-production. This allows you to add the snazzy pops, bangs and swooshes during commercials and shows that keep listeners engaged.
From connect2software.com photo courtesy of Pixabay
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photo courtesy of Pexels
audience during their showtimes; however, it can also be good practice to use outside resources to enhance your presence while off the air. According to Jones, social media is an important tool to use to engage with your audience. “Let’s say there’s a topic that you’re talking about on your show. You can open up a segment and extend the conversation to social media so that you can actively engage your social media following and your on-air listenership, which can help you at the end,” Jones said. Additionally, some stations have online streams, which makes it easier for your audience to tune in on their phone. There are radio hosts who opt to go
College radio’s influence on music
live on social media, such as Instagram, during their show, according to Jones.
Get to know other DJs
One of the best practices when being a radio host is to get involved with the station. Attending meetings, going to outside events and volunteering are all ways to ways to build connections with other radio hosts at your station. Wagner feels that she has gotten closer to the members at WZMB since becoming station manager, “so [her] favorite part has been getting to know everyone.”
Top Artists in 2021: * 53% Alternative * 45% Commercial
College radio stations have a clear identity — broadcasting non-commercial hits, and focusing on emerging and independent artists. In the U.S. there are at least 600 college radio stations. Artists such as Joan Jett, R.E.M, Moby and Megadeth have praised college radios, saying their initial support developed their career.
* 2% Legacy
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College radio stations are inherently invested in the surrounding community, from issues varying from campus life to citywide politics and local events. ktswblog.net/
sources: warmmusic.net connect2software.com/college-radio/
How to work a radio board
by Charlie Marban
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itting in the back of your parents’ car while going to school as a kid in the early morning hours, looking out the window and seeing the houses go by while the gleam of the sun makes your eyes squint. And, don’t forget the jam of the music blasting through your parents’ car speakers. That was the best part of your car trip to school, hearing the sound of music on your radio. You might have even wondered, who is playing the music and how they’re doing it. Now, as a college student looking to become a radio personality, you might have other questions, especially, “How does it all work?” Throughout this article, you’ll find many tricks and ways to handle and maneuver a radio board, whic is what is used to play the music heard by listeners.
Multitasking
When working the radio board, you are also in the position of a DJ, meaning that you are on-air with people listening as you handle the radio board. Knowing how to multi-task while working the radio board at the same time is an essential tactic that can keep the music running smoothly for the listener.
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Anna Tart going live on air for her show, “What’s the Scoop?” photo by Chalie Marban
Anna Tart, DJ at East Carolina’s WZMB 91.3 F.M. radio station, said multitasking is not as hard as it seems. “I came into WZMB not knowing anything and I literally got the hang of it. You are really just working with two or three buttons at most,” she said. Key buttons that are used on the console are the mic volume, which allows you to control the sound of your mic on air, and the PC volume, which allows you to control the volume of music being played. Other buttons that you’ll occasionally run into are microphone two, which allows you to control the volume of the second microphone in the booth — usually when you have a guest or are a duo personality. The control room button allows for the DJ to control the volume within the booth itself.
Practice
Can you remember a time when you were learning something new and once you practiced it often it became natural for you? Well, it’s the same thing when working the radio board. Practice is key to developing your skills and the same thing applies to working the radio board. Shayna Jones, advisor at WZMB, described this practice as developing your muscle memory.
Photo from Pexels
“You are constantly developing your muscle memory into working the board,” she said. “As advisor, I have seen many DJ’s get intimidated by the console and rethink their decision in being a DJ here at WZMB. However, they get shocked by how easy it is to work the board.”
Patience
The most important factor to consider when working with the radio board is patience. It does take a while to learn the board as you are learning where to set the right volumes when playing
Shayna Jones talking on-air at WZMB photo by Chalie Marban
music, not to mention how loud or soft your volume is when speaking into the microphone. You are also inserting music into the system, so you are multi-tasking. Tart describes this as a road you did not even know you took. “If you’re having fun and are really interested in what you are doing, then you won’t even feel like you are learning because you’re interested in it. I came in here not knowing anything and honestly did not know what I was getting myself into once I saw the huge console when in training,” she said. “Now I have my own show.”
Both the content for this newsletter and the design are created by students enrolled in COMM 3310 Copy Editing and Design in the School of Communication at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina under the direction of course instructor Barbara Bullington. We welcome suggestions for article ideas for future issues. For inquiries, please email bullingtonb@ecu.edu
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