Go on air, young man

CAREERS

Radio jockeying opens up as an option in smaller cities.

What, in Hyderabad, would you have done if you were a teenager, doing a mass communications degree, and had plenty of time to twiddle thumbs? Last year, you'd still have been a teen, doing a mass-comm degree, and twiddling thumbs. This year, you're advised to go "on air". Become a Radio Jockey (RJ), that is, for an upcoming FM radio station.

The unbelievable part, according to the Hyderabadis who've gone ahead and signed on, is that they get paid for it. The excitement is palpable, from hardened musicians to rookie-n-19-year-olds looking for a chance to regale Hyderabad.

"Radio jockeying as a profession has just taken off in Hyderabad," says Vijay Marur, CEO of DC interactive, the multimedia and internet associate of Deccan Chronicle Holdings Ltd, "and the demand for RJs will be on the rise in a couple of months with four private FM channels including Radio Mirchi, Radio City and Adlab's new channel coming up."

Says Abhimanyu Singh Rawat, a 19-year-old mass-com student from St Mary's College, and an RJ at Radio Biryani, "RJ-ing is a brilliant career option for youngsters who have a penchant for music, spontaneity and presence of mind."

The critical factor is passion, both for music and audiences. "RJ-ing is not just another job," says Vinod Babu, a Telugu film playback singer, and an RJ at Star Media's Anjali Geetanjali, "You need to do something impromptu. Besides having good communication skills, you need to be smart enough, visualise the person who is listening to you, and give him a feel of a face-to-face talk."

How much does an RJ earn? Rawat, for instance, earns a bit above Rs 10,000 per month for two-three 30-minute programmes a week. "In Hyderabad," adds Marur, "an RJ currently earns anywhere between Rs 5,000 and Rs 20,000 a month while working one-two hours a day. Things will change in 2007 when all the four private channels will function fully. Then, an RJ's monthly earning will be anywhere between Rs 30,000 and Rs 70,000."

According to SS Music's VJ and Good Evening Hyderabad's RJ Anuj, an RJ can rake in additional moolah from other sources. "If you are an RJ, new avenues to earn additional revenues open up for you. RJs can earn by doing advertisement jingles, Master-of-Ceremonies jobs at shows and even doing voice-overs and dubbing for telefilms and feature films."

But then, the competition is already heady. "When we held auditions for RJs in December 2005," recalls Marur, "close to 1,000 enthusiasts in the age group of 8-75 thronged the Deccan Chronicle office, of which 300 have been short-listed. This shows the glamour attached to the profession." DC Initiative currently employs around 12-14 RJs, and it plans to recruit 20-25 more in the next six months.

The quest is for local celebrityhood, which can bring in big bucks. "Right now, a Mumbai-based popular private FM channel pays a whopping Rs 1.5 lakh per month for an RJ," says Marur. Wow!