Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys

• Summary

• Details

Work Activities

• Develop story lines for broadcasts.
• Provide commentary and conduct interviews during sporting events, parades, conventions, or other events.
• Give network cues permitting selected stations to receive programs.
• Discuss various topics over the telephone with viewers or listeners.
• Describe or demonstrate products that viewers may purchase through specific shows or in stores.
• Prepare and deliver news, sports, 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.
• Maintain organization of the music library.
• Comment on music and other matters, such as weather or traffic conditions.
• Attend press conferences to gather information for broadcast.
• Host civic, charitable, or promotional events broadcast over television or radio.
• Locate guests to appear on talk or interview shows.
• Moderate panels or discussion shows on topics such as current affairs, art, or education.
• Announce musical selections, station breaks, commercials, or public service information, and accept requests from listening audience.
• Record commercials for later broadcast.
• Prepare and deliver news, sports, or weather reports, gathering and rewriting material so that it will convey required information and fit specific time slots.
• Prepare and deliver news, sports, or weather reports, gathering and rewriting material so that it will convey required information and fit specific time slots.
• Operate control consoles.
• Study background information to prepare for programs or interviews.
• Write and edit video and scripts for broadcasts.
• Identify stations, and introduce or close shows, ad-libbing or using memorized or read scripts.
• Interview show guests about their lives, their work, or topics of current interest.
• Keep daily program logs to provide information on all elements aired during broadcast, such as musical selections and station promotions.
• Make promotional appearances at public or private events to represent their employers.
• Coordinate games, contests, or other on-air competitions, performing such duties as asking questions and awarding prizes.
• Select program content, in conjunction with producers and assistants, based on factors such as program specialties, audience tastes, or requests from the public.

Skills

• Reading Comprehension
  • Reading work-related information.
• Coordination
  • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
• Science
  • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
• Operation and Control
  • Using equipment or systems.
• Systems Evaluation
  • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
• Management of Material Resources
  • Managing equipment and materials.
• Operations Monitoring
  • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
• Equipment Maintenance
  • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
• Mathematics
  • Using math to solve problems.
• Negotiation
  • Bringing people together to solve differences.
• Quality Control Analysis
  • Testing how well a product or service works.
• Judgment and Decision Making
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
• Speaking
  • Talking to others.
• Complex Problem Solving
  • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
• Equipment Selection
  • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
• Repairing
  • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
• Service Orientation
  • Looking for ways to help people.
• Systems Analysis
  • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
• Writing
  • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
• Operations Analysis
  • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
• Instructing
  • Teaching people how to do something.
• Programming
  • Writing computer programs.
• Active Listening
  • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
• Monitoring
  • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
• Technology Design
  • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
• Management of Financial Resources
  • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
• Management of Personnel Resources
  • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
• Persuasion
  • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
• Active Learning
  • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
• Social Perceptiveness
  • Understanding people's reactions.
• Time Management
  • Managing your time and the time of other people.
• Installation
  • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
• Learning Strategies
  • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
• Troubleshooting
  • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
• Critical Thinking
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

Abilities

• Hearing Sensitivity
  • Telling the difference between sounds.
• Selective Attention
  • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
• Written Expression
  • Communicating by writing.
• Problem Sensitivity
  • Noticing when problems happen.
• Inductive Reasoning
  • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
• Rate Control
  • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
• Night Vision
  • Seeing at night or under low light.
• Peripheral Vision
  • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
• Memorization
  • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
• Control Precision
  • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
• Visualization
  • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
• Originality
  • Creating new and original ideas.
• Category Flexibility
  • Grouping things in different ways.
• Flexibility of Closure
  • Seeing hidden patterns.
• Oral Expression
  • Communicating by speaking.
• Arm-Hand Steadiness
  • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
• Mathematical Reasoning
  • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
• Perceptual Speed
  • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
• Fluency of Ideas
  • Coming up with lots of ideas.
• Information Ordering
  • Ordering or arranging things.
• Speed of Closure
  • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
• Stamina
  • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
• Multilimb Coordination
  • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
• Near Vision
  • Seeing details up close.
• Reaction Time
  • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
• Wrist-Finger Speed
  • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
• Dynamic Flexibility
  • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Depth Perception
  • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
• Finger Dexterity
  • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
• Deductive Reasoning
  • Using rules to solve problems.
• Auditory Attention
  • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
• Dynamic Strength
  • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
• Speech Clarity
  • Speaking clearly.
• Sound Localization
  • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
• Speech Recognition
  • Recognizing spoken words.
• Written Comprehension
  • Reading and understanding what is written.
• Oral Comprehension
  • Listening and understanding what people say.
• Spatial Orientation
  • Knowing where things are around you.
• Time Sharing
  • Doing two or more things at the same time.
• Response Orientation
  • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
• Trunk Strength
  • Using your lower back and stomach.
• Visual Color Discrimination
  • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
• Explosive Strength
  • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
• Manual Dexterity
  • Holding or moving items with your hands.
• Number Facility
  • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
• Speed of Limb Movement
  • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
• Gross Body Coordination
  • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
• Glare Sensitivity
  • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
• Far Vision
  • Seeing details that are far away.
• Extent Flexibility
  • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Static Strength
  • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
• Gross Body Equilibrium
  • Keeping your balance or staying upright.

Knowledge

• Engineering and Technology
  • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Biology
  • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Telecommunications
  • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
• Administration and Management
  • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Physics
  • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
• Therapy and Counseling
  • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
• Psychology
  • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• Education and Training
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Law and Government
  • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• Personnel and Human Resources
  • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
• Mechanical
  • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• History and Archeology
  • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
• Design
  • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• Food Production
  • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
• Public Safety and Security
  • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
• Building and Construction
  • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
• Communications and Media
  • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
• Administrative
  • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
• Sales and Marketing
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
• Transportation
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
• Economics and Accounting
  • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
• English Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Customer and Personal Service
  • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Foreign Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
• Geography
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
• Computers and Electronics
  • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Chemistry
  • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
• Production and Processing
  • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• Mathematics
  • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Medicine and Dentistry
  • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
• Philosophy and Theology
  • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
• Sociology and Anthropology
  • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
• Fine Arts
  • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

Education

Education

Bachelor's degree

Work Experience

No work experience

Training

No on-the-job training

Education and Training Opportunities

×

Education and Training Opportunities

• Central Washington University
  400 East University Way, Ellensburg WA 98926
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  5,000 - 9,999

  Financial Aid 509-963-1111
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  http://www.cwu.edu/
  Program Name
  Communication, General
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save
  Program Name
  Speech Communication and Rhetoric
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save
  Program Name
  Radio and Television
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

• Eastern Washington University
  526 5th Street, Cheney WA 99004-2496
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  10,000 - 19,999

  Financial Aid 509-359-6200
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  http://www.ewu.edu/
  Program Name
  Speech Communication and Rhetoric
  Length
  Certificates of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 year
  Award Level
  Certificates of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 year, Bachelor's degree, Master's degree
  Save

  ---

• Gonzaga University
  E 502 Boone Ave, Spokane WA 99258-0001
  School Type

  Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  5,000 - 9,999

  Financial Aid 800-986-9585
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  https://www.gonzaga.edu/
  Program Name
  Speech Communication and Rhetoric
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save
  Program Name
  Broadcast Journalism
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

• Great Northern University
  611 East Indiana Avenue, Spokane WA 99207-2550
  School Type

  Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  Under 1,000

  Financial Aid 509-284-7100
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,No graduate offering
  Website

  https://www.greatnorthernu.org/
  Program Name
  Communication, General
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

• Northwest University
  5520 108th Ave NE, Kirkland WA 98083-0579
  School Type

  Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  Under 1,000

  Financial Aid 425-822-8266
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  http://www.northwestu.edu/
  Program Name
  Communication, General
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

• Pacific Lutheran University
  12180 Park Ave South, Tacoma WA 98447-0003
  School Type

  Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 253-535-7411
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  http://www.plu.edu/
  Program Name
  Speech Communication and Rhetoric
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

• Saint Martin's University
  5000 Abbey Way SE, Lacey WA 98503-7500
  School Type

  Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 360-491-4700
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  https://www.stmartin.edu/
  Program Name
  Communication, General
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

• Seattle Pacific University
  3307 3rd Ave W, Seattle WA 98119-1997
  School Type

  Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 206-281-2000
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  https://spu.edu/
  Program Name
  Speech Communication and Rhetoric
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

• Seattle University
  900 Broadway, Seattle WA 98122-4340
  School Type

  Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  5,000 - 9,999

  Financial Aid 206-296-6000
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  http://www.seattleu.edu/
  Program Name
  Speech Communication and Rhetoric
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

• University of Puget Sound
  1500 N. Warner Street, Tacoma WA 98416
  School Type

  Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 253-879-3100
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  http://www.pugetsound.edu/
  Program Name
  Speech Communication and Rhetoric
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

• University of Washington-Seattle Campus
  1400 NE Campus Parkway, Seattle WA 98195-4550
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  20,000 and above

  Financial Aid 206-543-2100
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  https://www.washington.edu/
  Program Name
  Speech Communication and Rhetoric
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree, Master's degree, Doctor's degree - research/scholarship
  Save
  Program Name
  Radio and Television
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

• Walla Walla University
  204 S College Ave, College Place WA 99324-1198
  School Type

  Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 509-527-2615
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  https://www.wallawalla.edu/
  Program Name
  Speech Communication and Rhetoric
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree, Associate's degree
  Save
  Program Name
  Radio and Television
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save
  Program Name
  Communication, General
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

• Washington State University
  French Administration Building, Pullman WA 99164-5910
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  20,000 and above

  Financial Aid 509-335-3564
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  https://wsu.edu/
  Program Name
  Speech Communication and Rhetoric
  Length
  More than 4 years
  Award Level
  Doctor's degree - research/scholarship
  Save
  Program Name
  Broadcast Journalism
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

• Western Washington University
  516 High Street, Bellingham WA 98225-9008
  School Type

  Public, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  10,000 - 19,999

  Financial Aid 360-650-3000
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  http://wwu.edu/
  Program Name
  Speech Communication and Rhetoric
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save
  Program Name
  Broadcast Journalism
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

• Whitman College
  345 Boyer Ave, Walla Walla WA 99362
  School Type

  Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 509-527-5111
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,No graduate offering
  Website

  http://www.whitman.edu/
  Program Name
  Speech Communication and Rhetoric
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

• Whitworth University
  300 W Hawthorne Rd, Spokane WA 99251
  School Type

  Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above

  Admissions
  School Size

  1,000 - 4,999

  Financial Aid 509-777-1000
  Other Degrees Offered

  Undergraduate degree or certificate offering,Graduate degree or certificate offering
  Website

  http://www.whitworth.edu/
  Program Name
  Speech Communication and Rhetoric
  Length
  4 years
  Award Level
  Bachelor's degree
  Save

  ---

Close

Pay

Washington Annual Salary

42400/yr

Washington Hourly Wage

20.38/hr

Washington Employment Trends

Currently Employed

250

Yearly Projected Openings

20

Personality

Artistic: People interested in this work like activities that include creating, designing, and making your own rules. They do well at jobs that need:

• Integrity
• Dependability
• Stress Tolerance
• Adaptability/Flexibility
• Attention to Detail
• Cooperation

Tools

• Audio mixing consoles
• Audio turntable
• Compact disk players or recorders
• Desktop computers
• Digital voice recorders
• Earphone
• Headphones
• Media control systems
• Microphone stand
• Microphones
• Mobile phones
• Notebook computers
• Personal computers
• Special purpose telephones
• Tablet computers
• Touch screen monitors
• Visual presenters

Technology

• Analytical or scientific software
• Data base user interface and query software
• Electronic mail software
• Enterprise application integration software
• Enterprise resource planning ERP software
• Internet browser software
• Music or sound editing software
• Office suite software
• Presentation software
• Project management software
• Spreadsheet software
• Word processing software