Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys

• Summary

• Details

Work Activities

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

Skills

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

Abilities

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

Knowledge

• Food Production
  • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
• 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.
• Mechanical
  • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Design
  • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• Economics and Accounting
  • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
• 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.
• Transportation
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
• Telecommunications
  • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
• 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.
• Production and Processing
  • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Sociology and Anthropology
  • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
• History and Archeology
  • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Computers and Electronics
  • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• 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.
• English Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
• Law and Government
  • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• 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.
• Mathematics
  • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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

  10,000 - 19,999

  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

  ---

• 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
  More than 4 years
  Award Level
  Master's degree, Certificates of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 year, Bachelor'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, Postbaccalaureate certificate
  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

  1,000 - 4,999

  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

  https://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
  More than 4 years
  Award Level
  Master's degree, Bachelor'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
  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

  ---

• 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

  ---

• 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:

• Self-Confidence
• Social Orientation
• Dependability
• Optimism
• Self-Control
• Adaptability

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
• Video conferencing software
• Word processing software