One great idea for building up your radio station experience is to try volunteering for a local community radio station (like, for instance, a college radio station). These stations are usually not operated for profit and depend on the work of volunteers to stay on the air, which means it can be relatively easy to find a place on the staff compared to a for-profit station. Going to concerts is another great way to meet people who work in radio, as concerts are often sponsored by radio stations.
Depending on the amount of time you work, an internship can sometimes be more useful for getting a show than working from the bottom up in the station. Good internships are career-focused and offer opportunities for employment after the completion of the internship. However, even with an internship, it may be necessary to work in the radio industry for several years before getting a show.
It’s worth noting that an educational background in communications or broadcasting isn’t absolutely necessary for a successful career in radio. Several of the most recognizable names in radio, like Howard Stern, have communications degrees, but others have no pertinent educational background. For instance, Adam Carolla, one-time host of Loveline and The Adam Carolla Show, completed only a partial junior college education which included work in a ceramics major. [1] X Research source
Because of the cost of hosting a radio show, it’s often a wise idea to retain another job (at least until you can generate enough advertising revenue to support your show). Dedicating yourself full-time to your radio career is great for your show, but not if you run out of funds and have to go off the air in a few months. Costs vary. For instance, at some local stations, radio time can cost anywhere from $60-$200 per hour, depending on the time slot.
The downside of having an internet radio show is that it’s basically up to you to promote your own show and grow your audience — you won’t have the resources of an established station to help you. You also have to realistically look at how many hours a day you can commit to having talent live on air versus playing public domain music on your station. Another great option is to record a regular podcast. Podcasts are essentially pre-recorded talk radio shows that listeners can download and listen to as they please. For more information on podcasts, see How to Start Your Own Podcast or scroll down to the podcasting section below.
News/current events Political commentary Music news/Underground music discussion Humor/parody Educational topics (history, science, etc. ) Advice (relationships, DIY projects, etc. ) Niche topics (paranormal, conspiracy theories, etc. )
Let’s say that we’ve just gotten our first 90-minute political talk radio show. Here’s an example of a schedule we might have for our first show: (5 minutes) Theme song and introductions. (20 minutes) Guest interview: Author Jane Smith. (15 minutes) Discussion topic 1: Minimum Wage — too high or too low? (5 minutes) Ads. (10 minutes) Take calls. (15 minutes) Discussion topic 2: Gerrymandering — how big of problem is it in the modern age? (5 minutes) Ads. (10 minutes) Take calls. (5 minutes) Allow guest to plug upcoming events. Follow with farewell and outro music.
The types of guests you should invite will vary based on the format of your show. For instance, if you’re running a serious art criticism talk show, you might invite guests who offer new perspectives and unique expertise, like professors and artists. On the other hand, if you’re hosting a crass “shock jock” comedy show, you might want to invite fellow comedians or even bizarre local personalities.
If you’re on a station with rules against profanity, be on the lookout for prank callers. Always know how to quickly disconnect a call. If your station operates on a time delay, be aware of how to delete the last few seconds of airtime in the event that a caller says something inappropriate. Most stations will have an easily-accessible delay button somewhere near the main sound board. If you’re broadcasting online, you may want to experiment with taking callers via voicechat software like Skype. Otherwise, you may want to have a text chat channel for your listeners which you occasionally monitor for relevant discussion.
You may find that it’s a good idea to keep a piece of new music (or a similar audio clip) queued up and ready to play in the event that something takes you by surprise and you need a few minutes of time.
Ad prices can also vary greatly by market. For instance, 60 ads in a market like Los Angeles can cost up to $500, while the same number of ads might go for as little as $3 in a small rural town.
One great way to do this is by advertising on other shows (especially those in desirable time slots) that broadcast from the same station as you. Many stations offer a reduced in-house rate for cross-promoting your show.
Co-hosts have other benefits, too. For instance, some may be willing to split the cost of airtime with you or help search for and book guests.
Call-in trivia contests for prizes or recognition Live or pre-recorded man-on-the-street segments “100th caller wins” type contests Soliciting listeners for certain types of stories On-air creative comedy/improv exercises
For instance, if one of your callers has a boisterous, outrageous personality and insane political beliefs, you may want to have a semi-regular segment where he calls in and comments on the issues of the day.
This American Life — Politics, serious issues, human interest stories The Howard Stern Show — “Shock jock” style raunchy humor The Ron and Fez Show — humor, chat Car Talk (no longer running) — automotive advice Comedy Bang Bang (podcast) — absurdist comedy, improv The Bugle (podcast) — news, politics
For the most basic podcasting needs, you can get away with a computer and a reasonable-quality microphone, which usually run upwards of $100 at audio equipment stores.
When you’re done, save your file in a widely-used audio format that will be easy for your audience to use, like . mp3.
Generally, most podcasts are offered to the listener for free and are supported by donations, sponsors, or advertisers. Charging money for your podcast can decimate your potential listenership when you’re competing against literally hundreds of good free podcasts, so it’s not usually a good idea.
For more information, see How to Make a Website.
