The FM Radio has revived radio among the urban populace . FM or frequency modulation is high quality, high frequency radio wave that has lesser atmospheric interference. It gives stereo quality, which makes it popular among the music lovers. FM uses radio frequency band from 88 MHz to 108 MHz. FM or Very High Frequency and Ultra High Frequency bands are also used in radio paging, police wireless, walky-talky etc. The licensing system has now been made easy and the fee has also been reduced considerably. Even the license fee is being waived off for educational and voluntary organisations.
With the FM boom fast enveloping the country the Radio Jockey RJ as a career is also expanding. However, it is a specialised kind of profession where your inborn qualities like having good voice, modulation and diction pays dividend.
Radio Jockeying is not only having chitchat with your listener but also to enrich them with knowledge through entertainment. As we all know the most of the FM radio channels are music-based channels providing entertainment to wide range of listeners from poorest of poor to elite society. The Radio signal is free to all when it is beamed through the terrestrial transmitters (there are satellite channels also that cost money). In a developing country like India radio is sole popular medium, which has outreached all the TV and Print media, combined. In a population of 100 crores, if 10 percent of listeners have their radio sets on then 10 crore people are listening! No newspaper or TV channel has capacity to reach that number yet. It is also a medium of communicating news and current affairs apart from providing entertainment. So, the greater responsibility lies on the person facing the microphone as he or she has the capacity of moulding the public opinion (remember the scene in "Lage Raho..." when Munna Bhai calls upon the people to send flowers to a house grabber).
Jockeying generally involves three areas - Video Jockey (VJ), Disc Jockey (DJ) and Radio Jockey (RJ). All three deal with music. What differentiates them from one another is the place or media they use to reach the audience. A Video Jockey is a host or anchor of a video (TV) programme while Disc Jockey plays host at a music party, orchestra etc.
A Radio Jockey is distinctly meant for hosting radio progra-mmes. They are also called compere, programme presenter and announcer. But the radio jockey sounds more 'cool' for younger generation especially when a programme is being hosted on FM stereo! In addition to playing music on air, they at length chat with the audience, keep them amused; provide information on the music, weather and traffic. They play requests from listeners, interview guests and manage contests.
Qualities of a Radio Jockey
A RJ should be able to create bond with the listener, should be friendly, spontaneous, warm, and have a good voice and good command over the language. Youngsters are preferred as they have new ideas and concepts and are bubbling with enthusiasm. A radio jockey must have good voice with perfect modulation, diction and clarity while speaking 'on-air'. Apart from these the following would be added advantage:
 S/he would be well read and knowledgeable,
 should be well acquainted with current trends and fashion,
 should know current who's who,
 should have command over spoken words and able to use easy-to grasp language/dialect,
 could chat with the guest in the studio or audience over telephone,
 able to operate modern electronic gadgets like editing consoles and computer.

Possessing some basic qualities are not sufficient. A systematic training is required in order to achieve perfection because the competition in the market are fierce. There are many Institutions that are providing theoretical and practical know-how for being a good radio jockey. Some of them are listed below. The list is indicative as there are many more that provide trainings.
1. Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi (Radio and TV Journalism)
2. Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi, website: www.jmi. nic.in
3. Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi, www. ignou.ac.in (Radio Journalism/ programme production (Hindi/English) .
4. MCRC, Osmania University, Hyderabad.
5. The Delhi Institute of Communication, website: www. thedelhischoolofcommuni-cation.com
6. MCRC, Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi, website: www.jmi.nic.in.
7. Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media, website: www.iijnm.org
8. Xavier Institute of Communi-cation, Mumbai website: www.xaviercomm.org
Career Opportunities
The career opportunity for a radio-jockey or programme presenter is increasing day-by-day with the advent of private FM channels, community radio stations and government owned local FM radio stations (LRSs) of All India Radio. The government in its phase-II expansion plan of FM radio has given license to as many as 337 FM radio stations in 91 cities. That means every major city is going to have more than one FM channel in the very near future. Metro cities are already having two or more FM channels. The Indira Gandhi National Open University is also going to recruit its own announcers/compere for their exclusive radio channel Gyanvani. A radio jockey may earn from Rs. 8000=00 to 15000=00 depending upon the ability and skills and fulfilling the requirement of the employer. Apart from the regular employment, there are opportuni-ties as casual or part time announcers or compere. The All India Radio is paying Rs. 300 to Rs. 700 per shift/per day to casual announcers/programme presen-ters. There are career opportunities as a newsreader in All India Radio in ad-hoc capacity or on regular basis.
— SYED SALMAN HAIDER
(The author is correspondent All India Radio, Gorakhpur)-courtesy EN