Are you a good communicator with a great speaking voice? Do you enjoy reading and writing? Then a career as an announcer may be right for you! Announcers have the exciting role of reading news, sports, weather, commercials, and public service messages, as well as hosting live events and programs on radio or television.

Announcer Duties and Responsibilities

Depending on the station and market, announcers may specialize in a particular type of work or share tasks with other station personnel. Their duties can include researching and writing their own material, preparing stories for later broadcast, developing longer feature stories for local audiences, and reading commercials and public service messages.

Behind the Scenes

Announcers may also operate control boards and other equipment for complex productions, run programming according to station schedules, rewrite copy from wire services, edit and read news, sports, and weather reports, and post and edit content on the station's website or social media platforms.

Public Appearances

In addition to their on-air responsibilities, announcers often make public appearances and serve as master of ceremonies at special events. They may also broadcast live from commercial businesses or shopping malls, and even judge contests. It's becoming more common for announcers to have a social media presence as well.

Music Program Hosts

Music program hosts on commercial radio stations have a unique role. In addition to playing music, they provide commentary on the music, local events, and interesting stories. They engage with listeners through humor, small talk, and giveaways, while also following a predetermined schedule for commercials. Answering calls from listeners and responding to texts and social media posts is also part of their job.

Talk Show Hosts and Interviewers

Talk show hosts and interviewers have a different type of role. They host radio and television shows featuring discussions with various guests on topics of interest to the general public. They may interact with guests in person, via phone, or through video. Listeners have the opportunity to join the conversation and share their own opinions. Talk show hosts and interviewers must thoroughly research topics before going on air.

Sportscasters

Sportscasters specialize in sports broadcasts. They attend press conferences to gather sports information, cover live sporting events, provide play-by-play commentary, interview players and coaches, present summaries and highlights of recent events, and announce and promote upcoming sporting events.

News Broadcasters

News broadcasters play a crucial role in gathering, organizing, and reporting the news across various mediums, including radio, television, online platforms, and social media. They present facts on issues or situations of public interest, provide fair and unbiased coverage of different perspectives, conduct interviews with relevant individuals, and offer updates as stories develop.

Podcasters

Podcasters create prerecorded shows on topics like sports, news, or entertainment, which can be listened to at any time using computers or mobile devices. Listeners can subscribe to podcasts to receive new episodes automatically.

Working as an Announcer

Announcers generally work shifts that include evenings, weekends, and holidays, with some early mornings or late nights. Sports announcers often have irregular schedules based on sporting events. The job can be stressful due to the pressure of live broadcasting, which leaves little room for error.

Skills and Qualifications

To excel as an announcer, you need a pleasant and captivating voice, self-confidence, friendliness, good voice projection and enunciation, a strong command of English, the ability to pronounce foreign names accurately, excellent writing and reading skills, organizational abilities, the skill to provide interesting small talk, the ability to connect with an audience, and a high level of interest and enthusiasm.

If you enjoy working with music, videos, and other news and entertainment content, informing and entertaining others, and presenting information in an engaging way, then a career as an announcer may be a perfect fit for you.

Open