Radio announcers present news, weather, commentary, or music on the radio. At smaller stations, radio announcers also may operate studio equipment, produce recorded material like shows and commercials, sell commercial space to advertisers, and edit content on their stations’ websites.
Sometimes, announcers also appear at community events and festivals, often performing the MC functions, especially if an event is sponsored by the announcer’s station.
As media personalities, announcers are often expected to maintain and regularly update social media accounts, in order to engage their audiences and help their stations maintain good ratings.
This diverse range of activities requires a multitude of skills, such as researching and evaluating sources, writing, audio production, on-air performance, teamwork, as well as website and social media management. In addition, announcers need to stay up to date with news and current events in their field, in order to be able to competently discuss them on air and develop content on these topics.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Announcers,on the Internet at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/media-and-communication/announcers.htm (visited July 12, 2020).
