Radio

Radio is one of the earliest forms of electronic medium, used to transmit the information and news through short waves (SW), medium waves (MW) and frequency modulation (FM). In India, early radio broadcasting began during the British Raj in 1923 with programs from the Bombay Presidency Radio Club. In the year 1956, All India Radio (AIR) became the national public radio broadcaster of India and is now one of the largest radio networks in the world due to the number of languages it broadcasts across the country.

While FM broadcasting began in 1977, it successfully emerged in 2001 when FM broadcasting was privatized. As per reports, there are more than 381 private radio stations operating in 101 cities across India. Before the advancement of technology in the 21st century, radio and television were indispensable means of entertainment, but today people can also listen to radio on their smartphones. Obviously from news to entertainment, from sports commentary to music, radio has been an essential part of mass communication. The courses related to radio comes under the field of Journalism and Mass Communication. Students can opt to take up full-time programmes and can also do part-time courses, along with distance courses as well.

Eligiblity Criteria and Popular Courses For Radio

Candidates willing to make their career in radio industry can pursue below mentioned courses: 

Entrance Exams For Radio Courses

Admission to a majority of colleges/universities offering courses related to Radio is done on the basis of candidates’ performance in the written exam followed by a personal interview round. However, some institutions also offer direct admission to candidates on the basis of their performance in the qualifying exam (Class 12 or graduation). Some of the top entrance exams are as follows: 

• Jamia Millia Islamia Entrance Exam
• XIC OET
• IIMC Entrance Exam
• FTII JET
• JNUEE
• CUET

Skills Required for Radio

Skills required for this course are similar to those required for most of the mass media specialisations. Candidates pursuing a career in radio industry should have the following skillset:

Also Read:

• B.M.M.M.C. (BA in Mass Media and Mass Communication)
• B.M.C. (Bachelor of Mass Communication)

Syllabus For Radio Courses

Subjects that candidates study in courses related to Radio depend on the type of course (UG/PG/Degree/Diploma/Certificate) they pursue. However, the curriculum of any course that a candidate pursues covers both theories as well as practical experience in the form of internships, study tours, seminars, etc. Given below is the course curriculum of some of the Radio courses:

Colleges Offering Radio Courses

There are many colleges which offer Mass Communication courses. Some of them are tabulated below:

Job Profiles In Radio

The job profiles in radio production are for those who enjoy talking, creating and expressing themselves. Listed below are the popular job profiles that one can opt for with a degree in radio production:

Radio Producer: A radio producer oversees the overall content, write parodies and production of a radio program, which includes preliminary research, budgeting, staffing and technical aspects.

Radio Announcer- They are responsible for making announcements and commentaries on radio for various sporting events or disseminating valuable information to the public on topics such as sanitation, hygiene, disaster management. 

Radio Jockey: An RJ is responsible for the broadcast spectrum like chat, music and news shows etc. 

Music Manager: They are responsible for managing and dealing with how a radio station's music library is kept and how music is played when requested during a show. This individual is in charge of the music we hear on the radio.

Copy Writer: The job of a copy writer is to write commercial and promotional copy for sales, marketing and promotion. 

Sound Engineers: Sound engineers help create station jingles, show jingles, campaign jingles, etc. to identify the station through sound.

Read More:

• Radio Production
• Radio Jockeying