And if you're wondering why it is important to read books, check out this Reading Room post: WHY YOU MUST READ.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Looking for a good book to read?
Feel free to browse my library.
And if you're wondering why it is important to read books, check out this Reading Room post: WHY YOU MUST READ.
And if you're wondering why it is important to read books, check out this Reading Room post: WHY YOU MUST READ.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Controversial remarks on Karan Thapar's show by new Press Council chief
I caught the fag end of Karan Thapar's interview with the new chairman of the Press Council of India on CNN-IBN on Sunday and I was dumbfounded at what I was hearing. It seemed to me that Justice Markandey Katju did not have a very high opinion of the media; he appeared to be particularly incensed with television news channels.
So I was glad to read in today's Times of India that the Editors' Guild of India has been very critical of his remarks on Devil's Advocate.
Here is the Editors' Guild press statement in full (reproduced from ToI):
UPDATE (November 3): Today's ToI carries this report on broadcast editors also criticising the new Press Council chairman:
FURTHER READING:
So I was glad to read in today's Times of India that the Editors' Guild of India has been very critical of his remarks on Devil's Advocate.
Here is the Editors' Guild press statement in full (reproduced from ToI):
EDITORS' GUILD SLAMS KATJU’S COMMENTS
Editors' Guild press statement in response to remarks by Press Council of India chairman Justice Markandey Katju:
The Editors' Guild of India deplores the ill-considered, sweeping and uninformed comments on the media and on media professionals by the new chairman of the Press Council of India, Justice Markandey Katju. Mr Katju has been making negative statements on the media ever since he assumed office, but his comments in an interview to Karan Thapar on CNN-IBN, broadcast over the weekend, touched a new low.
The Guild notes that Mr Katju thinks the media divides people on religious lines and is anti-people. He objects to TV channels that focus on cricket and other subjects that he disapproves of. He believes that journalists have not studied economics, politics, literature or philosophy, and he has a poor opinion of the media and media people (some of whom, as it happens, are members of the Press Council that Mr Katju chairs).
The Guild notes that Mr Katju, after expressing such sweeping negative sentiments, has asked the government for draconian powers to impose fines on the media, to withdraw advertisements and to suspend the licence to publish or broadcast. The Guild strongly opposes such powers being given to the Council, especially a Council led by someone who it would seem wants to invoke “fear” in the media.
The Guild wishes to draw attention to the fact that its attempt to engage in dialogue with Mr Katju has been rendered futile by Mr Katju, who however continues to express his tendentious and offensive views. The Guild wishes to remind Mr Katju that the Indian media is as diverse as it is vigorous, and that while it has drawbacks and shortcomings, on the whole it contributes to the strength of the Indian system.
Press freedom is a bulwark for the Indian people against the onslaught of people in authority, and the Guild will firmly oppose the assumption of any draconian powers by a Press Council that was created with an altogether different purpose. Further, as the very name of the Council suggests, only the print media comes within the Council’s ambit. The issues and drivers of the electronic media are such that they call for separate regulation. Therefore the Guild firmly believes that the Press Council should have its brief limited to the print media, as it is at the present.
UPDATE (November 3): Today's ToI carries this report on broadcast editors also criticising the new Press Council chairman:
BROADCAST EDITORS CRITICIZE KATJUNew Delhi: After the Editors’ Guild of India, the Broadcast Editors’ Association (BEA) on Thursday criticized Press Council of India chairman Markandey Katju for making “irresponsible and negative comments” about the media. It said such statements from the PCI chief were “extremely disappointing”.Taking strong exception to Katju’s remark that “media professionals are of low intellectual calibre with poor knowledge of economics, history, politics, literature and philosophy,” the BEA said it “shows scant knowledge” of the great journalists the country has produced.It said that in a democracy, criticism was welcome against institutions by individuals and representatives of institutions as that gives a fillip to self-corrective process. TNN
FURTHER READING:
- Mint editorial — "Educating Justice Katju".
- Asian Age column — "Much of what Justice Katju says is not new".
- The Economic Times on Sunday column — "Journos of the country, learn philosophy".
Reading the newspapers every day pays off big-time!
A Commits student has won Rs. 6 lakh on a Bengali TV quiz show.
And what is the connection with reading the daily newspapers? Here is the self-explanatory e-mail I received yesterday from First Year student Agnihotra Roy:
I wanted to inform you, no, thank you. I had taken part in a quiz contest in Kolkata on Star Jalsa, the Bengali TV channel. The show is called Koti Takar Baaji ("Bet Worth 1 Crore") and it is hosted by one of the big-shot actors of the Bengal film industry.
AGNIHOTRA ROY It's a really tricky quiz show. You have to be extremely fast and be prepared to take risks. I got through to the final round... and I won a whopping Rs. 6 lakh!Reading the newspapers every day paid off in a big way!I also want to mention here that at a very critical stage I got a question from Pratibha Ma'am's quiz monthly quiz at Commits, and that helped me a lot. This was the question: Which is the largest living being on earth? Thanks to Pratibha Ma'am, who had asked the same question at our last quiz, I was able to answer the question: The Great Barrier Reef.I had to answer eight questions in all. I knew the answers to the first seven but I had no clue about the 8th one, which was the trickiest question of all: In Greco-Roman language, what was Amman known as in ancient times? The options were Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Miami. I must say I had my share of luck here. I placed my money on Philadelphia because what came to my mind was Delphus, which is a Greco-Roman word. It happened to be the right answer!The last Sunday of October was, thus, a super Sunday for me. I am now looking forward to the telecast, which, I was told, will happen in the last week of this month.
Congratulations, Agnihotra!
Agnihotra, who, like his classmates, is on an NGO internship break from college, has been making a special effort, like his classmates, to read the daily newspapers.
THE "MAGIC BOX" EFFECT
I call this the "Magic Box" effect. In my journalism class every day, one student, whose name is picked out of a bowl (the "Magic Box"), has to discuss in detail at least three stories she or he has read in that day's papers. This is a compulsory exercise which owes its origin to the fact that most young people today find reading the newspapers every day a chore (and a bore) and find reasons to give it a miss.
I tell our students that reading the newspaper is vital for two main reasons:
1. It will help them to learn about the world around them on a daily basis. So newspapers should be read in order to absorb information.
2. Journalistic writing, at the basic level, is functional writing. So reading newspapers closely and studying the writing style will help them to become better writers. Whether you like it or not, people (especially employers, bosses, colleagues at work) will judge you on the basis of how well you speak and how well you write, no matter which media career you choose.
During their time at Commits, our students, who all hope to become successful media professionals one day, do seem to realise the value of the "Magic Box" exercise. It is our hope that this daily habit at Commits of reading the newspaper will become a lifelong one.
1. It will help them to learn about the world around them on a daily basis. So newspapers should be read in order to absorb information.
2. Journalistic writing, at the basic level, is functional writing. So reading newspapers closely and studying the writing style will help them to become better writers. Whether you like it or not, people (especially employers, bosses, colleagues at work) will judge you on the basis of how well you speak and how well you write, no matter which media career you choose.
During their time at Commits, our students, who all hope to become successful media professionals one day, do seem to realise the value of the "Magic Box" exercise. It is our hope that this daily habit at Commits of reading the newspaper will become a lifelong one.
- ALSO READ:
How the lack of a reading habit can be a serious handicap.
Monday, October 31, 2011
From a newspaper article to a monthly newsletter and, now, a bimonthly magazine devoted to books and reading
Not long afterwards, the founder of Just Books, R. Sundar Rajan, read Rohita's feature and he asked her to help publish a regular newsletter (see inaugural issue pictured above) for the library. Rohita and her classmate Swaha Sircar collaborated on the project initially, but then Swaha began working full-time so Rohita handled the production tasks independently, under the supervision of Sapana Rawat of Just Books.
ROHITA RAMBABU "I have grown so much with Just Books," Rohita wrote in an e-mail recently. "It is amazing how an article you suggested that I do turned into such a big opportunity."With my Just Books salary, I was able to pay off the loan I had taken from my parents for the Master's course at Commits."I have now been with Just Books for almost two years, and they treat me on par with a professional (though I know I am at a very junior level with lots to learn before I am good)."
 |
| NILOFER D'SOUZA |
Nilofer D'Souza (Class of 2009), who is a Bangalore-based features writer with Forbes India, contributed a well-written and comprehensive article to the magazine on the technology used successfully by Just Books to "bring libraries back to the people".
 |
| NILOFER D'SOUZA'S ARTICLE IN FORBES INDIA. |
And now, soon to hit the stands, comes a full-fledged magazine for book-lovers, backed by the company that launched Just Books, with Sapana Rawat as the editor-in-chief, and Commitscion Padmini Nandy Mazumder (Class of 2011) as the editor.
Padmini, who was a co-editor of the college newspaper (like Nilofer before her) and who gave up her job with CNN-IBN in New Delhi and came back to Bangalore when she was offered this assignment, is a voracious reader and passionate book-lover. She writes in her "letter from the editor" in the prototype issue of the magazine that reading defines who we are. She continues:
Reading can give a fresh perspective to a situation. Books transport us to another world. Books let you leave your humdrum existence behind. Stalk a devious murderer with Hercule Poirot, walk the corridors of Hogwarts, romp in the mud with Scout Finch, fall in love with Mr. Darcy, conspire with dependable Jeeves to get poor Bertie Wooster out of a sticky situation... Love, laughter, tears, horror, fantasy, mystery: you can experience it all in one afternoon with a good book.
I could not have put it better myself, Padmini!
 |
| THE COVER OF THE PROTOTYPE ISSUE OF INK. |
Here Padmini explains why she loves what she does:
Imagine getting paid for doing something you love. Most are not so lucky. I happen to be one of the fortunate few.
After dabbling in a number of career choices (marketing, corporate communications, journalism) and a lot of soul-searching, the opportunity of my dreams knocked on my door right at the moment when I seemed to be losing myself all over again. An opportunity to head a literary magazine.
I love books. Let me reiterate: I LOVE BOOKS. Lock me up in a room full of books and throw away the key and I will bless you for it. So, you can imagine my glee when Sapana Rawat (my boss) called to tell me that she and R. Sundar Rajan (CEO of Strata) had chosen me as the new editor of a brand new literary magazine.I would be making all major editorial decisions with Sapana and I would have a free reign on the topics we chose to cover.
PADMINI NANDY MAZUMDER I was beside myself!It was a dream job for the likes of me. I'd be talking about books, meeting authors, attending literary fests, telling people about books, and, consequently, create more bibliophiles.
These three months at Strata have been all that I hoped for and more. I have met industry stalwarts, authors, publishers, attended a publishing conference, rubbed shoulders with the who's who of publishing, found out more about the books and authors that I love so much, and brought out a magazine which is exactly what I think is the need of the hour. In the process, I discovered that I am darn good at it too!
The opportunity to do what you love and what you are good at comes across rarely. When it does, grab it with both hands and don't let go!
The magazine should be available to the general public soon. Having had a chance to go through the prototype, I can tell you that Ink is going to be the answer to many a book-lover's prayers. (Ace Commits photographer Pratidhani Tamang from the Class of 2012 has contributed many pictures, including the cover image above.)
Incidentally, another Commitscion, also a co-editor of the college newspaper, Varun Chhabria (Class of 2012), will be helping to produce the Just Books newsletter from January. All the best, Varun!
- UPDATE (June 19, 2012): Books&More, which is the current avatar of Ink, is now on the web, thanks to the efforts of Varun Chhabria, the associate editor of the magazine. Check out the latest issue here.
 |
| COVER OF THE APRIL-MAY 2012 ISSUE OF BOOKS&MORE. |
An interesting journalistic question posed by Commitscion David Tusing
- Commits alumnus David Tusing (Class of 2005), who is based in Dubai, is the deputy editor of the Gulf News Tabloid. He had posted this question on Facebook yesterday.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
What it means to be a radio professional
Commits alumna SHILPA DASGUPTA (Class of 2011), a producer with BIG FM in Kolkata, gives radio aspirants a peek into her world:
Radio has been defined as “one of the most difficult mediums of communication discovered till date, but also the easiest”. Difficult because radio lacks visual support and one has to depend completely on audio to build a picture in the minds of listeners.
For the same reason, though, it is considered the easiest medium. Because radio does not have any visual support, one can explain a lot through words, music, and sound effects.
Since many youngsters are interested in radio-jockeying, here’s a perspective on radio from someone who is an RJ.
First, RJ-ing does not mean only doing shows on air. If you want to be a good RJ, you need to understand all the functions of radio, because it is this knowledge that will help you, the RJ, to communicate fluently and efficiently with your TG, or target group. How? Well, you will get the hang of it as you go through this piece.
A private radio station mainly comprises three main departments:
Sales: All the commercials you hear on the radio are brought in by the sales team, which is responsible for bringing in the revenue. If there was no sales team, all of us would have to work for free!
Marketing: This department works for the promotion and visibility of the station. The marketing people plan different promotional activities such as organising listener involvement games in housing societies; giving out branded merchandise (umbrellas, T-shirts, etc.) to listeners; promotional activities in shopping malls; putting up hoardings in prominent parts of the city; tie-ups with news channels and newspapers to cover important station spikes. (Spikes stand for important events, such as award ceremonies and the like. For example, every year BIG FM, Kolkata, organises the Big Bangla Music Awards, Television Awards, etc.) It is the marketing team that is responsible for creating top-of-the-mind recall for a radio station in any given city.
A good RJ needs to understand and take interest in all these aspects in order to frame the show well.
In addition, there are certain creative and practical aspects which RJs must keep in mind while framing their shows:
MOOD STATE — Different radio shows are conducted during different time bands, i.e., early morning, morning, mid-morning, afternoon, evening, night, and late night. And, accordingly, different time bands mean different mood states of listeners. In the mornings, for example, people are mostly in a hurry to get to work; they are usually pressed for time. So if a radio station plays games like antakshari in the morning time band, it’ll never work.
During afternoons, the highest radio listenership is from homemakers because this is the time when they relax. So their mood state is laid-back. At this time, this mood state demands light discussions on topics such as home utility tips, film gossip, etc. (the format can be compared to that of a women’s magazine), and in terms of music it should be light-romantic. Retro works magically in this time band.
NEED STATE — With changing time bands, the needs of a listener also change. In the mornings, as we have seen, people are in a rush to get to work. And, as you must have noticed, during this time, most people listen to the radio in their cars or while travelling to their offices. So they will want traffic alerts, stock updates, news headlines, etc.
Again, the night band will have to cater to a sea change in the need state of listeners. Nights are considered a time for oneself, a time when people want to get nostalgic, think deep, so during this time, most night shows talk about personal problems or relationship-based issues. Late night shows are mostly framed in such a way that the RJ is like that invisible friend to whom one can open up completely.
TARGET GROUP — This is the biggest deciding factor for any show. All show content and, also, the presentation of a show, including the “lingo” used by the RJ, listener gratification devices, contest types, and overall content depend on the show’s TG. If the TG for a particular time band is SEC B, C, and D, then, of course, the content of the show needs to be gossip-oriented and entertainment-based; even the contests and games should be very light and entertaining.
But keep in mind that a station’s positioning also matters a lot when it comes to determining its TG. Radio Mirchi, for example, always classifies itself as an entertainment station. Even their tag line “It’s Hot” very clearly identifies the station as one that gives you “spicy stuff”. Here in Kolkata, there is a station called Friends’ FM. It is owned by the Ananda Bazar Patrika group, which also publishes the No. 1 Bengali newspaper. Their positioning as a station evidently signifies that they are meant only for a niche TG, deeply inclined towards literature. So the station content, RJ talk, the lingo used — everything highlights this fact.
MUSIC — Music is the “king” of radio. No one is really interested in listening to “jock talk”. People tune in to a particular station primarily for the kind of music it plays. Each station has a particular music policy. We at BIG FM, Kolkata, believe in the melody factor and hence play only melodious songs. On the contrary, Mirchi plays a mixed stack and have a lot of up-tempo numbers in their playlist through the day.
So these are some of the most important factors RJs should think about when framing their shows. Without taking these factors into consideration, a show can never be successful.
Please remember, though, that the RJ is not the only person involved with the show. Each show has got a producer who helps the RJ with scripting, research, promo planning, getting celebrity bites, and in many other ways. So it’s a combination of producer and RJ that makes a show successful.
Having given you all this gyan, let me also tell you that it’s super fun to work in radio if you’re prepared to work 12-14 hours a day, even on weekends. But, ultimately, on Fridays, when the RAM (Radio Audience Measurement) report gives you the news that your show has become No.1, trust me, nothing else matters at that time.
Best of luck… loads of best wishes to all of you. I am really looking forward to seeing some of you working in my audio world.
PS: Those who want to learn more about radio can read the books written by Dan O’Day. He is considered the father of radio and has written books on almost all aspects of radio. Download these two e-books from his site:
A regular radio day in my life
I reach the station between 10 and 10:30 a.m. though, officially, my work day begins only at 2 p.m. Since BIG is Asia’s largest radio network with 45 stations across the country, we are accountable for all programming to our parent station, i.e. Mumbai. So the first task after getting to work is to prepare a show plan and send it to Mumbai. (Once in a month, our programming team also sits together to prepare the upcoming month’s show plan.)
If we have some special spike coming up, for example, we had the BIG Women’s Achievement Awards at the end of October, we need to plan how we can drive this special content on-air and on-ground. So the day begins with planning and brain-storming. This takes us a lot of time.
The next job on my list is to start preparing for my evening show. Being a drive-time show, this show needs a lot of elements to be incorporated. And being the producer of the show, I need to take care of all these aspects. So I create a regular CLB of the show (CLB stands for Content, Link, and Break). The CLB sheet, which is given to the RJ before the show, contains the details of each RJ link; it also shows how the content flow will be driven throughout the show.
I also use this time to take celebrity bites or fix up appointments with celebrities for interviews or invite them to our studio. Sometimes a lot of show elements are sent to us by the Mumbai station and I edit these elements according to the show.
After I am done with my evening show, preparations start for the night show, in the same way. The only difference is that it’s a late night show so not many elements need to be incorporated. The late night show is all about listener interaction, so we do it live. And I have to be in the studio till midnight to co-ordinate and to filter callers, which is very important.
In addition, I have to prepare the winners’ lists for both my shows and send them across for prize distribution; co-ordinate with the marketing team for OOH (out of home) promotion of my shows; co-ordinate with other stations for some important elements for the show; and, on special days, even do live on-ground shows.
Wednesdays can be difficult because that’s when the weekly meetings with the Mumbai station are scheduled. Which means I have to get to the station even earlier in order to wrap up all my work, besides attending the meeting.
So, all in all, my day starts around 10:30 in the morning and ends around 12:30-1:00 the next morning. Fun, isn’t it? I certainly think so.
Radio has been defined as “one of the most difficult mediums of communication discovered till date, but also the easiest”. Difficult because radio lacks visual support and one has to depend completely on audio to build a picture in the minds of listeners.
For the same reason, though, it is considered the easiest medium. Because radio does not have any visual support, one can explain a lot through words, music, and sound effects.
Since many youngsters are interested in radio-jockeying, here’s a perspective on radio from someone who is an RJ.
First, RJ-ing does not mean only doing shows on air. If you want to be a good RJ, you need to understand all the functions of radio, because it is this knowledge that will help you, the RJ, to communicate fluently and efficiently with your TG, or target group. How? Well, you will get the hang of it as you go through this piece.
 |
| SHILPA DASGUPTA AT BIG FM KOLKATA. |
A private radio station mainly comprises three main departments:
- Programming
- Sales
- Marketing
Sales: All the commercials you hear on the radio are brought in by the sales team, which is responsible for bringing in the revenue. If there was no sales team, all of us would have to work for free!
Marketing: This department works for the promotion and visibility of the station. The marketing people plan different promotional activities such as organising listener involvement games in housing societies; giving out branded merchandise (umbrellas, T-shirts, etc.) to listeners; promotional activities in shopping malls; putting up hoardings in prominent parts of the city; tie-ups with news channels and newspapers to cover important station spikes. (Spikes stand for important events, such as award ceremonies and the like. For example, every year BIG FM, Kolkata, organises the Big Bangla Music Awards, Television Awards, etc.) It is the marketing team that is responsible for creating top-of-the-mind recall for a radio station in any given city.
 |
| SHILPA DASGUPTA WITH BIG FM RJ MAHUA BANERJEE |
In addition, there are certain creative and practical aspects which RJs must keep in mind while framing their shows:
MOOD STATE — Different radio shows are conducted during different time bands, i.e., early morning, morning, mid-morning, afternoon, evening, night, and late night. And, accordingly, different time bands mean different mood states of listeners. In the mornings, for example, people are mostly in a hurry to get to work; they are usually pressed for time. So if a radio station plays games like antakshari in the morning time band, it’ll never work.
During afternoons, the highest radio listenership is from homemakers because this is the time when they relax. So their mood state is laid-back. At this time, this mood state demands light discussions on topics such as home utility tips, film gossip, etc. (the format can be compared to that of a women’s magazine), and in terms of music it should be light-romantic. Retro works magically in this time band.
NEED STATE — With changing time bands, the needs of a listener also change. In the mornings, as we have seen, people are in a rush to get to work. And, as you must have noticed, during this time, most people listen to the radio in their cars or while travelling to their offices. So they will want traffic alerts, stock updates, news headlines, etc.
Again, the night band will have to cater to a sea change in the need state of listeners. Nights are considered a time for oneself, a time when people want to get nostalgic, think deep, so during this time, most night shows talk about personal problems or relationship-based issues. Late night shows are mostly framed in such a way that the RJ is like that invisible friend to whom one can open up completely.
TARGET GROUP — This is the biggest deciding factor for any show. All show content and, also, the presentation of a show, including the “lingo” used by the RJ, listener gratification devices, contest types, and overall content depend on the show’s TG. If the TG for a particular time band is SEC B, C, and D, then, of course, the content of the show needs to be gossip-oriented and entertainment-based; even the contests and games should be very light and entertaining.
But keep in mind that a station’s positioning also matters a lot when it comes to determining its TG. Radio Mirchi, for example, always classifies itself as an entertainment station. Even their tag line “It’s Hot” very clearly identifies the station as one that gives you “spicy stuff”. Here in Kolkata, there is a station called Friends’ FM. It is owned by the Ananda Bazar Patrika group, which also publishes the No. 1 Bengali newspaper. Their positioning as a station evidently signifies that they are meant only for a niche TG, deeply inclined towards literature. So the station content, RJ talk, the lingo used — everything highlights this fact.
MUSIC — Music is the “king” of radio. No one is really interested in listening to “jock talk”. People tune in to a particular station primarily for the kind of music it plays. Each station has a particular music policy. We at BIG FM, Kolkata, believe in the melody factor and hence play only melodious songs. On the contrary, Mirchi plays a mixed stack and have a lot of up-tempo numbers in their playlist through the day.
So these are some of the most important factors RJs should think about when framing their shows. Without taking these factors into consideration, a show can never be successful.
Please remember, though, that the RJ is not the only person involved with the show. Each show has got a producer who helps the RJ with scripting, research, promo planning, getting celebrity bites, and in many other ways. So it’s a combination of producer and RJ that makes a show successful.
Having given you all this gyan, let me also tell you that it’s super fun to work in radio if you’re prepared to work 12-14 hours a day, even on weekends. But, ultimately, on Fridays, when the RAM (Radio Audience Measurement) report gives you the news that your show has become No.1, trust me, nothing else matters at that time.
Best of luck… loads of best wishes to all of you. I am really looking forward to seeing some of you working in my audio world.
PS: Those who want to learn more about radio can read the books written by Dan O’Day. He is considered the father of radio and has written books on almost all aspects of radio. Download these two e-books from his site:
- ODayPersonalityRadio will give you an overall account of different aspects of doing a radio show.
- ODayPersonalityRadioVolume2 has some additional information. I think this will help a lot at the beginner's level.
A regular radio day in my life
I reach the station between 10 and 10:30 a.m. though, officially, my work day begins only at 2 p.m. Since BIG is Asia’s largest radio network with 45 stations across the country, we are accountable for all programming to our parent station, i.e. Mumbai. So the first task after getting to work is to prepare a show plan and send it to Mumbai. (Once in a month, our programming team also sits together to prepare the upcoming month’s show plan.)
If we have some special spike coming up, for example, we had the BIG Women’s Achievement Awards at the end of October, we need to plan how we can drive this special content on-air and on-ground. So the day begins with planning and brain-storming. This takes us a lot of time.
The next job on my list is to start preparing for my evening show. Being a drive-time show, this show needs a lot of elements to be incorporated. And being the producer of the show, I need to take care of all these aspects. So I create a regular CLB of the show (CLB stands for Content, Link, and Break). The CLB sheet, which is given to the RJ before the show, contains the details of each RJ link; it also shows how the content flow will be driven throughout the show.
I also use this time to take celebrity bites or fix up appointments with celebrities for interviews or invite them to our studio. Sometimes a lot of show elements are sent to us by the Mumbai station and I edit these elements according to the show.
After I am done with my evening show, preparations start for the night show, in the same way. The only difference is that it’s a late night show so not many elements need to be incorporated. The late night show is all about listener interaction, so we do it live. And I have to be in the studio till midnight to co-ordinate and to filter callers, which is very important.
In addition, I have to prepare the winners’ lists for both my shows and send them across for prize distribution; co-ordinate with the marketing team for OOH (out of home) promotion of my shows; co-ordinate with other stations for some important elements for the show; and, on special days, even do live on-ground shows.
Wednesdays can be difficult because that’s when the weekly meetings with the Mumbai station are scheduled. Which means I have to get to the station even earlier in order to wrap up all my work, besides attending the meeting.
So, all in all, my day starts around 10:30 in the morning and ends around 12:30-1:00 the next morning. Fun, isn’t it? I certainly think so.
- EXTERNAL READING: If you’ve ever dreamt about being a radio star, then why not make it happen? Learn how here: Start your own radio station.
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