Becoming a radio talk show host can involve education, acting, and applying for jobs. High schools and colleges offer training, and some schools focus specifically on broadcast journalism. Having expertise in a subject or combining subject knowledge with broadcast training can also be helpful. On-air training can lead to tapes of performance that can be circulated on local radio stations, and having an agent can be valuable. However, achieving national prominence is rare.
There are many ways to become a radio talk show host, including obtaining some form of education, acting and applying for jobs. The path is not always clear cut, and some people with no radio broadcasting experience make it into popular hosts. Others receive formal education or have expertise in a subject that can engage listeners. The field is competitive and many people trying to get a job in this field fail despite strong training and skills.
Some high schools offer radio hosting training or options to join campus radio stations. More often than not, people have to wait to attend college or certificate programs after high school before working in radio. The most formal training path is to earn a bachelor’s degree in journalism, broadcast journalism, or communications. You should be serious about your general education studies at this level because hosting a program usually means you will need basic and correct knowledge of general topics. Repeating too much misinformation can damage your credibility.
While in college, students who want to become a radio show host must work at the campus radio station. It’s important to learn more than just theory when studying, and by hosting your own show you are learning, becoming more comfortable as a presenter. Students can also use recorded examples of their first broadcasts to critique and improve their performance.
Another option is to attend a school that focuses specifically on broadcast journalism. Some of these schools are connected to theater or theater schools because hosting is “theatre” to some extent and one of the performing arts. Other schools don’t have that connection.
When considering a broadcast school, you should think about how many years the program will take to complete. Some schools offer certificates, while others award a bachelor’s or other degree when you successfully complete the program. It is generally best to choose a school with a good reputation and an accredited program. Any school that promises a career in this field should be avoided as this industry is competitive and not everyone who wants to become a radio show host is successful.
Another option is to have strong experience in an area that radio stations think will engage listeners. Many radio stations hire therapists or psychiatrists, doctors, tool specialists, financial specialists and others, or hire people who primarily have a background in stand-up comedy. Some people combine subject knowledge with broadcast training, and this can be a winning combination.
If you have on-air training, you’ll accumulate tapes of your performance that can be circulated on local radio stations. Having an agent to do this work can be valuable, but not everyone gets agents before landing their first job. An agent can continually promote you to bigger stations as you establish your hosting career. That said, few people who become radio show hosts will achieve national prominence.
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