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TV/Radio Announcer/Presenter

Do you want to become a TV/Radio Announcer/Presenter? Here is some information to help point you in the right direction:

Job Description - Print Page

Television and radio announcers and presenters work in the front line of radio, television and increasingly, on line.

• Announcers may announce programme information, introduce programmes, link items together and relay information and apologies.
• Presenters host current affairs programmes, reality and chat shows, or games and quiz shows. They introduce items and interview people.
• Announcers research background information to prepare their broadcasts.
• Presenters plan, rehearse and often write for their shows.
• In both roles they work as part of a team, alongside producers and technical staff. On smaller stations they operate some technical equipment for recording and playback.
   
  

The basic working week might be 38 hours, in shifts, often with unsociable hours.

Starting salaries are around £12,000; experienced announcers or presenters in national radio or TV can earn more than £50,000 a year.

An announcer or presenter needs to be:

• articulate, well presented, outgoing and confident
• an excellent oral communicator with a clear, attractive speaking voice
• quick thinking and flexible, with an excellent sense of timing
• knowledgeable about current affairs.
  

An ideal preparation for this type of work is a combination of work experience and suitable entry qualifications such as GCSEs, NVQs, a BTEC award or a degree. Most announcers and presenters are adults; many have previously been journalists.

Skillset is the Sector Skills Council for the Audio Visual Industries, set up by the film, TV and broadcasting industries. A network of Assessment Centres around the UK offers Skillset Professional Qualifications in areas such as Broadcast Journalism and Production Research.

Some training schemes are offered by the BBC and the larger ITV companies for suitably qualified candidates, preferably those with a degree or equivalent qualification.

There is no formal structure for promotion or advancement. Promotion is often regarded as gaining work on national networks, primetime slots or high-profile shows.

 

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