What do radio DJs do during commercials?

Question

Do they just sit there? What about during songs? Do they load a bunch of songs and just lay back? I'm listening to the radio and just curious. I'm not referring to morning DJs who talk most of the time.

Answer 1

they answer your calls and requests

Answer 2

Go to the bathroom during long songs--that's why they loved "American Pie".

Answer 3

Most music is already set up with commercials already cataloged and such in the US and Canada.. So pretty much take the phone calls, prep for what they want to talk about next (remember they always want to bring up some new fact or website so they are surfing for that sometimes)..plus the bathroom breaks etc....

This is in markets where the DJ only has to do that one show.

Clear Channel and others do something called Voice tracking where one DJ may do two or three different radio shows around the nation (for instance, there is a morning show in my area that comes from Nashville yet the two Djs prerecord about 5 segments for entertainment and wind up saying few minute comments that pertains to the local area (such as a event coming up)... a person on the local end edits the segments in such as way that poof.. it sounds like they live and work right there in your home town but live hundreds of miles away.... basically 8 hours or so of work produces a morning show and enough local content for about 20 stations in the nation

But most only do their home market and during the songs do the Vting for the other market.

Answer 4

They usually, take calls.

Review the stations current playlist

Set up the next track.

Have a snack.

Smoke a cig.

Talk to the receptionist.

Talk to the other DJ's.

Pretend that they are cool.

Do their taxes.

Pop some pills.

Drink Coffee or Mt. Dew,

Think of something clever/corny to say before/after their next set, then they pop in the next track..

Answer 5

drink something and eat something. go pee i have no clue!1

Answer 6

Smoke a cigarette and take a p**s. Maybe grap a bite to eat. They probably have some kind of paper work to do. what do you do during downtime at work? I answer these questions.

Answer 7

Pretty much as described in the other answers. Good jocks get the music list in advance, so they prep in advance around that information, so they are organizing and matching clever things to say with the music that they prepped the night before. Yes, some are also waiting for a long song for a bathroom break.

Though in a more modern staudio setting, that's not necessary (the long song - not the bathroom break) so the jock can come out of his last song of the set, say his piece, then start the first commercial. Most of the time he/she won't have to get back until the end of the last song after the commercial set because of the automation. Once sommercial sends a signal to the next when it'sdine, then next sends a signal to a pre-recorded promo, then another comercial, then a jingle then the first song of the next set. Once that's all in motion, the songs can be set to start a jingle whn they end and the jingle starts the next song.

Morning shows are different and take a lot of prep and a cast of characters. It may not seem like it was prepped, but if they're pros, most of it is pre-recrded, opre-written or ad-libbed from a sort of outline.

And for all this - what do they get paid?

Anywhere from minimum wage to millions of dollars per year. It depends on the experience, talent, audience you draw, deal you cut, time of day you work, city you work in and a host of other things. There is no average (though I'm sure some websites will say there are).

I can only speak for how it works in the US:

Being a jock is almost a 24/7 job. You are expected to come in early and do commercials or help with promotional planning. You are expected to stay after your shift for the same chores. You give up your weekends to go to station events, some of which are fun - I used to do concert intros, got to go backstage, feel important and stuff, go see my friends in their seats with all my passes strung around my neck then introduce the act. Heady stuff. Sadly only about 1% of the job. And not as customary as it once was.

I once had to announce to 20,000 screaming fans that "Ozzie has a serious throat infection and Black Sabbath will not be able to perform tonight as scheduled," BOOO! "BUT, The Outlaws have kindly consented to do a double set!" YEAH!

They didn't care, only one guy asked for a refund. Though the promoter cited me for helping to keep them in their seats because of the way I handled it, did I get any more money? HA!

They don't use jocks to introduce the bands much anymore. By then the acts all had opening sequences they didn't want messed up by some local kid from the radio station.

Once we finally get home, we are expected to prepare for tomorrow's show, monitor other stations and watch popular TV shows & movies so we can talk about them on the air. We might also have a stack of CDs to listen to for potential new hit records. It's kinda funny watching a 40-year old man get all info-ed up on Hannah Montana ;<)

For that, most jocks are paid an annual salary that is very dependent on your experience level, what city you are in, what time period you are on air and what your off-air title is. Most jocks also carry "Music Director," Production Director," Program Director" etc. So, if you're the MD/Mid-day personality, you'll get more than the night guy who has no off-air title. You are expected to be thrilled about this because your experience is building and your "career" will benefit.

Unless you are at one of the few unionized stations, there’s no overtime, though occasionally you'll get some bartered merchandise, an appearance fee or a discount if you buy something from an advertiser. The manager might set up a bonus structure based on your ratings.

The smaller the station, the more work, including emptying the trash! If you are doing mornings in Philly, it's much different from being the night guy in Des Moines. Except the night guy in Des Moines is always trying to figure a way to get to do mornings in Philly. And the guy in Philly wants to take his show to syndication so he'll have a national audience and get syndication fees.

Excluding big stars like Bob & Tom, Tom Joyner, Opie & Anthony, Howard Stern, etc. annual salaries run from $20k per year (for a beginner overnight jock in a small market) to $200-$300k for the morning guy in Philly who has a cast, sidekick, promotion and appearance money and maybe does all the commercials for the local Ford dealer.

There's an interesting article from the Bureau of Statistics (lost the URL - you can look it up on a search engine) but their numbers are probably not right, because very few announcers are paid hourly and that's what they base their numbers on.

Hope this helped.

- a guy named duh