In my short time of being involved with the radio, I have learned several things. Some of those things are simple tasks, like how to set up speakers or how to efficiently promote the station. Some things have shaped who I am as a manager, and I've learned a few things in that position. Now, I want to take the opportunity to share the things I have learned while being on the air since I have been there for a while now.
The more you practice, the more confident you will be.
People always say that practice makes perfect, and those people aren't wrong. My show is only once a week, and it took me about four weeks until I finally got into the swing of things. The whole operation of the radio, how to present myself on air and how to talk to my then co-host, someone who once was a complete stranger to me (and had to sit in the same small room for two hours). Each week I fell into a routine, a practice and eventually it made perfect. Being a DJ, like a lot of other things, is like learning how to ride a bike: daunting at first but so cool when you get it, even if you fall sometimes.This leads me to my next lesson.
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Mistakes happen.
Big surprise. Mistakes are inevitable, no matter how much you try to prepare. Sometimes your music skips or glitches, your volume is not up high enough. Being a radio station, though, certain mistakes can have big consequences. For an example, playing an explicit song, which happens, is a big mistake. If the FCC receives a complaint of an explicit song, that could be the end for small local stations. The FCC runs on complaints and most people understand that accidents happen, though mistakes like that are not appreciated. For smaller mistakes, though, you can just brush it off. Again, most listeners are understanding. The most you have to do is apologize on air and move on.
Confidence is key
Or you can fake it until you make it, but I recommend being confident from the start. It's what gives you your voice. Looking back, I was terrified to speak on the air, so my then co-host made me, and I thank him for that every week when I go on the air as confident as he is. The charisma that comes from the confidence makes being a DJ ten times more fun for you and your listeners. And it makes the time fly by. Confidence is what the listeners want, and you can't dissapoint them.
