How to Become a Broadcaster: in Easy Steps

When you open your radio to listen to some podcasts or songs, do you ever wonder about how they are reaching you? I certainly do! Surely, there must be some machines that are being operated somewhere.

There must be someone who is using these to broadcast the radio shows. Well, I looked it up and found that such a person is whom we call a broadcaster. 🤳

Broadcasters are people who work in media outlets and reportedly earn up to about $99,000 per year. They are required to be influential figures who can handle being at the forefront of any sort of media. 🎙️

If becoming a broadcaster is something of interest to you, do read the given article I have put together to clear up any doubts you might have. ⬇️

Question and Answer

Any uncertainty in your mind about becoming a broadcaster is completely justified. I am here to help you solve such doubts and get rid of any second thoughts.

I have mentioned a few questions below, which you have to answer truthfully.

Am I comfortable being in public scrutiny?
Am I comfortable under the spotlight?
Can I relocate if necessary?
Do I work well under high pressure and in fast-paced work conditions?
Am I ready to work in a highly competitive workspace?
Can I handle criticism?

If the answer to most of these is a yes, then you are surely ready to make it big as a broadcaster!

Let us start talking about the real process now, shall we?

Who is a Broadcaster?

Let’s add more meaning to the definition of a broadcaster, okay? First off, when we talk about media, we talk about both video and audio content. So, a broadcaster is someone who handles and distributes both audio and video content. 📽️

Surprisingly, broadcasting involves the distribution of print media, too, and they do so through newspapers and magazines. Nowadays, we have digital newspapers, which are more popular and accessible. 🗞️

A broadcaster has to be someone who can do crowd work well. Since a lot of broadcasters handle radio shows, podcasts, and a lot of television shows as well, they need to be on good footing with the audience.

They must be well-versed in the art of public speaking and should be able to entertain the public well. Keeping up with world affairs is also a necessity, as they should have sufficient awareness to be able to engage with people. 🎤

There are about 33,000 broadcasting channels in the world as of now. Imagine how many broadcasters there are! One of the most famous right now is Robin Roberts.

Scope of Broadcasters

As long as we have media and news channels, we will need broadcasters as well. It is a field that will never die out.

According to stats published by Statistica, the broadcasting sector is recorded to be about 123 billion US dollars. The rise of OTT platforms does mean that there is some decrease in the use of the more conventional modes of media, such as radio, but these are used nonetheless.

Radio remains to be the oldest means of audio-visual communication. In the 2000s, it was used in about 90% of the total US households. This number dropped down to just 83% in the following decade but is a very high percentage regardless.

Skill Set required to become a Broadcaster.

There are some specific skills you need to work on if you want to become a good broadcaster. I have made a list and mentioned them all below.

Work on your communication skills as well as networking.
Also, try to develop your public speaking skills.
There’s a very important skill that broadcasters master. This is called voice control.
Work on your interviewing skills.
You will also have to learn more about the market and what’s happening where.

If you want to learn more about voice control, you can use this course right here. It will introduce you to the topic and develop your vocal range.

How much can a Broadcaster earn?

Broadcasters are known to earn enough in both salary and fame in their profession. This is generally because they are present in front of the public eye and command a lot of fame as well. Not to mention, since it is a field that is getting more and more popular, it will only grow and progress more over the years. 📈

An amount of $86,200 will be given to you as your base pay per year. Base pay is what you will get paid directly by your employer. To this, we will add the additional pay, which is going to be $13,417 per year.

This additional pay is given to you in the form of tips, bonuses, commissions, etc. The total of these is going to be the average pay you can expect as a broadcaster in the United States as of June 2023, which adds up to $99,167 per year. 💸

If we talk about hourly rates, then you can expect to get paid between $22.15 per hour as of June 2023. These are statistically proven salary trends. I have made sure that these are up to date.📊

How to Become a Broadcaster? (More Tips)

All the steps necessary for your benefit have been thoroughly explained below. I have tried my best to make them as concise as possible. I recommend you jot down all of these so that you will be able to refer to them whenever you want in the future. ✅

Get your degree

Education comes first in this career field as you would have to get a degree in journalism or any other connected course so that you can become educated on themes related to being a broadcaster.
If not journalism, then the other connected courses we talk about here are mass communication, general broadcasting, and more.
Choosing the program is completely in your hands.
Doing this will help you get a headstart on the basics of broadcasting and communication. 🎤

Get experience

Gaining experience is important. And you can start doing this even when you are in school or college. A lot of events require a host or a speaker.

Apply for such roles that require you to grab the mic and interact with the audience. Starting small would help you make it big someday later.
You can also try out for jobs related to print media by writing for the school newspaper or some news blog.
Becoming a part of the production and executive teams would also help you understand how these things function and how you interact with people. 🧐

Find Internships

Someone senior who can give you advice and more insight on how to do these things would be a great help to your building career.
You can start applying for internships when you are sure of yourself and your skills.
Finding one would take some time but would yield great benefits.
You would be able to work directly in the field with the help of senior professionals.
It is also recommended that employers like applicants who have completed an internship more. 🤓

You can find them via platforms like LinkedIn.

Study and learn

You would have to study other broadcasters and their ways of communication so that you become able to understand how different professionals do it.
You should not copy their style but just observe and try to understand how it should be done.
You would also have to read up a lot about the things you want to broadcast.
For example – if you choose to become a sports broadcaster, you would have to study a lot about those games to engage with the audience.
If you don’t, you wouldn’t be a very credible person to take on for broadcasting that particular sport. 📝

This guide will help you out a bit.

Make a demo

When you finally start applying for your jobs, you would have to make a demo of yourself.
If it’s for audio or video outlets, then a tape of your most brilliant works should be compiled and put in there. If it’s for print, then it’s a compilation of your written work.
Make it a habit to keep reviewing this demo after every job you do so that you keep updating it and adding more of your work. 📸

Videos like these can help you understand how to make demos.

Start applying for jobs

Now, it’s time to start applying for jobs.

Don’t take up just any job because it is available.
Take up jobs that you know you would be able to work hard for and are something of interest to. It is better if you start with smaller opportunities.
Try to get any work in the place you have interned. If not there, then your local radio stations would also be good.
This would give a good start to your career as you would gain the necessary experience here and then advance to bigger opportunities. 🔊

Get an agent

As soon as you step into the work field and start getting gigs, find an agent for yourself who can help you navigate through the opportunities.
This person would be a professional in the field who would have enough knowledge to choose the right gig for you and keep track of the job offers you would be getting. 🧑‍💼

Read this article to learn more about finding the right agent for yourself.

Build Networks

Networking is a very important skill to master in almost every career.
This is because connecting with other people in the same field gives you more visibility. People get to know that you are there and up for the job.
It also helps you reach out to other people and look around for job opportunities. 🗣️

Top Broadcaster Courses in the United States

Here are some recommended courses that will help you get updated with the skills needed to start improving as a broadcaster. ☑️

I Will Teach You To Be A Radio/TV Person to Be an Online Star

This course is offered by the online educational platform Udemy and is taught by Stan Hustad, who is a Teacher-Broadcaster-Writer-World-wide Business Coach.
He is the creator of the What It Takes (WIT) series, which is a collection of online teaching videos.
The course is divided into three sections, which are further divided into nine lectures.
The total duration of this course is only 2 hours, which means it provides a quick and genuine insight into the world of promotion and marketing.
The course will teach you all about becoming a broadcaster and the tips and tricks behind the making of a successful broadcasting career. 😄
It will cost you around $6.99.

Learn The Easiest Way To Start Podcasting And Broadcasting

This course is offered by the online educational platform Udemy and is taught by Tecmasek Learning, which is a platform that is dedicated to the creation and distribution of online educational videos.
The course is divided into just one section, which is further divided into 26 lectures.
The total duration of this course is 1 hour only, which means it provides a quick and genuine insight into the world of promotion and marketing.
The course touches upon topics such as setting up profiles and blogs, maintaining these blogs, setting up podcasts, radio stations, etc. 💯
This is also a paid course, which will cost you around $6.99.

Video Storytelling: How to Shoot Engaging Stories Like A Broadcasting Pro

This course is available on another online educational platform, SkillShare.
The instructor for this course is Andrew St Pierre White, who is a broadcasting professional.
This course is divided into 14 lessons, which are further divided into audio and video content for you to use.
The total duration of this course is a mere one hour and 3 minutes.
The course is completely beginner-level, which means that you would start with the basics of journalism and mass communication.
The course will teach you all about the right kind of videography, video production, storytelling, and film production.
This would be excessively useful in case you decide to become a broadcaster who specializes in the video media format. 📸

The Essential Financial Management Toolbox for Film, Screen, and Broadcast

This course is available on the online educational platform FutureLearn.
The instructors for this course are Peter Herbert and Gerard Reed. Both of them are professionals in the field of broadcasting and marketing.
The course has a scheduled program that would go on for three weeks and requires you to pitch in 2 hours per week to finish it on time without any issues.
This makes it a total of 6 hours worth of content.
The course wishes to teach the students about financial management for people who have their broadcasts and/or are involved in company projects.
This helps the students know their way in and out of such financial planning. 💰 You will have to buy a membership from their plans to get this course.

Top Broadcaster Schools in the World

After finishing looking at our extracurricular courses, let us now look and understand the programs and the colleges that are offering them. 🏫

University of South California

The University of California offers bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. programs. Founded in 1880, it operates 22 schools and their departments.
It operates the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, which provides a very interactive and relevant training program in journalism.
This course will help you stay up to date with the recent advances in technology and maintain expertise in all sorts of media outlets.
The Bachelor’s program helps you become a promising individual and ensures that you get employment opportunities from all over the country.
Interested people can also pursue a master’s to broaden their horizons.
A doctorate is also available if you wish to become an expert in communication. 📜

University of Amsterdam

The University of Amsterdam was founded in 1632 and was known as the Athenaeum Illustre.
It is one of Europe’s top universities, and it would be good if you were able to pursue your education abroad. It offers a master’s and bachelor’s program.
The three-year Bachelor’s program and the one-year master’s program allow the students to learn actively with thorough guidance from the professors. 🧐

Nanyang Technological University

Located in Singapore, Nanyang Technological University is also a very good option for getting your degree in journalism.
They offer bachelor’s and master’s programs in their college.
Although it is comparatively younger than all of the other universities we will talk about; it is still a very progressive and reputed one.
They offer a good course structure, which requires them to do an internship in the sixth semester to broaden their horizons and get more experience. 🎒

New York University

New York University has a very diverse student population, with students coming to the university from over 130 countries.
It is one of the top schools in the US for learning about broadcasting.
The Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute operating under this allows the students to pursue a course in Journalism and opt for a major in another to complete both at the same time.
Students of the College of Arts and Sciences are also allowed to minor in Broadcast and Multimedia Journalism. 🏫

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign boasts a Pulitzer Prize-winning alumni of about 26 students.
Some of them have been awarded in the field of broadcasting only.
It was founded in 1867 and offers a bachelor’s, master’s, and even a Ph.D. in broadcasting.
Located in the United States, it has a very diverse student population, with 51,000 students from over 100 countries all over the globe.
You can pursue a course in Journalism that can land you jobs in the fields of Multimedia Editing & Design, Multimedia Reporting, Audio Journalism, News Editing, and Investigative Journalism.🌎

Cardiff University

Located in the United Kingdom, Cardiff University today ranks as one of the top universities in the UK.
It was founded as the University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire in 1883 and has been a pioneer in tertiary-level education ever since.
They offer a bachelor’s as well as a master’s in broadcasting here.
The Bachelor’s course here is a full-time course with a duration of three years in which they promise to teach the students in an enriching manner.
The students can also pursue a master’s degree as well that has a duration of 1 year. 📻

University of Georgia

The University of Georgia offers a bachelor’s program in Broadcasting.
Found in 1875, this university promises a lot of interactive learning sessions in which the students are allowed to learn through a hands-on method as well as through using the university’s resources.
The university also has a lot of scholarship programs.
The degree in Journalism is offered by the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, which operates under the university.
The college allows both national and international exchange students to be a part of the program and enhance their understanding of journalism. 🎤
It might be a difficult choice to choose from the best.

Still, you should sit down, think about it, and choose the best one for you properly, as it will pave the path for your career. 💻

Where to find Broadcasting opportunities online?

It is important to keep track of whatever sources you might have that will help you secure your career. 💼

Indeed

If you are in need of a job, Indeed strikes out to be the best option for you, where you can find an abundance of job opportunities and explore multiple other career options as well. ☑️
Indeed, it offers a bunch of resources to its users completely free of cost. This means that without paying anything, you get the ability to make an account for yourself, upload your resume, and start sifting through a diverse range of opportunities that fit your particular preferences.
For our career option, that is, a broadcaster, you will find a lot of full-time or part-time jobs and even online remote jobs. Nowadays, you just need the proper equipment to set up your media outlet right at your home, and then you can start broadcasting. ✅

FlexJobs

FlexJob is also very similar to Indeed. It is completely free of cost, and the one thing that you need to do to start finding jobs is make an account and get access.
Make sure you use the filters and other features on this site properly because these help you narrow down the scope of your search. 🔍

BroadcastJobs.com

This source we talk about now is made exclusively for jobs in media broadcasting. It is not very different from Indeed and FlexJobs in terms of its resources and job application format. It has the same system as making an account and then applying for jobs.
Its exclusivity for being a source just for broadcasting jobs makes it strike differently. You can find jobs in this field here, and there is going to be a good chance that all of them have high return rates. 📈

LinkedIn is also a very active online platform when it comes to job hunting. It has the same requirements as the above two – make an account so that you can access the free resources and become active.
What’s a bit different about LinkedIn as compared to the other sources I list here is that it is a better and more popular source for making connections and networking. We have discussed how networking is a necessity. It would be very beneficial as a broadcaster as you would be able to keep track of your achievements and connections on the site.
Other interested employees or professionals would be able to view your profile easily. Reaching out would also be much easier and more legitimate. 💻

Conclusion

In summary, we have discussed how this position requires a considerably well-put-together and good variety of abilities, along with the usual educational necessities.

You need to have good communication skills, quickness of mind, knowledge about the world and what’s going on currently, and more skills to climb up the ranks in this job.

So, it is a given that it is not going to be a one-day job, and you need to have both passion and determination to make it to the top. And if you have both, you will surely be able to climb to the top of the ladder and succeed. 🎉

If you want to ask something else or more about this job, put your question down in the comment section, and I will get back to you as soon as I can.