PTC: The Icon of Electronic Media

By Sabyasachi Amitav

In a world brimming with opportunity, journalism ranks among the more popular career options for today’s generation. And it can safely be said that television is largely responsible for this phenomenon. Before the advance of private channels in India, journalists were only read and sometimes heard (over the radio) but very rarely seen. Public recognition was enjoyed by a handful of high profiles and veteran journalists like khuswant Singh, kuldip nayyar or Arun Shourie. Syndicated columns with a photograph of the author made public figures of some journalists, but to the vast majority of readers, most reporters and correspondents remain anonymous names in newspaper pages.

In India, the entry of private television channels changed things almost overnight. Apart from relatively more aggressive reporting by the new breed of correspondents, it was the PTC that set television journalists apart from their brethren in the print media.

Thanks to the PTC, journalists are no longer faceless entities to consumers of news. Today, many television journalists have earned the respect of the public, the admiration of their peers and the goodwill of the organization they serve.

Be it a cub reporter or a veteran, most television journalists would definitely like to see themselves on the screen. But then just as a well executed PTC can bring fame, a poorly done one can make a laughing stock out of the reporter. It would also end up showing the organization in bad light. It is therefore important to prepare oneself adequately before embarking on giving PTCs. The good news is that with a bit of preparation and practice, even an average reporter can be deliver reasonably good PTCs with confidence and elan.

For starters, PTC is the abbreviation for Piece to Camera. Literally meaning that the reporter is doing a piece or performing for the camera. Instead of remaining behind the scenes, the reporter communicates through the camera directly to the viewer, thereby bringing an element of intimacy and immediacy to the whole presentation.

Plainly speaking, PTC is a reporters’ stand up on the story he or she is reporting on. PTCs are used in special or important stories.

PTCs can come in handy in the absence of visuals required to establish some important angles or aspects of the story. The reporter can then explain those facts with the help of PTC. Apart from covering up for the lack of corroborating / supporting visuals or sound bytes, PTC also establishes the authenticity of the information by attributing it to the reporter.

PTCs are also done to establish reporter’s presence at rare places or on occasions when history is being made.

Types of PTC:

Based on its placement in the report, a PTC can be classified as

1 Opening PTC: This occurs at the beginning of the story. Typically, the report would being with a PTC by the reporter at a location, which is central to the story. It could also be done at the beginning point in the story being filed. This kind of PTC is most effective in cases where the reporter is clear about his story and has planned it accordingly. Apart from drawing the attention of the viewers, this kind of PTC establishes the reporter’s control over the story.

2 Bridge PTC: Also called a mid PTC, this category usually occurs in between the story, mostly as a continuation device when there is shift of location or scene in the story. This type of PTC is useful in taking the story forward or linking different aspects of a story.

3 End PTC: The most common form of PTC. This occurs at the end of the story and is also known as a sign off PTC. These PTCs are basically used to wrap up loose ends in the story or provide analytical insights into the story. But editorializing or sitting in judgment over the issue being reported should be scrupulously avoided.

The best way to conclude the PTC is with an open ended sentence, so that the viewers can draw their conclusions from the facts presented.

Types of PTC delivery:

* Stand up: the most common form of delivering PTC. The reporter faces the camera and speaks about the issue being reported. This is usually done standing at the location with a distinguishable landmark in the background to help the viewer identify the place.

Example: a reporter doing a stand up in the fore ground of the Taj Mahal during Pakistan president Musharraf’s visit to Agra. A reporter giving a PTC at the Wagha Border during the exchange of prisoners by India and Pakistan. In the same time the reporter can infuse some drama into the PTC with a bit of involvement and ingenuity. Example: A major weapons haul by the security forces in Kashmir, the reporter could bring in some variety by holding a seized weapon (of course with the permission of the authorities) in one hand while delivering the PTC.

Some variants of the stand up: depending on the situation, subject or even limitation in terms of camera positioning, the reporter can give the PTC in a seated position or even getting down on his or her haunches. While a good PTC usually is made up of a couple of crisp and concise sentences not running into more than 25 seconds, sometimes the issues involved may force the reporter to make a relatively long PTC. In such instances, the PTC could begin with the camera focusing on the visual with the reporter’s commentary in the background. Then as the commentary continues, the camera can pan to the reporter who continues the commentary looking into the camera and finally signs off.

* Walking PTC: if there is relatively more matters to be said or the subject matter is in the background or in the camera frame, a walking PTC is the best vehicle for conveying the message. But a good walking PTC needs sufficient expertise, confidence and competence on the part of the reporter. Moreover, planning or co-ordination between the reporter and the camera crew is essential. On the whole, a walking PTC is an indicator to the confidence TV journalist.

Example: Events like the Dandi Yatra in Gujarat or the Padayatra of a leading politician can be ideal situations for the reporter to do a PTC on the move.

Byline Basics for Media

By Sabyasachi Amitav

One of the most common issues raised by the reporters, cameraman or stringers relates to byline or personal credit for their stories and reports. Admitted, that to each man name is the sweetest sound on the earth. Agreed, that the reporters and cameraman need to be acknowledged and appreciated for their efforts at producing a story. Keeping in tune with this philosophy, good and deserving stories on any channel, newspaper are highlighted with a byline. But then going by the persistent demand from various quarters, shouldn’t we also pause for a moment to ponder if a byline is warranted for every story? Generally in terms of quality and credibility should be reflected in the stories and reports that carry byline. Bylines for every story in a news item/ bulletin will only the result in blurring the difference between routine and truly special stories.

While senior and experienced hands at the respective desk are allocating bylines to a deserving stories, many a time there is a niggling doubt that justice has not been done. Here is a simple ready reckoner with general guidelines pertaining to bylines, for field and desk staff to consult in times of doubt.

When does a story deserve a byline?

1 Exclusive Story: It must be something that is available only with you and your channel or news daily. For this, it must be a story that can not be replicated by other reporters. However one must remember that exclusivity of stories has to be evolved through the quality of our workmanship and journalistic abilities. It is not something that is left to chance or mere harvesting of opportunity.

2 Special Story: It should not be a routine, run of the mill story or report. A story that is the outcome of your journalistic initiative and effort definitely deserves a byline. However, remember that the special story must also be sufficiently important and affect a considerable proportion of your target audience/ reader.

3 Investigative Story: If the story is investigative in nature, it needs to be attributed to a reporter. This is necessary since such stories usually deal with or lead to controversy. Therefore giving a byline to investigative stories is essential to help in tracing the sources if necessary.

4 Interview: in an interview based story or report, the reporter has to do a lot of ground work pertaining to a celebrity or public figure. Since the reporter is specifically interviewing a public personality, as such he is representing the organization on screen. Therefore, bylines may be assigning to such stories.

5 Special Assignments: when assigned for special coverage like election, disasters and special events in areas, which are not in the routine domain of activity. For exp, if a reporter working in Bhubaneswar has been sent to cover the elections in Bihar. The stories and reports he files from Bihar can be given byline. The basic premise being that since he has been specially deputed for the assignment, he is not filing routine and non-descript stories.

Who deserves a byline for a Story:

Reporters / Stringers: Since he/she is front man on the field, it is his/her initiative and enterprise that is responsible for the story finally aired by the news channel.

Cameraperson: In cases where the story gets special character mainly because of the ingenuity or creativity of the cameraperson, undoubtedly he/she should be included in the byline.

Editors: Packaging could also sometime be a vital factor in deciding the impact of a story. In some instances, stories are generated in the desk rather than the field. In such cases, it is the video editors who can also be considered for mention in the byline.

It is true that some news channels and networks are comparatively liberal when it comes to awarding bylines. Bylines are given to all and sundry inputs in these TV channels. While seeing and hearing our names on TV may be treating for us, it must be remembered that too much of a good thing kills the thrill, novelty and most importantly, the dignity, credibility and effort involved in news gathering of relatively high standards.

Political Awareness And Role Of Media

By Sabyasachi Amitav


The phenomenal growth in mass media channels have led to an expansion of the roles it could play in various areas apart from performing the functions of providing information, influencing public opinion and social attitudes, entertainment and bringing about greater social integration. In contemporary times, the media plays an important role in providing information through news reports and analysis, which is beneficial in assessing political performance.

In Indian, the press has historically played a powerful role in motivating people to participate in the freedom struggle during the pre-independence era. After independence, the press has been joined by the more powerful electronic media, radio and television in communicating political information to the people. A few years ago the press was the main mass media channel which reported on political conditions prevailing in the country. But today political information is dominant on the national television channel as well as the satellite channels. All these media channels compete with one another to bring people closer to the political processes, important issues linked to them and their probable effects on society.

Elections have become specialised events with many of the political aspirants coming up with competitive communication strategies to attract people's attention and win a favourable opinion. The Star channel started a 24-hour news channel during the 1998 elections to provide a continuous coverage of the political campaigns in various parts of the country. Panel discussions, opinion analysis, talk shows, interviews and speeches on the mass media attempt to create a political awareness and influence the future course of political activity in the country.

Media theory

The use of the mass media to create political awareness has been based on the belief of early communication researchers according to whom there was a direct cause and effect relationship between media messages and their audiences (Lazarsfeld, Berelson and Gaudet, 1948). The mass media were thus regarded as credible sources of information influencing its readers about their political behaviour. But this perception has been modified with research which recognises that people use the mass media for information which indirectly helps to make decisions in political.

The mass media are now regarded as intervening influences in creating political awareness and assessment of political performance. The mass media have differential effects on rural and urban populations depending upon their literacy rates, exposure to media, level of political awareness and interest in politics. In India the differences across local, state and national elections may also be a factor which determines political awareness, interest and voter participation.

Election campaigns have long served as empirical test ground for theories of political campaigns and how different groups of people understand political communication processes within society. With gradual increase in literacy rates and welfare measures which aimed to draw greater political participation from the people at the grass root level, political communication is gaining importance in various mass media channels. Today all successful political campaigns make extensive use of various mass media to attract audience attention and influence their voting behaviour.

Political awareness

The national and vernacular press seek to give a balanced coverage of the controversial issues and political agenda of various political parties. It is expected that through these information on specific agenda items the audience arrive at a decision either in favour or against it.

The mass media of radio and television are relatively new in the history of communications. Except for the book, the magazine and the newspaper which antedate the present century, the mass media are the gifts of the 20th century to us. Even press has come under the beneficial impact of modern technological developments and responded to changing social conditions. Within this century printed material have increased greatly, ineffectiveness and circulation. The picture magazine, the paperback, posters, advertisements, exhibitions and other graphic forms of communication are all the products of present age. The story of the mass impact of these media is of still more recent times.

The print media, especially newspapers, are currently full of stories of how politicians are getting ready to use television to sell agencies are also being hired. In the recent election B.J.P. (Bharatiya Janata Party) hired 19 advertising agencies for their election propaganda. Films are also being made and slogans and ditties composed to catch the voter's attention. This is not the first TV election, it started from 1996 and proved that electronic sophistry alone does not change a voters mind if he/she is not inclined to vote for a particular party.

In the run up to the elections, politicians and political parties are vying for prime time on television to woo the voters. Jingles, short films and slogans are being made to catch the viewer's attention. But how effective is the electronic media in swinging votes is the question.

In a study conducted in Tamilnadu, 29 percent of the total 400 respondents said that the media gave them information that influenced their judgment and the media helped in evaluating the electoral candidates (The Hindu, 1998). Some credible programmes made them change their political judgment about various parties. The news programmes helped them to know more about the parties in greater detail. There is a definite influence of electronic and print media in present day elections. Political awareness is increasing among the people with increased exposure to the mass media.

The role of media in the Indian elections is clearer in helping the people to choose their candidate from the wide array of parties in the fray. ""Election watch"", a programme conducted by former I.A.S. personalities Mr. B.P.R. Vithal and N. Jaya Prakash Narayan, is a ""Voter education programme"", monitoring party lists for candidates with criminal backgrounds, suggesting safeguards against bogus voting and organising public debates between rival candidates. Such media programmes have activated public interest and led to greater pursuance of political news and information plays.

Media evaluation

The mass media the press in particular, has a significant role in assessing the political performance of governments. A comparative study of the press and its role in influencing historically important political events might provide us with a better understanding of political, social and religious undercurrents. An in-depth analysis of the press during the Nehru and Gandhi eras reflect greater emphasis on domestic concerns. The patterns of concerns expressed in the newspapers about domestic issues may influence the Indian political processes.

Research into the area of competitive monopoly of the Indian press and its influential ties to the Government might throw some light on the influence of the government in shaping public opinion about its policies. A comparative study of the last seven elections and the role of the newspapers in those elections might provide us with some measure of the influence of the press in a country whose people, while largely illiterate, are tuned to the political currents of the period.

As communication through the government controlled radio and television channels increases, the kind of political role the newspapers play will become important. As the influence of English language newspapers diminishes, the vernacular press gains greater advantage in shaping public opinion towards the government.

Public opinion

Unit the 1980's, candidates thought of campaign communications as involving either conversing and telephone banks for interpersonal communication or brochures and broadcast advertising for the mass media.

Some candidates use cable TV to advertise to specialised audiences, but the primary impact of cable has been on other campaign media. As the share of viewers watching network television declines, campaigners age turning to other media such as direct mail to assure that voters have not been missed. Second, interactive cable system, although not wide-spread, have offered voters opportunities to interact voters opportunities to interact with each other as well as with candidates in ways that were not previously available (Abramson, 1987)

Third, the archiving of C-SPAN and state and local government proceedings has made it possible for candidates to monitor themselves or opponents in order to develop campaign advertising based on publicity cable cast gaffes or grand standing speeches.Video cassettes and video conferencing is increasingly being used in statewide and national campaigns to allow campaign leaders to meet 'face to face' without being taxed by already overburdened travel schedules. Electronic mail, though not widely, is available to some individuals. Personal computers and specialised campaign software allow even the smallest campaign to main list supporters and to target mail to them.

A look at the recent Indian elections belies the reality that India is a poor country. Parties hire planes for their leaders and advertising agencies for their campaigns. It comes as no surprise that we are facing India's first true television election. The national broadcasting television channels had the monopoly of covering the elections a few years ago. Advertising agencies were used as far back as 1985, but there was little need to package leaders and parties. This time, a host of private channels have joined the fray bombarding the viewer with news programmes and special election bulletins. It is no wonder that jockeying for visibility among political parties is at its most intense.

Television has given nationwide recognition to marginal leaders of marginal parties. In the age of the television election, politicians are being coached on how to speak, when to speak, and even on what clothes look good and TV politicians are becoming brands. It with is a new age election campaign. Elaborately designed ""rathams"" (chariots) and vans make way for helicopters and staid bullet proof Ambassadors, traditional propaganda techniques give way to satellite and cable TV networks. Many factors influence the effects of political communication on diverse segments of society. Since India's population constitutes a large rural populace the differential effects of media campaigns on the rural and urban population deserve special attention.

Mass communication has become the order of the whether they are urban or rural based. Experts in the field are greatly concerned about the effects of mass communication on the minds of the people in so far as it concerns social change. The radio and TV present to their audience information regarding the national and domestic scene under their programme called ""The news"". But how the people especially the poor rural folk receive the news and understand its implications is a question. A vast majority of the rural masses do not realise the importance of their own participation in national development, many lack basic political knowledge about the country or the bare minimum political desire to cast their vote.

PRESS UNDER PRESS

By Sabyasachi Amitav


Recently we all celebrate the Press day i.e 16th of November which is symbolic of a free and responsible press in India. This was the day on which the press council of India started functioning as a moral watchdog to ensure that not only did the press maintain the high standards expected from this powerful medium but also that it was not fettered by the influence or threats of any extraneous factors. The national press day on November16 every year is commemorated in befitting manner by the council.

The fundamental objective of journalism is to serve the people with news, views, comments and information on matters of public interest in a fair, accurate unbiased, sober and decent manner. Towards this end, the Press is expected to conduct itself in keeping with certain norms of professionalism universally recognized.

Journalism not just a challenging field, its a passion to transcend all the odds and difficulties to gather news and get the people all informed. Journalists never bothered to leave their lives at stake while gathering news from the site of accidents, millitant attacks, natural disasters or explosions. Many have lost their lives in this process too. The mission continues and will continue for ever.

The ominipresent Media be it Print or electronics, has turned the world in a global village with emphatic acknowledgement of need for a suitable mechanism to enforce the ethics expected to be followed by it without any undue hindrance being pressed on it functioning. The develeopment of technologies made it possible to inform the entire world about any single incident occurred at any part of the world. But while doing so, the media itself has sidelined its own ethics or self regulation. And it has became a topic of discussion now. Now lets look at some of the key guidelines that media should follow ...

1.The Press shall eschew publication of inaccurate, baseless, graceless, misleading or distorted material.

2.The Press has a duty to restraint in hazarding their own opinion or conclusion in branding any persons as 'cheats' or 'killers' till it established.

3.The Press shall not concerning a person's home, family, religion, health, sexuality, personal life and private affairs are covered by the concept of PRIVACY excepting where any of these impinges upon the public or public interest.

4.Newspapers/ News Channels should not publish/ display anything which is obscene, vulgar or offensive to public good taste.

5. News should not to be sensational/ provocative and must justify the matter printed or broadcasted under them.

6. The media shall make every possible effort to build bridges of co-operation, friendly relations and better understanding between India and foreign States. At the same time, it is the duty of a newspaper to expose any misuse or undue advantage of the diplomatic immunities. Imaginary facts, or ferreting out or conjecturing the non-existent should be scrupulously avoided.

7.Facts, facts and yet more facts are vital and they should be checked and cross-checked whenever possible until the moment the paper goes to press.

Freedom of press appeared to be a simple preposition but it involves a number of arguable issues includes freedom to whom. Undoubtedly a free press plays an important role in a democracy. The press demands freedom all the time, it cried its best during the emergencies, the government suppressions of the media. On the other hand, media is suffering from the to-be-the-best syndrome. Today, there is cut-throat competition in the media. And to be the first, they seldom violate its own ethics. It crosses the lines of its limit saying they have the right to inform the people.

The recent times, Indian media is covering SEX at its most priority. Be it therecent surveys done by top news channels. The media has invaded privacy. But can there be privacy of an individual if his act affects public life? The media has been blamed for invading 'privacy' not only in this country but also all over the world particularly the Mecca of journalism - United Kingdom. The tabloids there have played havoc with lives of well-known people. The only difference is that in Britain the tabloids do the 'dirty' job, here almost any publication or broadcaster does it. Indian media can possibly be accused of tabloidisation but whether it can be accused of violation of ethics remains the moot question.

Indian TV sinario going to be change very soon

By Sabyasachi Amitav


Indian TV sinario going 2 change very soon with lots of upcoming channels awaiting for on Air. Already INX's 9x Entertainment, BAG films news channel 24 hours, also some regional channels like Jaya Live and Jaya music recently on air and piping more for others.

Still the proposals for 71 private satellite TV channels for permission to uplink from India are at various stages of scrutiny in accordance with the existing up linking guidelines. The highest number of proposals-seven-is from three companies linked to the NDTV group. There are four proposals each from Zee Telefilms, BAG Films group and the TV 18 group, three each from Malar Network, Maa TV Network and STV Enterprises. Similarly two proposals come from the INX group, Sahara India Communication and ETC. The rest of the proposals are from companies wanting to beam single channels.

Similarly the Reliance-Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, which has been steadily widening its screen in the media and entertainment industry, is gearing up for a big leap. It is believed that the company would launch multiple channels in both the entertainment and non-entertainment space. Sources close to the deal confirmed the development, saying that these channels were slated for a phased rollout beginning 2008.

Sources said the company also planned to launch news channels and channels in different genres such as general entertainment, movies and music.The company has a presence in the radio business (BIG 92.7 FM).Similarly Ronnie Screwvala-promoted UTV Software Communicationsis to launch a news channel soon, having launched a youth channel last month. It has plans to launch multiple channels in different languages in India and Southeast Asia.

INX Media, led by Indrani Mukerjea, wife of Peter Mukerjea, a former Star Group chief executive officer, will launch 12 channels in entertainment and news. Already the 9x entertainment lunched in the first phase. In the second phase, it will launch three regional channels, three regional music channels and three city-specific news channels.

TV18 and Viacom's joint venture Viacom18 will roll out a Hindi entertainment channel in addition to several niche channels. TV18 will launch a Marathi news channel in association with Maharashtra-based Lokmat group of newspapers. BAG Films & Media, promoted by Anuradha Prasad, is also in the race. The company is planning entertainment and lifestyle channels under BAG Glamour and news channels under BAG Newsline.
Similarly BAG Films set to launch Lifestyle,Spiritual & Entertainment Channels. BAG Films and Media Ltd has announced the launch of Entertainment (E-24) ,Lifestyle (Life24) and Spiritual (Bliss24) television channels. The company lunched a 24 hour Hindi News Channel, with the tagline ‘Nazar Har Khabar Par’ on dec 13th.

In 2006, NDTV too announced its partnership with filmmaker Karan Johar for non-news channels, starting with Hindi General Entertainment and expanding into movies, regional, youth and kids programming. These will be spearheaded by former Star India CEO Sameer Nair.

Similarly in the other side the business of news channels continues to grow at 8-10 per cent annually. The growth has helped small and medium advertisers.

one-third of all television channels in India are news and current affairs. About 44 news channels in Hindi, English and regional languages beam into 71 million homes with access to cable and satellite TV.

About 10-12 per cent of total advertising money spent on television goes to news channels. This year, news channels will generate about Rs 700 crore (Rs 7 billion) in advertising revenues, compared to Rs 620 crore (Rs 6.2 billion) in 2006, according to industry sources.

Growth of news channels has happened alongside the growth of in the number of cable and satellite homes. Between 1998 and 2002, there were not more than 8-11 news channels beaming across 20-30 million homes.

The advertising revenue pie from news channels was not more than Rs 70-80 crore (Rs 700-800 million). Between 2002 and 2007, more than 30 channels have added to the Regional news Major news channels are now looking for growth in regional pockets of the country.

Radio jockeys creating waves in Orissa

By Sabyasachi Amitav

They are witty, chirpy and always ready to lend an ear. Whether you want to share your personal problems or need help in times of crises, all you have to do is call them up. Meet our radio jockeys (RJs) who have become an integral part of our daily life. RJs are today looked upon as a friend, philosopher and guide. While driving, walking or working they are always there, sharing our problems and entertaining us. Rightly saying the FM boom has opened up new opportunities for youngsters who have a passion for music and a gift of the gab. Radio jockeying is a lucrative career option for the GenNext. In the Twin City Bhubaneswar-Cuttack the FM radio market became spicier and more competitive with the launch of three FMs like

Eastern Media Limited's Radio Choklate 104 “Dhoom Mitha”, Anil Dhirubhai Ambani group-controlled Adlabs' radio venture Big 92.7 FM “Suno Sunao, Life Banao”, and Chennai-based Sun Network promoted 93.5 Sfm "Jhoomo Jameiki Jhoomo". Some more FMs like Radio Mirchi and Radio City are also likely to begin their operation in the State in the coming months. Currently, all the three stations promise to fill listeners' daily dose of entertainment with loads of super hit music and the best of RJs round-the clock. “This is boom time in Orissa. Quite a few new channels are coming. It is an exciting career also because people don't know you by face. They are familiar with your name and voice so there is a sense of anonymity and mystery is the major USP of any RJ, and for me my voice and art of mimicry are the USP. Currently, I can speak in the voice of more than 30 Bollywood actors,” remarks RJ Vikash of SFM 92.5 Bhubaneswar. “Similarly it's been quite a journey! I have always loved the sound of my own voice since I was a kid. I've been influenced by the famous RJ of Vivid Bharti, Kamal Sharma from early childhood. From those days, mimicry and the profession of an RJ have been weakness and dream and I have been practicing it since long, and now it's like a dream come true,” he adds. Radio Jockeys are a different breed, not quite like the monotonous news readers or anchors of film-based programmes. With more and more private channels opening up to connect to listeners, one continuously gets to hear fresh voices and phrases on air — from cricket commentaries to reports on traffic snarls or the latest arrivals in the market. Young voices have done away with the textbook language, typical of radio. Rather, they prefer to strike a chord with the listeners in the local lingo. It is for this reason that the voices heard through microphones sound friendlier than ever before. FM channels are targeting the youth while mobile phones are donning the new avatar of music rendering machines. “Today there is certainly a change in perceptions. Earlier, people used to take the job of an RJ as a time-pass, but it is now seen as a serious career option especially for graduates. If they have a good ear for music and are creative, they can make good money by becoming a RJ" says RJ Vikash. “Most RJs write their scripts themselves. So it is very important for them to be articulate. Awareness is also very important. They have to introduce new topics everyday and weave their show around it,” says RJ Jaya of Radio Choklate 104 Fm. The radio is like a friend to a listener. It is not just about plain music, but also about closeness, warmth and happiness. So the RJ should be a friendly person who is always ready to go that extra mile for his audience. RJ Gungun of Big 92.7 FM feels RJing is a medium to showcase one's attitude. “A successful jockey gets the listeners excited when they hear the voice. Even if a RJ has astoundingly gripping voice, people tend to get bored if the RJ doesn't know the ways to hook the listeners.” A good dose of humour and listening skills are crucial for any budding RJ, she adds. RJs host a variety of programmes, including talk shows with film stars and other personalities, dial-in shows where you can dial in to chat with the host and get your message across, as well as shows where you can page in your messages. RJs work on these programmes at the TV or radio stations where they select the kind of music pieces listeners would like to hear. But RJ Vikash of Sfm 93.5 feels "one cannot really work from a script, one needs to be spontaneous. No doubt script is the base of any performance. But few times, in live shows or phone-in shows, the interaction is unscripted. There it's direct from the innermost core of the heart. In fact spontaneity, I would say, is the most essential quality of a performer." Today, radio is no longer what it used to be. The last decade has brought about a sea change in the world of media and entertainment. Radio, in particular, has undergone a revolution. From the sober sounds of Akashvani, radio has metamorphed into the non-stop chatty, witty monologue of new players such as SFM, Big FM, Radio Mirchi, FM Rainbow, Red FM, Radio City also many regional players. And it is not just RJs for whom opportunities are growing in Orissa. It is jockeying in general, which has opened up new avenues in the world of entertainment.