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Paper-10 Module -15 Female RJs in FM: Opportunities and Challenges PERSONAL DETAILS Role Name Affiliation Principal Investigator Prof. Sumita Allahabad University, Parmar Allahabad Paper Coordinator Prof. Sisir Basu Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi Content Writer/Author Ankit Kumar Banaras Hindu University, (CW) Singh Varanasi Content Reviewer Prof. Sisir Basu Banaras Hindu University, (CR) Varanasi Language Editor (LE) Prof. Sumita Allahabad University, Parmar Allahabad

Items Description of Module Subject Name Women’s Studies Paper Name Women, Media & Films Module Name/ Title Female Radio Jockeys in FM: Opportunities and Challenges Module ID Paper-10 Module -15 Pre-requisites The reader is expected to have the knowledge of different kinds of radio broadcasting and awareness about FM channels. Objectives To give readers an insight into the growth of FM radio, to help understand the reasons behind the growing popularity of female RJs, to acquaint about the challenges female RJs face. Keywords FM, Female RJs, Interference, Outdoor Broadcasting, Radio, Popular Culture Principal Investigator Prof. Sumita Parmar Allahabad University, Allahabad

1 Paper Coordinator

Content Women, Writer Media and Films Women’s Studies Female RJs in FM: Opportunities and Challenges

Content Reviewer

1. Objectives After going through this module, you would be able to;  trace the development of FM and its growth in India;  describe the qualities that a female RJ needs to make a mark in the industry;  state the reasons behind growing popularity of female RJs in the country;  describe in detail the challenges female RJs face; and  explain future prospects for both FM and female RJs.

2. Introduction In the previous module, we learned about how media covers working women. In this chapter, we will look into some of the issues concerning female RJs besides taking a sneak peek into their work and requirements of the job. In the next module, we will learn about new media and issues of empowerment with a special focus on the status of women.

Overview For years, Radio ruled the psyche of people like no other medium in India. What made the medium such a hit was that it had something for everyone. If the elderly lot tuned the radio set to listen to news and views from the world of politics, youngsters would remain glued to it listening to film songs. Live running commentary of cricket matches would enthral sports enthusiasts, while chaupal programmes kept farmers hooked. There were special programmes for kids and women too ensuring every family member of a house shared a bond with this wireless device. The arrival of satellite television and later internet, then, resulted in the decreasing popularity of radio. With a plethora of TV channels making their way to people’s homes, radio lost its listeners. However, the fate of radio received a fillip again with the introduction of FM (Frequency Modulation) broadcasting. Within years of entering the 2

Women, Media and Films Women’s Studies Female RJs in FM: Opportunities and Challenges

market, private FM players like Radio Mirchi, Big FM, Radio City, etc; developed a following among the listeners, especially youngsters. FM, thus, in more ways than one, has given a new lease of life to radio broadcasting. With its light content comprising film songs and personal talks about issues concerning the daily lives of listeners, people have found it easy to connect with the medium. Much of a FM channel’s popularity depends on a show host, known as a radio jockey (RJ). In today’s time, radio jockeys enjoy almost a star-kind of status in society. It’s interesting that a large number of RJs happen to be female, thus making FM broadcasting one of the very few fields where males find themselves at the periphery. The opportunities for an aspiring female RJ are in abundance in the FM channels. However, with opportunities also come challenges. The tight schedule of work makes it tough for a female to maintain a proper balance between her personal and professional lives. Also, she has to be extra careful about her security considering the odd hours of her job. Despite these challenges, women are making a mark in this field and it is something to cheer about.

3. The dawn of FM era 3.1 Historical development The credit for inventing FM radio goes to American scientist Edwin Armstrong. Radio, in its early days, used to be transmitted through AM (Amplitude Modulation) only. Though AM signals travelled far, they were prone to getting affected by static and environmental interference. Armstrong worked for years trying to develop a technology that would not get affected by environmental interference. His efforts finally bore fruit in the year 1933 when he invented FM radio and got it patented. In 1934, he conducted the first field test of his

Women, Media and Films Women’s Studies Female RJs in FM: Opportunities and Challenges

invention when he used both AM and FM to air an organ recital from the top of the Empire States Building. The AM broadcast was of poor quality, while FM transmission was quite clear. The listeners could easily make out the difference between the two. Following this successful experiment, Armstrong managed to convincethe FCC (Federal Communication Commission) to create a FM transmission spectrum between 42 and 50 MHZ. He started an experimental station at the height of 410 feet at Alpine in New Jersey. He also set up a high power radio station called the Yankee Network in New England.

Edwin Armstrong: The man who invented FM. (Photo source: scienceworld.wolfram.com) The growing popularity of Armstrong’s stations worried the USA’s radio moghul David ‘The General’ Sarnoff. Realizing the potential threat emanating from Armstong’s invention for his business, he used his power to influence FCC to move the FM spectrum from 42-50 MHz to 88-108 MHz – the frequency we use today. This move proved a death knell for Armstrong’s Yankee Network. Unable to cope with this loss

Women, Media and Films Women’s Studies Female RJs in FM: Opportunities and Challenges

and the burden of other legal battles, Armstrong committed suicide in 1954. FM’s flight was thus crashed even before its take off. It was only years after Armstrong’s death that FM’s true potential was realized. Both listeners and the American government realized as to how FM broadcast was way better than AM. Gradually, FM stations started operating and by the end of the 60s, radio sets started to have a FM band included with an AM one. By the mid 1970s, FM was able to surpass AM in terms of popularity in the USA. In no time, it became everyone’s favourite medium and has remained so to date. In fact, it started to be called ‘Beautiful Medium’ in those days for it played pop songs and country music in abundance. 3.2 Indian context The first ever FM broadcast was made in the country in Madras (Chennai) on July 23, 1977. It took another 15 years before another FM station came into being in Jalandhar in 1992. In the true sense, though, FM made its presence felt in the country only after All Indian Radio (AIR) began leasing time slots to private companies in 1993. On August 15, 1993 a FM station was launched in Mumbai, with nine hours of radio time leased to private players like the Times FM, Radiostar and Radio Midday. The AIR stations from Delhi, Panji, Banglore, Madras and Calcutta also sold FM slots to private producers.

The hegemony of AlR finally came to an end in 1999 following the Supreme Court judgment that said ‘the airwaves are public property’ and forced the government to privatize the airwaves. As many as 108 FM radio licences were there for the taking in the 2001 auctioning. The radio wing of Times of India group, Entertainment Networks India Limited (ENIL), emerged as the biggest winner for the ten-year licence. Though because of high licence fees and other conditions, only 21 stations could become operational, soon the market opened and a plethora of private players entered the field of FM broadcast. 3.3 Recent developments Radio City in Bangalore- which started operating on July 3, 2001- became India’s first privately owned FM radio station. Later, Radio Mirchi, Radio Mantra, Big FM, etc; 5

Women, Media and Films Women’s Studies Female RJs in FM: Opportunities and Challenges

started operating as well taking FM broadcast to different parts of the country. According to latest TRAI (Telecom Regulation of Authority of India) figures, 243 FM stations are operating across 86 cities from the country. With the government proposing to auction 831 new radio stations for FM broadcast, this figure is only going to increase in future. Major FM stations Owners Radio City 91.1 FM Music Broadcast Private Limited Radio Mantra 91.9 FM Jagran Publications 92.7 Big FM Anil Ambani Red FM 93.5 Sun Group 94.3 My FM Dainik Bhashkar Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM ENIL/Times of India Fever 104 FM Hindustan Times Media Ltd 91.9 Friends FM (only Kolkata) Ananda Bazar Patrika Radio Dhoom 104.8 FM Prabhat Khabar

4. Qualities of a good female RJ As it happens with any profession, we need some basic skills to become successful in it. The career of a Radio Jockey is no exception. Good voice quality, ability to speak on a subject in an interesting manner and being spontaneous are some of the essentials for anyone looking for a job behind the mike. Here is a list of some of the most important qualities that a female RJ should possess.  Command over Language- Good command over both Hindi and English is a pre-requisite. Though most of the FM channels operating in the country broadcast in Hindi, a working knowledge of English proves handy in communicating with 6

Women, Media and Films Women’s Studies Female RJs in FM: Opportunities and Challenges

the guests from other regions. Knowledge of regional languages adds value to a RJ’s CV as well, for by using this language; we can connect well with the audience of that particular region.  Voice modulation- More than the voice quality, what a female RJ needs to work on is her voice modulation skills. To be able to speak with a proper pitch and tone should be a RJ’s forte.  Proper diction and pronunciation- Having a good pronunciation is a must. Not speaking a word properly takes away the desired effect.  Spontaneity and humour- Though a RJ is supposed to prepare a script before going on air, many a time, one needs to improvise it and speak impromptu. A RJ, therefore, should always be ready to speak about things that are close to common people’s heart. Humour is another thing that a female RJ needs to cultivate in her broadcast to make it lively.  Talk like we chat- The key to a success of a RJ is how well he/she can talk about a subject without sounding formal or boring. Remember radio is a personal medium and therefore we should talk as if we are chatting with the person sitting on the other side.  Awareness of general knowledge and social issues- Awareness of things happening in society is important for a RJ. Speaking about social issues, especially the ones that affect the local people, helps us develop a personal bond with our audience.  Local connect- Knowing our region inside out helps a great deal in connecting well with the audience. Since radio is a one to one medium, talking about different locations of a city gives the listeners a feeling of the RJ being one of their own folks.  Be sensitive- In today’s time, any slippage of tongue can result in a huge hullaballoo. So, it’s better to avoid talking about things that are sensitive and can hurt others’ feelings. Subjects related to religion, in particular, should not be spoken casually. A female RJ, in particular, should be aware of her words for security of women is still a problem in Indian cities.

Women, Media and Films Women’s Studies Female RJs in FM: Opportunities and Challenges

Be sensitive: Do not say anything on air that is controversial and likely to hurt your audience’s sentiments (Photo courtesy- Garima Singh, former RJ in Radio Mantra of Varanasi).

These are some of the qualities that every aspiring female RJ should try to cultivate in herself. Before we end this section, it would be but appropriate if we recollect what India’s most celebrated radio announcer of all time, the legendary Ameen Sayani, had said about being a RJ. “1A radio jockey is the public voice of the station. And a mouthpiece has to take the burden of representing the right as well as the dark side of the station. He has to create an atmosphere of warmth to draw in the listeners.”

5. Growing popularity of female RJs 5.1 Reasons Ever since Seema Verma- India’s first female RJ- made an entry into FM broadcast on October 11, 1993 (when she presented a special show dedicated to actor Amitabh Bachhan on Times FM in the AIR studio)- female RJs have been ruling the roost in this field. Here, we will take a look at some of the reasons that have contributed in making female RJs hugely popular with their audience.  Voice appeal- In the words of Rama Trivedi, a senior RJ with AIR’s FM Rainbow station in Lucknow, “A female voice sounds more appealing than a male’s (voice). Since the active group of listeners who participate in chat shows and phone quiz shows generally comprise young men in the age category of 15- 35, FM stations prefer to employ female RJs considering the psychological fact that a man feels more comfortable talking to a woman.”  Strategic division of time slots- A close look at the pattern of FM broadcast reveals to us as to how ingeniously time slots have been divided to woo listeners. As daytime is always abuzz with various activities, we hear RJs with shrill voices being given day slots. However, as people look for comfort and peace at night,

1http://www.exchange4media.com/e4m/radio/radiospeakprint.asp?rsid=25 accessed on June 29, 2015 9

Women, Media and Films Women’s Studies Female RJs in FM: Opportunities and Challenges

RJs with soft and husky voices are preferred for the 9-12 shows. Female RJs fit into this scheme just perfectly. Vijay Singh, who currently works with the Film Directorate of India and earlier served as the editor of Door Darshan, Patna, explains this phenomenon, “Female RJ with a husky voice are tailor-made for night shows. Night is also a time when you are at ease and give more attention to what you are listening to. Since most of the stations have female RJs broadcasting at night, people connect with them better and therefore they are more popular.”  Better adaptability skills- Women working in this industry, in general, have been found to have better adaptability skills in comparision to their male counterparts. RJ Veera, who later turned into an entrepreneur, recalled from her experience as to how it was more easy to deal with a female RJ than a male one. “Even traditionally, women tend to adapt with an environment better than men. This also applies to the field of radio broadcasting. The pressure of work is immense in a FM station. Male RJs tend to shuffle too much, moving from one FM to another. Female RJs, on the other hand, tend to remain at one place for a longer duration and this has helped them develop better bonds with their audience besides growing career wise.”  Popular culture’s effect- Popular culture has also played a key role in popularizing female RJs among the common masses. Films like Lage Raho Munnabhai, Dil To Bacha Hai Ji and Salaam Namastey, which had a female RJ playing the protagonist, helped people become more aware about the work and role of female RJs. Seeing the fame that comes with the career of a RJ , a huge number of young and bright girls enrol in courses offering training as a RJ every year.

Women, Media and Films Women’s Studies Female RJs in FM: Opportunities and Challenges

The portrayal of a RJ as a glamorous and famous personality in films has gone a long way in making RJs popular with the masses. (photo source: http://www.bollywoodtabloid.com/photos/movies-which-established-vidya-balan- as-a-leading-actress/attachment/vidya-lagerahomunnabhai/)

6. Challenges for female RJs Glamorous as the job of a female RJ appears from outside, it comes with a slew of challenges. The first and foremost challenge that every female working in this field has to face is related with her personal life. Since a RJ has to devote around eight to ten hours in the office on an average, maintaining a balance between personal and professional lives becomes tough at times. This is one of the reasons a number of female RJs leave their jobs post marriage. Those who stay have to make certain sacrifices, a fact most of the working women in this field accept without any qualms.

Women, Media and Films Women’s Studies Female RJs in FM: Opportunities and Challenges

Working in odd hours is another challenge a female RJ should be ready to deal with. From 6 am to 12 pm, a RJ can be called at any time to host a show and do other works like scripting and giving voice overs to different advertisements.

No pain no gain: The glamorous career of a RJ is filled with challenges (Photo courtesy- Garima Singh, former RJ in Radio Mantra of Varanasi).

Those RJs who have to work in night shifts often face the problems of transport and security. With so many unwanted incidents happening every day with women, female RJs have to be also very careful about their security while travelling late night. Since a female RJ is also asked to go out and conduct promotional shows at different places like a mall or a tourist spot, she has to be very conscious about her conduct at

Women, Media and Films Women’s Studies Female RJs in FM: Opportunities and Challenges

these places. RJ Anjali of Radio Mirchi, Patna says “When you are out, you have to be extra careful about your words and behaviour. In a tier two city like Patna, it’s still a matter of amusement for people to see a girl doing shows. Often the crowd that would assemble to listen to you would be full of unruly elements. As a woman, you have to ensure you don’t say anything that displeases them.” Apart from these, a female RJ has to also deal with the pressure of bringing something new and interesting to her show every day for discussion. In small cities, sometimes RJs are not paid that well either and therefore they have to look for some other part time work to support their needs. Despite all these challenges, the career of a RJ brings a lot of name and fame to the individual and this is the reason a huge number of young and talented girls take it as a career.

7. Famous RJs and their shows Seema Verma- Seema Verma is considered India’s first female RJ. She started her career in October 1993 with Times FM (Now Radio Mirchi) doing a special show on Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachhan’s birthday. With less than 24 hours to prepare, she still managed to please both the audience and station bosses alike. This marked the beginning of her illustrious career in broadcasting. Over the years, she has developed a massive fan following. She has worked with Times FM, All India Radio-FM Rainbow, FM Gold, Meow FM (Now Oye FM), etc.

RJ Malishka- Malishka is one of the most celebrated RJs of the present era. It is said that Mumbai wakes up with Malishka’s voice. Her show ‘Morning No 1’ on Red FM has an addictive following among Mumbaikars.

Malishka wanted to be a RJ since her childhood. Despite losing her father very early, she remained committed towards realizing her dream. She worked as an intern with the ad guru, Prahlad Kakkad in her college days. She got a break in 2007 when she

Women, Media and Films Women’s Studies Female RJs in FM: Opportunities and Challenges

successfully cleared Red FM audition. Since then, radio has been her life as she has carved a niche for herself with her effervescent voice. Malishka is also among the country’s highly paid radio personalities.

RJ Malishka: One of the country’s highly paid RJs. (Photo source: www.thehindu.com)

RJ Ophelia- Ophelia Santhaselvi, famously known as Imsai Arasi (Torture Queen), is one of Chennai’s most popular radio jockeys. She currently hosts ‘Chennai Drive’ on Radio One. Ophelia comes from a Tamil Christian family. Her father named her after a character from William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. She began her career with Big FM 92.7 FM in 2006. Her show ‘Big Imsai’ became an instant hit and she became a household name.

Women, Media and Films Women’s Studies Female RJs in FM: Opportunities and Challenges

She was a recipient of the RJ of the year award at the Indian Excellence in Radio Awards in 2009. Of late, she has started hosting shows on television as well.

Women, Media and Films Women’s Studies Female RJs in FM: Opportunities and Challenges

RJ Ophelia’s name has become a rage in Chennai. (Photo source- moviegalleri.net)

RJ Sayema- Sayema is the face of Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM in New Delhi. She has been playing old evergreen songs on her show ‘Purani Jeans’ for the last nine years. Her show airs from 9pm till late midnight. Sayema’s easily approachable style makes her popular with both youngsters and children alike.

RJ Sayema’s show ‘Purani Jeans’ on Radio Mirchi is a smash hit among Delhites. (Photo source- www.radiomusic.com)

RJ Sree- RJ Sree of Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM is widely followed in Kolkata. Her show ‘Khoobsurat’, which deals with women centric issues, has received acclaim from all quarters of life. She also hosts a very popular two-hour show ‘Geetanjali’ on Rabindra Sangeet between 7 am and 9am every Sunday. Through her show, she has been interacting with legends and promoting young talents. Apart from these names, there are other female RJs like RJ Veera, RJ Radhika, RJ Rama Trivedi and many more who are keenly followed and respected in the society.

Women, Media and Films Women’s Studies Female RJs in FM: Opportunities and Challenges

8. Future scenario RJs of today have an elite status in the society. Their role is not confined to hosting a programme alone. They have to project themselves as a listener’s friend, well-wisher and advisor as well. With FM being beamed to every household via mobile phones these days, the names of RJs have become as familiar to people as those of famous cricketers and film stars. The future of FM is bright considering it is available on all the modern day gadgets like mobile phones, i phones and car radios and thus can be accessed by anyone anywhere. It can be beamed through internet as well, which makes it very close to the heart of youngsters.

Women, Media and Films Women’s Studies Female RJs in FM: Opportunities and Challenges

With FM training institutes mushrooming in every city and more number of girls showing interest in joining this field, there is going to be only an increase in the woman workforce in FM stations (Photo courtesy- Priyanka Kumari, Mass Communication student of BHU, Varanasi).

Women, Media and Films Women’s Studies Female RJs in FM: Opportunities and Challenges

Female RJs have been a hit on FM and this trend is not going to change over the years. With FM training institutes mushrooming in every city and more number of girls showing interest in joining this field, there is going to be only an increase in the woman workforce in FM stations. With career of a RJ guaranteeing both name and fame in society, girls in the future won’t have to face the kind of difficulty they faced earlier convincing their families to let them enter this field. Overall, things appear quite bright for young girls looking for a career as a RJ. Of course, the challenges of the job will be there and so will be the question of maintaining a proper balance between the personal and professional lives, but female RJs will continue to call the shots in the industry. Women are becoming more career oriented and female RJs are no different.

9. Lets us sum up FM radio was invented by American scientist Edwin Armstrong in 1934. Unlike AM, it was not prone to environmental interference and therefore became hugely popular in the USA. FM was introduced to India on an experimental basis in 1977 when the country’s first FM station became operational in Chennai. However, it took 15 more years before the second FM station was launched in Jalandhar. Earlier, AIR would distribute time slots to different private FM stations. However, post the Supreme Court verdict that airwaves are no public property; the government was forced to privatize the radio industry and thus paved the way for a FM boom. Radio City became India’s first private owned FM station in 2001. Women RJs became an instant hit on FM. Experts believe better voice appeal and better adaptability skills are some of the reasons that have led to the growing popularity of female RJs. Popular culture has also played a key role in popularizing RJs among the audience. That female voice is preferred for night shows when people listen to the FM in peace and therefore are able to connect better with the host presenting the show is also a reason benefitting female RJs. 20

Women, Media and Films Women’s Studies Female RJs in FM: Opportunities and Challenges

In order to be a successful RJ, a female should have following characteristics- command over the language of broadcast, proper diction and pronunciation, voice modulation, local connect, spontaneity and humour, sensitivity, awareness of general knowledge and social issues, etc. The glamorous job of a RJ also comes with several challenges for women. Maintaining a balance between personal and professional lives, working at odd hours, travelling late night amid security concerns and dealing with unruly people during outdoor broadcasting are some of the challenges every female RJ has to deal with. Seema Verma, India’s first female radio jockey, RJ Malishka of Mumbai, RJ Ophelia of Chennai, RJ Saema of New Delhi, RJ Sree of Kolkata are among some of the country’s most popular RJs at present. The future of FM broadcasting is bright considering it can be accessed via mobile phones, car radios and internet. With RJs having a film star like following among the masses, more number of women will be inspired to make a career in the field. This augurs well for women’s empowerment and rising status in the society.

References Kumar, J, Keval 2007. Mass Communication in India. New Delhi, Jeyco Publication. http://www.fmradioinindia.com/history.htm http://www.managementparadise.com/forums/radio-television/207483-history-fm- india.html http://www.broadcastandcablesat.co.in/indian-fm-radio-story-and-the-changing- future.html http://www.oldradio.com/current/bc_fm.htm http://jeff560.tripod.com/chronofm.html

Women, Media and Films Women’s Studies Female RJs in FM: Opportunities and Challenges