Becoming Local Announcer

 

me and frinds

Becoming local announcer at small city in Indonesia is quite amazing and unique, especially for announcer in radio of Dangdut segmented. You will face some unique person, a lot of characters from distance pace, variety in argot, playing the same song for the same person, or being given gifts from someone who like you although they never see your face.  

Here, I am talking about my past experiences when I was joining the 98,8 FM Dunia Dangdut (DD FM) Radio Station. I had been an announcer for six years, since 2006 till 2012. That six years moment had given me more memories about grass root people and to know closer person from many places than mine. 

After passing university in 2005, I came back to Bangka Belitung. At that moment, I was a Job hunter. I always buy daily newspaper, not to read the news but to look for the job vacancy. One day, I sent application to a company that had media outlet too. At interview, I was told that the company will build local radio at Sungailiat, city where I live. And, the radio segmented on Dangdut music had been pleased me a lot. I actually loved Dangdut.

So, there the experiences begin. In short time, our radio can reach new fans. More people were curious about DD FM. More people visited us day by day. In one years, we were a leading radio trend for listener around Sungailiat, Belinyu, Pemali, Bakam, Puding Besar even Pangkalpinang, the main city in Bangka and many other places from Bangka Barat or Bangka Tengah.

We offerd unique program, we were wellknown for greet that everyone will always remember with “Yu ah..Goyang” at starting and ending of the talk. This greet became more attractive because each announcers has its own style in pronouncing this greet.

In two years, we had been established and become bigger. We became the first private station in Bangka Belitung that can hold Open Debate for Candidates who will fight in Bupati Bangka Election in 2008. We are pioneer in Music contest of Bangka song. In addition, we also became event organizer for Pentas Seni Kreasi Pelajar in 2008 and 2009 among many off air activities we did.

But, the most remember time for me is, when I became announcer itself. For the first time person who entering the broadcasting, I learn by doing all the time. How giving emotion when announcing. How to please someone that you never see or how maintaining the mood.

The mood is an emotional condition, which can affect the way we talk. Trust me!, when you were angry or bad temper, listener will feel it. While you are tired or apathetic, people will see it. It affects the tone of our voice. So, the only way is to pose in positive. I always do it by becoming someone else. And I have done it before,  by naming myself “aksansanjaya”. It looked like my alter ego and had helped much for years ahead.

Senior announcer taught me about sounding from your abdomen not from esophagus. Needing more practice for the first to be perfect. The effect is crucial, because this style of sounding can give clear and powerful voice trough mike. He, whose name’s Bang Bagas, told me that I need to smile when announcing. From him, I know that I have to to sit erectly, holding breath and many more to talk as radio standard. He had helped me much.

The more interesting is about the fans, your listener. Some listeners love the same song to be played all time even both day and night. They sometime struggle to get the phone response, especially at the prime time, at 7 till 9 PM. Some listeners were interested in you too, even from our voice. I don’t know exactly how explaining logic. But, I know it recently happened to me too, after I am not the announcer and changed to be listener. The voices, even just a voice can please us or entertains our heart. That is the fact!.

In fact, for such listener, they become attractive and a little bit obsessed with us. They will visit us, and bringing some gifts_mainly snack or gorengan. We are like celebrities or a half of it. But, this is still related in radio listeners. I mean, for person who never listen radio, for sure, he didn’t know us, did he?.

We ever made Fans Club for permanent listeners. In the past years, if you traveled a lot by angkot or bus, from Sungaliat to Pangkalpinang, you might be ever saw a sticker on the peeper of angkot by line, “98,8 DD FM  DD Fans Club, Yuh ah Goyang,”. You may say, it was too naff, but I told you that it was usual among fans to express his desire and passion. It might be, the expression of his thankfully to radio had been fulfilled his hearth.

Sometime, we traveled to tourism spots like beaches to strengthen friendship among us, announcer and fan. Because, I know, the bigger the radio, the more hospital it is to audiences. Making connection and having good time together are the way to increase radio bench marking. And all of this will connected to income gained. Because the advertiser looks for capable and familiar radio for market campaign.

And for some fans, the club became the medium to know closer. And we will know it, when they each other sending message or special greeting [salam special_we called] to the fan he likes. The club, then become a place to single out, looking for mate. Anyways it didn’t happen among fans, but for announcer to his fan too.

For me, one thing for sure is, by becoming announcer looks like a pleasure activity. Actually my permanent job is a staff at state university in Bangka Belitung. So, announcer is my freelance job that I love. By working at night as scheduled, it was time for me to relax by listening from many Dangdut songs. Sometime, I danced at the terrace of the radio with friends. I often sing as louder as I want while dancing. This moment reduce the exhausted after working for eight hours at day.

I love speaking and expressing ideas or critics about all around me. Teasing local government acts for some crucial issues, and asking for some solving about it. Sometime I spoke about new discourse among the fans. For me, I also wanted to educate my listeners beside to entertain them.

Working as local announcer meant making strong relationship among your listener.  Much less, there is less competitors at that area. Your radio could become role model or opinion leader for public. But, this will happen if the crew knows to arrange the segmentation and to fulfill the audiences need.

For me, that six year moments gave other perspectives about social and cultural of Bangka society. That moment also taught me to treat other more hospital, made me to be someone that people easy to talk and share ideas. It actually had me changed in positive way.(aksansanjaya)