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'Originality
is the only thing that's appreciated at a radio station' |
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29
years old, married and staying with her in-laws; a shopaholic who loves to frequent
Bandra's Linking Road and Colaba Causeway; a Hard Rock Café enthusiast.
Also, an RJ with Radio One. Annie
Arakkal's isn't just your girl next door.....she's a radio jock, a scheduler,
producer cum manager as well. The 'multi tasker' offers Aaishwari Chouhan
a peek into her life and her take on the radio industry. Excerpts:
How long has
it been since you turned radio jockey?
I have been a radio jockey for
two years now. Earlier, I was the in-house jock for Planet M for three years.
Were
you inspired by anyone to turn to this profession?
No
one in particular. But, anyone and everyone who spoke well and sounded good were
my inspirations. I think the whole notion of knowing everything and delivering
it effectively, so that the city is convinced of your views, inspired me to become
a jock. What
is RJ Annie's USP?
It has to be the 'bubbliness' and cheerfulness I get
to the show. Also, my voice - which always gets people in a good mood! How
did you become a 'multi-tasker'?
I started assisting at Go FM initially.
After the RJ I was assisting moved out, I take over as a jock. I began hosting
the top 30 countdown show and then, had a slot for myself. But, let me clarify
- everyone at Radio One is a multi-tasker. So am I! Like Malini, who's an RJ,
is also our website designer. Similarly, I am the scheduler, producer, look into
the managerial aspects and am a jock too! Many
RJs nowadays have nicknames for themselves. How come you don't have one?
Nicknames
are a very 'station' thing. If one jock at a station has a nickname, you will
notice the others following suit. As for me, I thought of using a different name
when Go turned Radio One, since Annie, being a Catholic name, wouldn’t have
fit the bill at Radio One. But people here wanted me to continue with the name
‘Annie’ and so I am what I am!
A
lot of RJs have been hopping stations of late. Is that because the talent pool
is limited, or because stations don’t want to take on the onus of grooming
fresh talent themselves?
The radio industry is in a very nascent stage
right now. People are still trying to understand radio as a medium. And every
station wants to take in the experienced lot since it would help it function better.
Hence, there is poaching happening big time in this sector. But one can't say
that freshers are completely overlooked. The inflow of freshers is also there,
but it'sat a much slower rate. | | |
Is
Annie a brand or a brand ambassador?
Brand ambassadors are for the brands
they represent and I represent Radio One as a brand. Hence, I become a brand ambassador!
How
do you see your career shaping up in the future?
At least for the next
three years, I would like to stick on where I am. But since I have been an actor
since my childhood, I would like to give acting a chance as well, though I haven’t
thought of it very seriously as of now.
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'At
least for the next 3 years, I would like to stick on where I am' |
Once
you become a veteran at the RJ game, what do you graduate to?
It is an
RJ’s call completely. An RJ can go on to become a production person, or a
programming person or even get into the creative side, or can even stick to jocking
alone. It basically depends on what you see ahead of you. How
do you deal with unwelcome or cranky calls on air?
Our listeners always
want to be recognised as listeners. But if they start acting very fussy or funny,
I think the best way to react is by giving them some straight talk. Also, approaching
them and chatting with them is a great way of dealing with them effectively. How
much is originality appreciated in a radio station?
Originality is the
only thing that is appreciated at a radio station. People constantly want something
new and not something that is copied from someone. The style of RJing has changed
today, and one should gel with this change or else, s/he will perish. How
would you describe the Radio One listener?
Radio One listeners have a
great time, hence they are always fun loving people. Since we provide fresh humour
every 20 minutes, catering to college students, housewives and the men, our listeners
keep coming back to us every 20 minutes for their dose of masti fatafaat. How
do you keep abreast of what’s happening in the world in order to talk about
it on radio and being a multi-tasker when do you find the time for it?
Well,
it’s about making time for it. One needs to figure out what’s happening
and what’s not with the crowd. Also, latest happenings can’t be just
traced by reading newspapers or surfing online; many a times when I sit down to
make my show, chatting with people around to know what’s new, helps a lot.
It’s like running a search off-air to prepare for activities on-air. What
do you prefer... being live on air, or recording a show to be aired later?
Ask any jock and he will say, ‘a live show, any day!’ A live show
is always good and gives a different kind of kick. Does
hosting a morning or an evening slot matter to the RJs?
To me, it doesn’t
matter at all. I am a very station oriented person and not an RJ alone. Hence,
I look at things from a broader perspective. Very
quickly then, request for four songs to be played back to back!
Saathiya
from Darling, Dil kya kare from Salaam-e-ishq, some RDB
track and finally, Bol na halke halke from Jhoom Barabar Jhoom. | 
