| "If music be the food for love, play on..." | | | | While the critical components of radio broadcasting |
| Remember the bard's fabulous line in his romantic | | | | operations include an audio mixer, scheduler and |
| comedy, "Twelfth Night", that celebrates the | | | | playback system, these days the tech-savvy |
| romantic passion of humans through the magical | | | | Radio Jockeys mostly use powerful digital music |
| device of melodies? Yes, ages have passed by | | | | players for FM Radio programs. With such |
| since, and our ardent fervor for music is | | | | equipment, they ensure gapless, continuous playing |
| miraculously magnifying with the passing of every | | | | with intelligent mix point detection where music |
| single day. The advent of the electronic media | | | | mixes and fades at the right point at the right |
| (radio and television) has further accelerated our | | | | time. With a host of high-end digital equipment, |
| quest for listening to melodies with providing | | | | music is fully controlled, using the best Audio tools |
| greater exposure to our favorite singers and their | | | | ever. Radio disc jockeys play music, chat, deliver |
| albums. Ages ago, one would have to be a | | | | news, weather, or sports, or hold conversations |
| privileged member of Akbar's "sabha" to listen to | | | | with celebrities or call-in listeners. Like Club DJ's, |
| the soulful chanting of Miyan Tansen. However, | | | | they mix music, sound effects, and special |
| years and ages passed after that and the 60's | | | | effects and occasionally provide time-filling chatter |
| and 70's audience today fondly remember their | | | | between songs in technically equipped radio |
| pristine days of "Binaca Geetmala", where the | | | | stations. Being extremely organized and |
| lively and spirited Ameen Sayani popularized the | | | | synchronized is critical to the radio station, where |
| concept of live music broadcasting, and brought | | | | songs fill a certain span of time and commercials |
| the timeless Indian classics to our drawing rooms. | | | | are also aired during specific blocks. In most radio |
| Today, with an abundance of entertainment | | | | stations, computer software programs are used |
| programs on television, one cannot help noticing | | | | to schedule the music for each radio program or |
| young boys or girls anchoring different music | | | | play listener requests. When DJs are "off air," |
| shows. In Channel V or MTV, which airs music | | | | they might record commercials for later |
| shows on the TV throughout the day, almost | | | | broadcast, preview new music and prepare |
| every hour the anchor changes and a fresh face | | | | material for later shows. |
| comes up. Sometimes these programs are | | | | On the other hand, the advent of digital satellite |
| telecast live, in which the anchor has to interact | | | | and cable has brought greater diversity with |
| with the live audience. These professionals are | | | | Television channels such as MTV and Channel V, |
| referred to as Video Jockeys, responsible for | | | | which focus on playing music videos and other |
| anchoring the music shows and also for | | | | music-related programming. With the explosion of |
| maintaining the interests of viewers in that | | | | MTV and MuchMusic in the 1980s and 1990s, |
| particular program. In radio broadcast, these | | | | music videos became a new art form, a new |
| professionals with pleasant and lively voice are | | | | way for an artist or group to express their songs |
| called radio jockeys. In India, mainly the young | | | | visually. After it's advent in 1981, MTV started |
| generation is largely dependent upon the television | | | | nonstop broadcasting of music-video clips intended |
| or radio for viewing or listening to their favorite | | | | to boost sales on the music charts. With the |
| music. With a host of international music shows on | | | | coming of digital video editing, the VJs of these |
| Channel V and MTV, an ardent lover of Jazz or | | | | channels have used visual manipulations and |
| pop can get access to music from around the | | | | effects in music- video clips. These days, many |
| world. It is a mutually gratifying world for both the | | | | VJ's even edit their material live on a computer, |
| VJs and RJs who are making their livelihood by | | | | which could change and recompose the material in |
| anchoring and organizing live music shows on the | | | | many ways. Some use found footage and other |
| television and radio as well as for the viewers | | | | film material to tell their story, while others |
| audience who are mostly of younger age group | | | | produce their own footage. |
| and make specific request for a particular song or | | | | Today, after the advent of the Internet, live |
| a set of songs and music. | | | | streaming music via the Internet radio stations |
| While today viewers/audience of these live music | | | | have opened up new vistas of enjoying the |
| shows have noticed that whether it is classical, | | | | melodies from all over the world. With a host of |
| western, jazz, rock or pop albums that they play, | | | | options ranging from shareware and freeware |
| they have a quintessential knowledge of beats | | | | (designed to record streaming audio from online |
| and different forms of music. However, many of | | | | Radio stations) to webcasts and other Internet |
| the viewers/audience would also be curious to | | | | audio sources, the convergence of the Radio and |
| know how they handle various hardware | | | | Internet definitely mark the beginning of |
| equipment or work on different specialized | | | | tremendous opportunities for the music |
| software while playing their favorite numbers live. | | | | aficionados. |