Every hour fulfilled, freelancers for radio announcers are paid $20. In other words, it is $20/hour.
It has been the same payment since God knows when. As compared to other part time jobs like the fast food chains, definitely this is a better option. If we were to compare to other professional jobs and task, you would probably say it is not enough.
All freelancers feel the same. We all do complain among ourselves and we laugh it out. There are a few who really feel that it is not worth doing, and they left entirely.
So why still doing it? It is really difficult to explain in words. But I will try.
I believe every deejay or announcer will have their reasons so I can’t represent everyone. However, it might be similar.
Let me give you the scenario for a morning duty. Imagine the night before, you just had a long day till late at night. Standing in front of a few thousand spectators, hosting, as in talking, and you were still hungry. When you finally reached home, it was midnight. Had your late lunch and have a quick shower, performed your isyak prayers and got to bed. Oh ya, I have forgotten. Set your alarm clock to 3:30am. That is like 2-3 hours to go. And before you knew it, the alarm went off.
Reaching the conty at 4:30am, preparing and getting all set for the on air programs and geared up with a heavy head, ready to on the mic at 4:59:50. Remember, neither you shall sound tired nor sleepy. We are professionals.
Knowing that, there are people tuning in, either they are still working, or perhaps having a sleepless night, or just an early bird who makes it a habit to wake up really early, having a company and that is the radio.
For me, personally, the best satisfaction for a conty duty is, announcing the prayer call, adzan. Knowing that all solihins are waiting for the call, I feel so great being able to let them know, “let us all pray”. Once announced and the adzan is played, I feel Iike I have completed my job. Though, there is still 4 hours to go.
Occasionally, an announcer will receive gratitudes from listeners via SMS or phone calls, showing their appreciations, for being able to do something, either saying something that soothes their pain, being a company for their loneliness, or just happen to play a scheduled song which coincidentally is their favorite song. This will be a motivation, for me at least, to keep on doing what we do. Definitely is a better feeling than to have a work review from your own boss.
Definitely it is not about the money. Satisfaction of having such impact on listeners is priceless. Doing such a service and knowing that there are people appreciating what you do, is such an achievement. It is never a job.
There are not many jobs that gives you personal satisfaction. There are not many little paying jobs that make customers smile. There is no job in Singapore that lets the entire country know, it is time to pray. That is the reason why, I am still here in Warna, 94.2FM.