Community Radio Station.
If you have a local Community station show up! Check out the web site. Every station is different. The typical formula is stop in. Apply for a show. Pay your dues. Sweep the floors, take out the trash, check in CD's. Train with another DJ. When a slot opens up or they need a sub you will be ready. At WVRK in Poughkeepsie NY they even have a apply for a show page! . We have breathen at WVRK, working the board Friday's 6-7PM. "Bachelor Pad at Colony 3". What a lovely name for a program.
At FreeForm Portland the front page asks" Interested in becoming a DJ?" Freeform Portland changes the schedule every 6 months. Anyone interested in having a show in the new cycle needs to apply. Including current DJs!
College Radio
Do some research on the policies, every station in this area is a little different. Check the website. Is it all student run? Are advisors and full time paid staff involved? Policies are based on how much autonomy the student body has. If you strike out with the students, email or call the community DJ's who usually have programs in the mornings or weekends when students typically don't DJ. You may find veteran DJ who can advise or sponsor you.
On the Internet
The ExoticaRing is made of of people who are or have been DJ's. Some of us work professionally in some capacity in broadcasting, some DJ in clubs. Currently Georgy does LoriHajiTura and Steam Stock has JukeBox Shuffle on MixCloud.
How do you get started?
Don Fisher of The Tiki Lounge mentioned on Facebook that "he uses a Shure SM7B Microphone through a small Behringer mixer with Magix Audio & Music Lab Premium software which now provides 4 track mixing. I run my turntable through the Behringer as well." And "can honestly say that it takes a considerable amount of time if you're truly dedicated and conscientious"
But as a starter project, scratch that itch, start with a cheaper microphone, forget the mixer, and use free Audacity.
Find mentors. Someone to call as you ramp up the learning curve on the technology.
Conclusion:
There is a place for music programs our friends have on the radio. In between the jazz, world, folk, blues segments you typically find on your eclectic not for profit station.
If you like programs like this encourage your local public radio station to investigate the possibility of putting one together. Maybe you can. Based on the response received when on college radio firmly convinced there is. In every market. We have got a dozen of DJ's represented on the Facebook group with enthusiastic listeners. We are poking up to 5600 members. So what do those numbers tell us?
If anything the Retro Cocktail Hour is a textbook example.
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