Announcers entertain and inform audiences on radio, TV, or in person at public events.
Perhaps no baseball announcer was more famous or loved than Harry Caray. The longtime voice of the Chicago Cubs (and before that, the White Sox), Caray was famous for his off-key singing of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." His other signature quotes include "Holy cow!" and "It could be! It might be! It is! A home run!" He was a broadcaster for over 50 years and died in 1998 at the age of 83.
Radio announcers who select and play music are often called disk jockeys. They also read news, sports, and weather reports. Disk jockeys may interview guests and report on local events. They rarely work from a written script, but if one is needed, they do the research and writing. More often, disk jockeys just make up the program as they go along. Many radio announcers have partners and have conversations with each other on the radio. Not all radio announcers play music. Some host call-in talk shows. They introduce a topic, then let callers present their views. Other radio announcers continuously present news or sports reports. They also often record commercials for companies.
TV announcers tend to work on one of three types of shows. Some TV announcers are talk show hosts. Guests come to the TV station where the host can interview them on-screen. Some talk shows are about news or current events. Announcers may do some research before hosting these shows so they know about the topic. Other talk shows are for entertainment, and announcers may prepare jokes before the show. Other TV announcers host game shows. They ask contestants questions, direct the game, and award prizes. Finally, some TV announcers work on shows that advertise products for sale. These announcers describe the products and may demonstrate how they work.
Radio and TV announcers have additional duties when they are not on the air. For example, radio announcers may operate the control board. They may also keep a log of which songs and commercials they played. Both radio and TV announcers discuss and prepare program content with the producer and assistants. At some stations they sell commercial time to advertisers and write ads. Radio and TV announcers also take part in community events. For example, they ride in parades, cut ribbons at store openings, or host fundraisers.
Live-event announcers provide on-site commentary on sporting events, shows, or parades. They give a mostly ad-libbed, running commentary on events as they happen. They make public announcements and add "color" commentary on participants. Very few event announcers are on TV or radio.
Announcers frequently operate control consoles as they are giving commentary.