We are used to the fact that not everything is as it seems on TV. But almost no one seems to suspect the same from radio broadcasts. Let´s have a look at some common misconceptions and clear them up.

Live is Always Really Live

Thanks to a technology called “voice tracking” it´s possible to give the impression that an announcer is in the studio. Voice tracking works by using a computerised system and pre-recorded announcements. The announcer or DJ gets a list which songs will be played on a specific show. He then records all his announcements of which song will be playing (and additional information about the song) to every song. Those “announcement bits” are then saved on a computer and put into the play list. The computer then plays each specific announcement before the song starts to play. If everything works as it should, listeners will notice nothing. If something goes wrong there might be a gap between announcement and song, or the song starting before the announcement is over…etc. This also explains why most stations have special “request shows” or times during which they take song requests.

Spontaneous Gags and Mishaps

Often gags that seem sponaneous are actually scripted and “acted out” by the announcer or announcer team. This is can also be combined with voice tracking. Sometimes a real spontaneous gag is recorded and then repeated at a later time (sometimes even on the same day). The same can be said for any misshaps.