RJ Priya’s journey into radio illustrates the medium’s magnetic pull for those destined to shine in the industry. Initially embarking on a career with Tech Mahindra after graduation and later pursuing a Master’s in Data Science in the UK, RJ Priya found her true calling in radio.

MediaBrief.com has created RJs We Like to help the FM Radio industry by highlightingthe strong and beautiful human and local connect that only its most valuable asset, the wonderful presenters or Radio Jockeys, popularly known as RJs, can help FM Radio provide across the length and breadth of India. 

We thank the Association of Radio Operator for India (AROI) for its support of RJs We Like. 

We hope RJs We Like will help each network and its stations get their popular, hard-working RJs profiled and highlighted in a way that, in the process, will also bring out the USPs and strengths of the network and station. After all, it is the RJs who  give FM Radio its invaluable strength of a hyper-local connect that is both – an emotional and empowering link with its listeners. 

So, here’s RJ Priya Rathod of Red FM Bengaluru, on RJs We Like:

Tell us about your show, and what it’s all about. What it means to you, and why you like doing it. What makes it unique?

Red Adda is a thought-provoking show with a pinch of humor that will push your brain to see the world differently! Most thoughts, when presented with a relatable example, create a greater impact on the listener’s mind.

It’s like a spiritual leader connecting life with the way water flows. Red Adda will most likely compare it to Bangalore traffic—how sometimes we’ve got to stop at the red signal even if we are in a rush because we are sane people who wouldn’t hit other cars just to jump the signal.

There are two regular segments on the show, one of which is Soch ka Saamna introducing fresh ideas (For example, why we need to wish for more grey hair, why women prefer men who are shorter than them, why being judgmental is a good thing, etc.) and the other one is Priya ka Punch, which is a life hack countdown of everyday situations (For example, how to get rid of a chipku friend who keeps asking for money, how to deal with competitive friends and relatives, 100% believable excuses to take chutti from work without getting caught, etc).

There have been some unique spikes on the show in the past year, like Gender No Bar that featured love stories of the queer community during Pride Month and the Tax Bachaao campaign that aimed at raising awareness about the various tax benefits individuals haven’t been claiming properly.

Were you always planning to be an RJ, or did you sort of stumble onto it?

I grew up in a family where everyone believed that being an engineer or a doctor were the only career options a person had. Everything else was categorized as a hobby. I remember I was only 15 when I set up my very own internet radio station, and I would send the links to my friends to listen to my radio.

I would get 5-6 listeners at that time on average and 10-12 on good days. But those days didn’t last long because one morning my mother received a massive internet bill that was big enough to put an end to my happiness.

They were proud of me, though, for figuring out a way to set up an online radio website all on my own, and thus I became an IT girl. I finished my degree, got placed in a leading MNC, and worked there for almost 4 years before I realized that it didn’t make me very happy.

At first, I thought maybe I wanted to change the IT department I was in, so I quit my job and finished my masters in data science. But even though I cleared it with distinction, I still didn’t get that happiness I was looking for. That’s when I made the big switch.

I remember making a list of skills I had apart from IT and felt hopeless because I wasn’t qualified to be anything else. And then there were months of sadness, loneliness, and crying. Several months later, I saw an ad for an unpaid internship at a community radio station. It was led by reputed Radio mentors, so I thought the risk was worth a shot.

Did you undergo any special training to become an RJ?

I did undergo several rounds of training. I interned at the startup radio station for 3 months, but because it was a startup, they did not have many experienced radio professionals who could train me. I did that for about 7 months, but I knew I needed more, so I did a second round of 3 months internship at one of Bangalore’s leading radio stations. That was the turning point of my life.

No, I did not learn how to be a Radio Jockey there; I just realized that the startup radio station I was associated with taught me something solid, something that made me job-ready for any commercial radio.

Unfortunately, the pandemic hit around the same time, so I switched my job and joined another startup called Bhopuwala as an Executive Producer. In short, I never went through formal and active training to be a radio jockey, but I did learn through observation and working at different radio stations.

What do you like most about being an RJ?

The day I told my parents I had decided to quit IT, they asked me why… and my answer was “I don’t want to die being a Nobody, I want people to know my name, I want to be a Star!”.

Being a Radio Jockey brings me one step closer to that dream. I now have the platform to be somebody and talk to everybody. So, my most favorite part about being an RJ is that it gives me the opportunity to make the opinions of normal people like me count, and I take that very seriously!

Over the years, through my personal journey, I have realized that we all can do anything we put our minds to… be it changing the way we look, our jobs, our skills, our money situation, everything. And through my show, I am always on a mission to help my listeners craft the life they can only dream of. I mean… if I can, so can they!

What kind of impact does your show have on the city and its listeners?

Red Adda belongs to the dreamers of the city. The ones who know, dreams are free! So go big on dreaming your perfect life, and once that is in place, listen to Red Adda and learn to make them a reality!

We “bajaao” the mediocrity that exists in our mind and replace them with thoughts that make nothing seem impossible. Red Adda stands for passion, power, and a whole lot of philosophy to make dreams come true.

List three traits and skills that you consider important for anyone who wants to connect with listeners on FM Radio as an RJ.

The most important skill would be to BE REAL. Secondly, believe that there is a person listening to you at all times. And lastly, fall in love with that listener. (Uff! I am so dramatic at times) Honestly, that’s what has helped me.

Before this, I believed being able to talk fluently, clear language, being funny, being knowledgeable, having a good voice, etc., may be skills that you need to be a radio jockey, but no, it’s the above three that helped me. There is no use of having a good vocabulary if you fail to communicate your message.

If someone wants to become an RJ, what kind of training can one get… avenues in and around your city? Any tips?

Intern at a radio station and learn passively. I’ll be honest with you, NO ONE will teach someone how to be a radio jockey. Because there is no secret recipe.

The entertainment industry is not logical like Science or Maths where you have set formulas. The most well-known jocks in the country are all unique.

Hence, I conclude, you don’t learn to be a Radio Jockey, you find the Radio Jockey in you. (Very soon I will launch a course “How to find the Radio Jockey in you”, when I become full famous and all!!)

Which voices from the radio industry – presenters, newsreaders (male/female), others have you liked – growing up, or even your contemporaries. People you’ve learnt from, too, just by listening to them.

RJ Kay (Karan Machado) and RJ Sriram Sullia have inspired me and guided me on this journey. I love how they connect with their listeners. There is not one drop of superiority when they meet a listener, and I honestly aspire to be like them someday.

They’re not just good radio jockeys, they are good people, and that’s what I love about them.

Who are your most important work partners at your station – Music manager, Producer, Social Media Managers, Native content ad marketers, and why?

Personally, I prefer working solo most of the time because that’s the kind of content I present; it’s not about statistics or very topical. But I do get the most amount of support from our music manager, Pinak Ranjan, who is extremely good at connecting us to celebs and others (he is so good that sometimes I feel if God were contactable, he would probably put us in touch with him as well!).

I also do get a ton of support from other Radio Jockeys in the station, who are my seniors and are always ready to help me with strategizing the flow of the show.

What advice would you give to young people who want to join the Radio Industry either as an RJ or in any other production functions?+

First advice if you want to be in the radio industry, start by listening to the radio, and then join a radio station as an intern and work your way up. The more you work, the more you learn, and the more you sharpen your skills.

Also, radio has so many openings that you only get to know once you work at a radio station. During my internship, I learned that I am great at writing ads and voicing them. So much so that I started freelancing using some of these skills and made extra money during the pandemic.

You have a great opportunity and are doing good work. How do you try to make your show more engaging? What is your constant quest as an emotional and welcome connection with listeners’ lives?

I keep it simple and relatable. There’s honestly no strategy; I focus on being honest and fair to my listeners. I feel when listeners feel that they have a fair shot at winning something, their opinions are respected, and they slowly start engaging regularly.

I do constantly try to figure out who is listening to me so I can bring up topics that they love to hear about. Of course, there needs to be a middle ground; if I don’t enjoy what they enjoy, it won’t feel authentic.

So the key here is to find a path in between, something that the masses will enjoy and so will I. Being born and brought up mostly in Bangalore itself does come in handy in this profession.

Your top 5 favourite songs from the last year, of all time. Also, movies of last year and of all time.

Movies: Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui, Paglait, Haseen Dilruba, Atrangi Re, and Chhorii from last year.

My all-time favorite would be all romcoms; honestly, I love the common storyline where the guy and the girl meet but don’t get along. Then they finally realize that they love each other and get back together at the grand finale (So movies like The Ugly Truth, Leap Year, Hum Tum, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, etc., are all my favorites).

Songs: I get judged a lot for my choice of songs, but there are two kinds of songs I absolutely love… item numbers and Hero entry songs. And there’s something common between these two.

These tracks have upbeat music along with bhar bharke self-love. Like take any item song, the girl is praising herself… her beauty, her ability to rule the world, her confidence haha I love it (ref: Sheela Ki Jawani)!!

And the Hero entry songs like Zinda Banda, Raani entry song, Swag Se Swagat, Superman, etc., are also all about self-love. These songs talk about power, strength, dominance, etc., etc. These songs give powerful positive energy to my soul.

Once in a while, I do like the melodious tracks as well like Chand Balaaiya, Rataan Lambiya, O’ Meri Laila, etc.

Personally, I think we all like songs that describe an emotion we have experienced in life and I think no one should judge the choice of songs a person has.

Connect with and follow RJ Priya Rathod on LinkedIn and Instagram

Connect with and follow Red FM Bengaluru on Facebook  and Instagram

Awards won by RJ Priya Rathod of Red FM Bengaluru

• Finalist at NYF Radio Awards for Best Narration category (Art of Living Radio) 2021
• Winner of India Voice Fest Talent hunt 2021