While his point is certainly not out of the way, there are other advantages to getting a celebrity RJ on-board, albeit for a short while. For instance, while Kailash Kher was enjoying his new role at the radio channel’s studio in Delhi, colleagues Sunidhi Chauhan, Sajid-Wajid and Hard Kaur too dropped in, presenting an unusual RJ and guest’s rapport to the listeners as against the traditional questions posed to guests by an RJ. With FM radio stations springing up beyond metros (see Airwave reach box for figures), the focus is on building up branding and exclusivity to consolidate their market position. And with Radio Jockeys (RJs) being the first point of contact, marketing and programming personnel are fast realising the exclusive element celebrity RJs bring to the table in the form of their public image. They bring in a ‘live’ element to the show, according to RJ Archana of Radio City, which recently had music director Shantanu Moitra playing the RJ partner on the Whatte Fun show. “Also, in case of those hailing from the field of music, it is an added advantage if they play an instrument live on the show!” believes Archana. She cites the example of Raghav Sachar, who came in with 10 of his instruments to the Radio City studio and gave the listeners a taste of what all he could play. What’s more, he even got friends from the industry Sunidhi Chauhan and Mahalaxmi Iyer even though he was just a guest. However, the trend, which first saw celebrities turning up at radio channels as guests and now as co-RJs, is steering towards them entering into time-specific contract with the radio stations. Indian Idol Season 1 runner-up, Rahul Vaidya has just signed a three-month contract with BIG FM to host a Sunday evening show, Jhakkas Pacchas for its Mumbai station. And depending on the popularity he generates among listeners and his confidence in the profile, the parties are looking at extending it further. “I loved the idea of hosting a show since the first time I ever walked into a radio station. Though the opportunity has come late, I am glad about it. Radio as a medium enjoys immense accessibility and appeals to people across ages,” shares Vaidya. And he is not alone in his enthusiasm for the medium. Sometime back, it was actors Shweta Tiwari, Vrajesh Hirjee and Pallavi Joshi who played on-air hosts for almost a year. While Tiwari’s ‘bahu’ image saw her hosting a spiritual show Seher, it was every day discussions over Big Chai for Joshi and Hirjee. Stand-up comedian, Raju Srivastava too found keen audiences for his mimic act on radio that lasted for a year.
Kher too, admits he would love to host a radio show or for that matter, play judge to an on-air singing competition provided the essence of the show is in the right place. However, the best part about radio is its wide accessibility and interactivity. “There may be people who don’t have access to television. But everyone sports a cell-phone, most of which come with in-built radio connectivity, thus increasing its reach tremendously. Also, it allows me to talk directly to fans and listeners, thus get a better understanding of their lifestyle and tastes in terms of music,” says Kher. With a rise in the number of celebrities blessed with a good sense of music, humour or socially-engaging discussions owing to the increasing number of reality shows and socially-relevant soaps, Sono agrees that there will be a rise in celebrities willing to take over the RJ act. “Radio is an extremely interactive medium where listeners are just a phone call away from connecting with their favourite celebrities throughout the show’s duration on a regularly basis,” says Sono, pointing out to the concept’s biggest USP. However, those like Archana are skeptical about the trend’s popularity which according to her, is dependent on the ‘connect’ the reality show participants enjoy with listeners. As for others, she raises the prime-most question about them playing long-term RJs in the years to come when she states, “Only if it is financially viable for the celebs!”
