How Dubai-based RJ Aiswarya handles on-air slip-ups

The journey from television news presenter to radio jockey has been a memorable one for Dubai-based Aiswarya Prince, who recently chatted with us about the liveliness of her current occupation. 
Aiswarya, who is a news presenter and RJ on Flowers FM's morning show as well as a reporter for the station's news channel, 24, started her career in her home state of Kerala in India, where she worked for Asianet and Surya TV as a news presenter. Even though she was used to speaking on television and being involved with media, the transition to becoming a radio jockey was quite different from anything she had done When you work on a television programme, you don't get to know the responses of the viewers immediately. When you are an RJ, you get quick finish saying something on air, we get our listeners' responses through WhatsApp or messages on our Facebook pages. So, it's very fast. It's all live, where you don't have a script to follow," Aiswarya tells us. 
According to her being an RJ is a "one-man show" where she has to do all the research as well as book guests to feature on her show. When asked whether she prefers working in television or radio, she said she couldn't pick although she later gravitated towards onstage have to speak and handle stage protocol events where government officials have attended. One flop from the emcee's side and the show would go off."
An unplanned journey
Aiswarya's journey to becoming an RJ was one that wasn't really planned. When she arrived in Dubai around a year ago, she realised that radio was a mainstream medium. "I freelanced with Hit FM as a news presenter but then I found that Flowers FM was starting up. When I came for the interview, I was asked to do a news presenting audition in Malayalam and English." 
While being a fun and creative occupation, RJing can be quite pressurising. Aiswarya says that while she is presenting on air, she cannot think about anything else. She also has the unique task of presenting the news whilst simultaneously running an entertainment show. That, she emphasises, was the real difficulty since she has never done that before. "It was a real challenge when I was put into such a position to handle news and entertainment at the same about everything under the sun and simultaneously writing the news for the bulletin. I keep looking at the news websites and channels while the songs are being played," she says. Another concept that was new to her was that of road shows. Road shows are events where the jockeys interact with their listeners and host a bunch of fun activities to engage with the the whole team goes there. We then have games and giveaways for our listeners. We also get to interact with them. This was all new to me because I was always used to doing big and different events like the inauguration of the Kochi Metro. It's fun." 
She believes that radio is popular in this region because people spend a lot of time driving and tune in while in their a lot of competition from other channels? "The competition is tough and challenging," she says but believes there is "space for each channel." 
Slip-ups and laughter 
Jockeying takes certain skills, and possessing presence of mind is the key to being a good jockey, she believes. "You should know when and what to handle. We do everything celebs over the phone, we have to be very careful while asking and preparing the questions. You cannot tell the mood that the actor or celebrity is in. Also, you should know what you're talking about. Language should also be fluent," Aiswarya advises. 
Radio jockeys also need to know how to handle on-air slip ups and fumbling is not the solution.
"I have had mistakes on air, not with the content or person but slip of tongue. That is something that we cannot it and people will forgive you," she says amidst laughter. As listeners we may sometimes wonder what really happens behind the scenes. Aiswarya says that whatever happens on air is also what happens off air. "We are a fun station, what you hear on air is literally what happens off air off, we continue the laughter. We crack jokes and pull each other's leg. I am enjoying it to the fullest."
 
A passion for dance
When she is not jockeying, Aiswarya practices classical She has been performing since the age of five and has also won the Youth Festival in her home state of Kerala. So when asked if not an RJ what would be her alternative career, she says, "It's been 20 years in this field as MC, VJ, RJ and news presenter. I don't see myself in any other field, but being a classical dancer, I would like to concentrate more on dance and do more performances."
 
citytimes@khaleejtimes.com