A lost art

Today, January 21st is National Disc Jockey Day.

Yep, that's me. But in reality, it just reminds me that there aren't very many that are actual "disc" jockeys anymore - thanks to today's technology. It's almost mind boggling to look back on the changes in the past 21 years that I've been at this job.

My job started out spinning 45s (and being grateful to find a 4-minute song!), playing ads on carts, and recorded interviews on cassettes or reel-to-reels. Every once in a while, I find myself longing to go back to that era - just for an hour or two. I don't think I could survive doing a full 8-hour shift in that manner again. Now fast-forward through the past two decades and the evolution to cds, then mp3s, up to today where much of the business is automated and most everything that can be pre-programmed up to a week in advance.

The radio evolution includes not just the airwaves, but also the capabilities of streaming audio on the internet, for a full global audience. That almost seems scary at times - to know that your voice is traveling the entire world over.

So, in honor of National Disc Jockey Day, a term that is basically outdated (just call me a Radio Announcer), I send a salute to my fellow 'jocks'. Hope you have as fond of memories of the job as I do.