Volunteer
Volunteers are the heart of WDIY. Whether you're an experienced radio professional looking to hone your craft or you wish to learn more about public radio through hands-on administrative experience, we appreciate your time.
Current Volunteer Positions Available:
ROTATING HOST/BOARD OPERATOR - NPR's ALL THINGS CONSIDERED / TED RADIO HOUR
Fridays, 4 - 7 pm
This hosting position is responsible for overseeing WDIY's broadcast of All Things Considered and the TED Radio Hour on alternating weeks. WDIY will train hosts on board and mic skills. Responsibilities include:
- Reading live news reports, weather updates, traffic alerts, and station announcements
- Ensuring recorded announcements air at the appropriate times
- Monitoring the program's satellite feed
- Understanding and following the station program log
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ROTATING HOST/BOARD OPERATOR - FRESH AIR
Mondays, 12 - 1 pm
This hosting position is responsible for overseeing WDIY's weekly broadcast of Fresh Air. WDIY will train hosts on board and mic skills. Responsibilities include:
- Reading live news reports, weather updates, traffic alerts, and station announcements
- Ensuring recorded announcements air at the appropriate times
- Monitoring the program's satellite feed
- Understanding and following the station program log
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PUBLIC AFFAIRS RECORDING ENGINEER
Scheduled time arranged as needed for interviews
This position is responsbile for operating the board and recording software for pre-recorded public affairs interviews. This recording engineer position will need to have a flexible schedule to accommodate guest and host availbility. Typical record times are weekdays, late morning and early afternoon. Volunteer engineers will be trained on the board and editing software. Responsibilities include:
- Operating the board during guest interviews
- Using Audacity and Peak audio recording software to record and edit interviews
- Creating archived copies of interviews
- Communicating with WDIY staff to help facilitate the broadcast of interviews
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DIGITIZING/TRANSCRIPTION SPECIALIST
Flexible schedule
This position is responsible for taking recorded interviews and making them available online for WDIY listeners. This position is an easy way to volunteer for WDIY and gain audio recording experience without needing in-depth technical knowledge. This volunteer will also be fulfilling a vital WDIY role to connect listeners with WDIY's programming. Responsibilities include:
- Transferring archived material between hard copies and digital storage
- Using Audacity and Peak audio recording software to prepare interviews for archiving
- Uploading content to NPR's website archive
- Communicating with WDIY staff to help facilitate the distribution of programming to WDIY listeners
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NEWS WRITERS/NEWS READERS
Flexible schedule
This position is responsible for preparing short local newscast segments to air during NPR programming. This is a great resume builder for those interested in broadcast, journalism, voice work, or writing experience. Responsibilities include:
- Using major local news sources to assemble relevant stories
- Writing news features for radio broadcast
- Using Audacity and Peak audio recording software to record and edit stories
- Archiving content for broadcast
- Working with the Operations Director to arrange and schedule news broadcasts
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MUSIC LIBRARY VOLUNTEER
Flexible schedule
- Collecting and organizing library material for periodic live events
- Maintaining and updating the special events CD shelf in the on-air studio
- Organizing miscellaeous library material
- General administrative duties as requested
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RECEPTION/ADMINISTRATIVE VOLUNTEER
Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, 9 am - 3 pm
Responsibilities include:
- Greetings guests of the station
- Answering phones
- Taking messages and relaying them to staff
- General administrative duties as requested
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Volunteer positions require a one-year commitment.
For on-air positions, experience in radio broadcasting is preferred but not required. WDIY provides:
- Mentorship with seasoned hosts
- Technical and voice training
- News writing training (optional)
- Access to production studio for voice demo creation (optional)
- Substitute hosting for dates you are unavailable
To apply for a position, send a resume and cover letter to volunteer@wdiy.org.