The social role of radio centres on fulfillment of listener needs. Its efficacy depends on the announcer, who informs listeners about the mundane and necessary, eases the anomic potential of sensitive matters and expedites social continuity. Thus, professionalism must be an axial component of the attitudinal set of these communicators if dysfunctional performance is to be minimized. Yet, little is known of these men and women and how they perceive their role. A 128-item questionnaire was administered to a stratified random sample of announcers to explore their social attributes and professionalism. Announcers emerged as young, highly educated males who emphasized expertise, career concerns and the personal benefits they derived from the job.
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