Guidelines for radio programme production

Radio is a crucial tool in introducing and updating consumers on important issues of the day. It helps consumer groups reach a wide variety of people – even those in the most remote areas – and is relatively inexpensive.  Producing a good radio programme may seem like a relatively simple task, but in reality it requires a great deal of thought and,effort to provide consumers to listen to and remember.

The Guidelines and audio cassette use the  British Broadcasting Service (BBC) is the pre-eminent producer of radio programmes in the world. Much can be learned from its methods – and mistakes!  And hopefully, consumer organizations can use these Guidelines to break down traditional barriers and provide ever-more innovative and dynamic programmes for consumers.

Guidelines for radio programme production

Purpose

Making a radio programme is a voyage of discovery. There is always something new

to learn, some different technique to try,some unexpected turn of events to explore

– and there i

Making a consumer affairs programme is a particularly good example of radio which is actively engaged with its audience. Their concerns become our concerns – and consumer issues which you have discovered, and illuminated – will enhance their awareness..

Cultural norms and expectations will differ from country to country. What constitutes a

consumer issue in one part of the world might be deemed unimportant in another.

But the basic elements in making a good programme are the same, no matter what part

of the world you live in. Good craftsmanship, focus, enthusiasm, attention to detail, using your imagination – these exist beyond cultural boundaries, or issues of regional differences.

Making a radio programme often involves several people. There might be an editor,

producer(s), writer(s) or reporter(s), production assistant, secretary, and technical staff all working on it, plus those who become involved with the programme through being interviewed or consulted. A radio programme can do many things.

For example, it can

• inform

• educate

• entertain

• campaign

It can even do all these things within the same programme. But it should have a primary

focus. For example – a programme featuring a  Guidelines for radio programme production

Who is the programme for?

The programmer should know the listeners, whom he programme is for the

of course.

Factors to keepnin mind are:

•A broadcaster  can attract listeners; it will depend on what time of day your programme is broadcast, and on what day of the week it is broadcast.

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• if we broadcast a particular type of item, you will attract a particular type of listener.

If we want to attract a broad general audience we must deal with concerns which will attract a broad audience.

• we want to cover issues which are of interest to listeners with special interests or requirements – for example, disabled listeners.

:

• convince your listeners that we are on their side, and interested in what concerns them

• encourage them to feel part of the programme

• encourage them to contribute their views and concerns to you

• not patronise them.

The basic options are:

• Magazine programmes

• Single issue programme or programmes

• Series of magazine programmes with single issue specials

Magazine programmes

These are programmes containing a variety of different items. The programme will have longer and shorter pieces, and might include a regular round-up of consumer news, an interview, a discussion, an in-depth feature, a short ‘filler’item. A regular series covering consumer affairs would most likely be composed of magazine programmes, because they allow for coverage of a wide variety of issues and concerns. Magazine programmes may be broadcast ‘live’or ‘pre-recorded’ , though live programmes

will almost certainly contain a number of pre-recorded elements.

Single Issue programmes

These are programmes which are devoted to one issue, covered in greater depth than could . The issue must be of great enough concern to warrant a full programme; nevertheless it is more difficult to achieve broad audience appeal using this format. Single issue programmes are usually always pre-recorded, although they may allow time for a ‘live’ studio discussion following the recorded section of the show.

Magazine series with Single issue specials

This format provides the best of both worlds:a regular magazine series, with the occasional special allowing for more in-depth coverage of issues deemed to be particularly significant.

Duration

What duration is available to you will ultimately be decided by the radio station

or network which is broadcasting your programme, but as a general guideline:

Conventionally, radio magazine programmes broadcast by the BBC have tended to be of thirty minutes duration.

Deciding on your format and approach

It was decided that issues of specific concern to those two groups should be included in “You and Yours”, rather than in separate programmes. “You and Yours” has a large production team and an established history, and is therefore able to sustain an hour long daily programme; it would still be advisable for programme makers setting up a new consumer affairs programme, to aim, at least initially, for a

thirty minute time slot.

Building a programme

Whether your programme is a one-off, or a whole series, whether it is a magazine programme or an in-depth look at a single issue, it will need a presenter – someone to explain what’s happening and guide the listener through the subject (s) being dealt with. This person is crucial to the success of your programme. A presenter must:

• establish his or her authority and confidence. (nothing bothers an audience

more than hearing a presenter who sounds unsure, tense, confused, or diffident)

• sound genuinely interested

• convey goodwill toward the audience and the participants in the programme

(even where a confrontation is necessary). A presenter may need to challenge

someone’s view, but should not do it with vindictiveness or spite.

• be able to represent ‘the ordinary person’ when confronted with experts; the

presenter should be able to clarify or interpret the expert’s answers, if necessary

• never patronise

• speak clearly and have a generally appealing voice and manner.

Pace

If you were listening to a piece of music which had the same pace and rhythm all the way through, no change of pace or mood, you would soon be bored! be aware of the importance of changing the mood and pace as you move from one item to another.

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Tone

The tone of your programme will be set by the presenter’s general manner, and the content. listeners would most appreciate, and experience will help you find a tone which suits your purposes, and your audience.

Content

• consumer affairs publications and press releases

• newspaper items

• special interest groups and societies

• individual consumers who contact you

• events guides

• press releases from government andother organisations

• campaigns by established or ad hoc groups

• novelty or humourous items or events

• new products – effectiveness, safety

• unusual new products

• public services/utilities

• unusual new businesses

• community groups

• alternative lifestyle groups

• medical news or journals, health, diet

• pollution issues/pollution monitoring groups

Programme elements

Whether you are producing a magazine programme, or a single-issue programme, the

basic content will probably be made up of similar elements:

• script

• interviews

• with ‘ordinary people’

• with experts

• with official spokespersons from government or organisations

• vox pops

• features

• discussions

• archive material

• actuality

• news round-ups

• humourous or ‘light’ items

• special effects

• music

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How to write for Radio Drama

1. Radio is based in oral tradition .   Radio appeals to the imagination of the listeners.. A good radio writer knows how to tap into the imaginations of the listeners by creating strong word pictures, engaging characters, and action-filled events.  Radio can cross time and space without limit, he can  move through time freely and create environments without restriction,   Radio is a personal medium. Although it can reach millions of listeners at the same time.

The Strengths and Limitations of Radio

Radio, like every other communication medium, has its own characteristics, strengths, and  limitations. Writing a radio serial for social development does require an understanding of the following fundamentals of learning, especially adult learning, since most dramas for social change are created for adult audiences.

1. Relevance. People, particularly adults, learn best when they see that the information offered is relevant to their own lives. Listeners who identify themselves with role-model characters in the drama are more likely to be motivated to learn and to change.

2. Appropriate pacing. Radio programe when it is delivered at a pace appropriate to the learners, keeping them involved and stimulated without overwhelming them. Careful evaluation of audience reaction to the pilot programs can help radio writers ensure that the pace with which information is delivered is appropriate to the audience.

3. Incremental learning. Learning is almost always incremental, that is, certain basic steps are mastered before more complex steps can be understood and practiced. Similarly,it is impossible to control the spread of malaria without understanding, first, that a certain type of mosquito carries the disease and, second, how to control the mosquitos. In motivating changes in individual behavior

and social norms, it is important to understand current levels of knowledge and attitudes in the community. Only with this understanding will the writer know what style of program to create,

where to focus the instruction, and how to adjust that focus as the serial drama progresses.

4. Distributed learning. Different people learn in different ways. Some learn from direct instruction, while others learn better by observing and copying the behavior of peers. Some absorb information after only one exposure, while others need to hear and see it a number of times before fully accepting it. “Distributed learning” is the term educators use to describe the process of presenting the same information in several different ways over time (de Fossard et al. 1993).

Characteristics of Radio

1. The total experience of radio is received by the ear alone. This is in contrast to the multisensory perception of everyday life. The writer therefore must remember to fill in details that, in real life, would be provided by

the listeners’ other senses, such as vision or smell. The writer must create scripts that allow listeners to imagine what they are hearing.

2. Listeners are accustomed to using radio as a background to their lives, without paying full attention to what is being broadcast. When radio is used to motivate positive social change, the writer must be sure to attract and

hold the listeners’ full attention, and to encourage listening literacy

3. Radio offers great opportunities for the use of sound effects and music. The good radio writer, however, uses these aids judiciously, recognizing that overuse of sound can be more destructive than constructive on radio. Successful radio drama depends more on powerful dialogue and strong emotional attraction than on added noise. 4 Radio can be used to teach many things, but  there are some areas where it falls short. For

example, it would be difficult for a doctor to learn how to remove an appendix just by listening to a radio program. To overcome such difficulties, the writer should recommend support materials in other media

(such as print) if the subject cannot be dealt with adequately through radio alone.

5. A radio story or message is heard only once. The radio cannot be rewound like an audio cassette or turned back like the pages of a book. The radio writer, therefore, must ensure clarity, simplicity, and repetition in the

delivery of important messages or educationalinformation.

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6. Radio is a one-way medium. Audio directors, actors, and program  designers cannot receive immediate feedback from listeners during a broadcast

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How to write for radio drama

1. Allow the audience to get to know a few characters well especially the major character of the main plot and the central uniting character before introducing the message.

2. Attract the listeners’ attention at the beginning of each episode. Because so many listeners use radio as “background,” the writer should start each scene,particularly the first scene in each episode, with a hook, that is, a dramatic action or statement that grabs the listener’s attention

3. Avoid overloading the serial with the message. Keep the message brief and subtle. It is one

Guideline that, a ratio of 25 percent message to 75 percent story in each episode.

4. Repeat the important parts of the message. Use the multi-plot nature of the serial format to bring in the message repeatedly, in different ways with different characters. This allows listeners who were not paying full attention the first time to hear the message on another occasion.

5. Offer the audience ways to respond to or interact with the program. There are a number of ways in which listeners canbecome involved in the program. Listeners can respond orally, for example, with physical activities, or in writing.

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Types of Radio Drama

Radio drama can be presented in three different styles: 
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1. as an independent drama, 
2. as a series, or 
3. as a serial

The independent drama can be likened to a short story,  it tells the complete story in one broadcast, usually lasting no longer than one hour. It can be shorter, as short as five minutes,for example, when the drama is broadcast as a brief segment on a thirty minute radio magazine program.

The drama series is a collection of independent dramas that use the same major characters in each program. For example, the characters of the father and his three sons from the fablestory above could appear in further programs, with each program telling a different story, underscoring a different theme, and teaching a different message. Extra characters might  appear in the other stories, and some might appear in more than one story,but none would appear as regularly as the farmer and his sons. Each drama in the series would be completed in one program. Some of the program titles

for such a series might be:

• The Farmer and his Sons and the Plague of Rats

• The Farmer and his Sons Build a Big Barn

The serial is an ongoing story that continues from one broadcast toanother. Each episode is open-ended, and the story is picked up and continued in the next episode. A serial can be likened to a novel, where the

story is divided into chapters, with each chapter leading into the next. Aserial may be as short as six 15-minute episodes, aired weekly, or it can continue on a daily basis for decades without end. A continuing drama that is presented in fewer than six episodes is usually referred to as a mini-series or

“two-” or “three-part” drama.

If the story of “The of  Sindhubad in Maiden land” were to be made into a serial, the story would not end where it does. Rather, it would continue into moreepisodes with other characters and other plots introduced to enrich the story.

For example, one son might find it impossible to do as his father suggested

and take himself off to the city to set up a business of his own, where he

could wor

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FORMATS OF RADIO PROGRAMMES

http://download.nos.org/srsec335new/ch11.pdf

The radio stations are  Vividh Bharati, AIR, FM Gold or some private commercial station. .

Announcements have been traditionally made by people who are known as announcers.

The commercial radio channels may call them Radio Jockeys (RJs) or anchor persons.

A radio station also broadcasts programmes of different types. 
The requirements of listeners of radio stations are not the same. To serve them, we need to know many facts about them. So  we should know about the audience:

Radio formats  decided on the basis of the needs of the audience.

1. (a) The total population of the area.
2. (b) Number of men and women — Sex ratio
3. (c) Literate people/Illiterate people
4. (d) The languages spoken in the area.
5. (e) Schools/Colleges
6. (f) Children going to school
7. (g) Health facilities — availability of doctors, primary health centre, clinics,hospitals.
8. (h) Any major diseases
9. (i) Religions in the area-population wise
10. (j) Power supply
11. (k) Nearest radio stations/Television stations
12. (l) Climate of the place
13. (m) Main occupation of the people
14. (n) Income per head/people below poverty line
15. (o) Roads/transport facilities
16. (p) Irrigation facilities
17. (q) Number of people engaged in agriculture/other occupations.
18. (r) Types of crops.

TYPES OF RADIO FORMATS

The ingredients of a radio format.
 

A Radio format can be split into three parts: They are:-
(a) Spoken Word or Human Voice
(b) Music
(c) Sound Effects

  I. SPOKEN WORD

1. Announcements :

 These are specifically written clear messages to inform. They can be of different types. These announcements have become informal and resemble ordinary conversation.

2. Radio talk : 

The radio talk probably is the oldest format on radio. There has been a tradition in India and Britain to invite experts or prominent persons to speak for 10 or 15 minutes on a specific topic.
These talks have to go through a process of being changed into radio’s spoken word style. Over these long radio talks have become unpopular. Instead, today, shorter duration talks are broadcast. Of course, we can listen to these talks only on public service broadcasting stations.

3. Radio interviews:  

In the media, be it the newspaper, magazine, radio or television, journalists use this technique of asking questions to get information. There can be different types of interviews in terms of their duration, content and purpose.

Firstly, there are full fledged interview programmes. The duration of these may vary from 10 minutes to 30 minutes or even 60 minutes depending up on the topic, and the person being interviewed. Most of such interviews are personality based, long interviews with well known people in the field of public life, literature, science, sports, films etc.

Secondly, there are interviews which are used in various radio programmes like documentaries. Here the interviews are short, questions specific and not many. The purpose is to get a very brief, to the point answer.

Thirdly there are a lot of interviews or interview based programmes in news and current affairs programmes. With phone-in-programmes becoming popular, you might have heard live interviews with listeners. These interviews have been made interactive.

There is another type of interview based programme. Here generally just one or two questions are put across to ordinary people or people with knowledge on some current topic to measure public opinion. For example  the railway budget is presented in the parliament, people representing radio go out and ask the general public about their opinion. Their names and identity may not be asked. Such programmes are called ‘vox pop’ which is a Latin phrase meaning‘ voice of people’.

4. Radio discussions :- 

 In radio,is used this technique to let people have different points of view on matters of public concern. Radio discussions are produced when there are social or economic issues which may be controversial. So when different experts meet and discuss such issues, people understand various points of view. Generally,these discussions on radio are of longer duration-say 15 to 30 minutes. Two
or three people who are known for their views and a well informed senior person or journalist who acts as a moderator take part and discuss a particular topic for about 30 minutes. The moderator conducts the discussion, introduces the topic and the participants and ensures that every one gets enough time to speak and all issues are discussed.

5. Radio documentaries/features: 

If you see a film in a movie hall, it is generally a feature film, which is story based and not real. But there are also documentary films which are based on real people and issues. A lot of programmes you see on television are educational and public service documentaries. Radio also has this format. Unlike documentary films, radio documentaries have only sound – i.e. the human voice, music and sound effects. So a radio documentary is a programme based on real sounds and real people and their views and experiences. Radio documentaries are based on facts presented in an attractive manner or dramatically. Radio documentaries are radio’s own creative format. The producer of a documentary needs to be very creative to use human voice, script, music and sound effects very effectively. Radio documentaries are also called radio features.

6. Radio drama: 

A Radio drama or a radio play is like  theatre drama. The only difference is that while a stage play has actors, stage, sets, curtains, properties movement and live action, a radio play has only three components. They are the human voice, music and sound effects.
Radio uses its greatest strength for producing radio plays and that is the power of imagination and suggestivity. For example, if you want to have a scene in a radio play we don’t have all physical arrangements made. All that you have to do is to use a bright tune on the excited voices of people to create in a listeners’ imagination, a wedding scene. The voice of the actors, music and sound effects can create any situation in a radio play.

7. Running commentaries :

 Running commentaries on radio can be on various sports events or on ceremonial occasions like the Republic Day Parade or events like festivals, melas, rath yatras, swearing in ceremony of
ministers, last journey (funeral procession) of national leaders  event. A commentator would give us all the details of the match such as the number of players, the score, position of the players in the field etc. So by listening to the running commentary, you get a feeling of being in the stadium and watching the match. The commentator needs good communication skills, a good voice and knowledge about what is going on. Today radio running commentaries especially of cricket and other sports can be heard on your mobile phones.

8. Magazine programmes : 

 Radio also has magazine programmes like those in the print media.  A radio magazine is broadcast at periodicity ( a particular time on a particular day of a week or a month).  Similarly it has plenty of variety in contents. Some or many formats of radio are included in a radio magazine. These may be talks, discussions, interviews, reviews, music etc. Likewise, the duration of each programme or item in a magazine programme also vary. Another characteristic of a radio magazine is that it has a signature tune. A signature tune is an attractive piece of music which is specific to a programme. It can be like the masthead (title) of a magazine. A magazine programme also has a name and one or two presenters or anchor persons who link the whole programme. In the beginning, the titles of the day’s programme will be given by the presenters after the signature tune. They also give continuity and link the whole magazine. Magazine programmes are generally broadcast for a special or specific audience. 

9. NEWS: 

Among all the spoken word formats on radio, news is the most popular. News bulletins and news programmes are broadcast every hour by radio stations. In India, only All India Radio is allowed to broadcast news. Duration of news bulletins vary from 5 minute to 30 minutes. The longer news
bulletins have interviews, features, reviews and comments from experts.

  II. MUSIC :

So music is the main stay in radio. There is no radio without music. Music is used in different ways on radio. There are programmes of music and music is also used in different programmes. These include signature tunes, music used as effects in radio plays and features. India has a great heritage of music and radio in India reflects that. Let us understand the different types of music.

Classical Music
There are 3 types of classical music in India. They are:-
1. Hindustani classical
2. Carnatic classical
3. Western classical
There are also vocal and instrumental music forms.
There are also light classical music forms like, Thumri and Dadra. Insturmental music forms include string (sitar, sarod etc.) wind (like flutes, shehnai) and percussion (drum) instruments.You might have heard such music on radio a large variety of devotional and folk music in your area and across the country. Which are broadcast on radio.  While there are film songs in different languages, the one with a national appeal and popularity is Hindi film songs. On most radio stations, be it public
service or commercial,Light western and pop music are also popular among some groups of listeners and there is a large section of young people listening to western pop music.

III SOUND EFFECTS

Let us see how sound can be used in radio formats.

• Sound can play a major role in evoking interest.
• Sound can be used for comic effects to evoke laughter
• Sound can be used to create certain moods or enhance them.

India has taken giant leaps in the field of information technology and radio as a medium, has taken a lead in applying information technology in its broadcasts. Let us discuss some of these formats:

1. Phone in programme – In this age of technological development, phone-in is the most important format. This is called interactive programming where the listener and the presenter talk to each other. Their talk goes on air instantly.The listener has the satisfaction that his voice is being listened to and replied immediately. Other listeners also listen to him. Such presentations need advance publicity so that the listeners get ready to air their grievances/queries or requests. They dial up the announced telephone number at a stipulated time and get their problems discussed with experts in the studio. Initially this format was introduced for playing the listeners’ request based film songs. Now it is being used for health related programmes, rural broadcasts, complaints against the government/
administrative machinery etc.

2. Radio bridge : Radio bridge means connecting different stations throughout the length and breadth of the country. In this technique, for example, an expert sitting at Chennai can interact with the common man in the studio in Delhi. This format was first used by All India Radio during elections.

3. Radio on internet : Radio on internet is a growing phenomenon with thousands of radio stations operating through computer modems. It is altogether a new format that removes the restrictions of frequency or license. It is relatively cheap to set up.  It has certain advantages as well as disadvantages.  Now all the national and international radio stations like BBC, Voice of America, and
All India Radio are available on internet. It is now possible to listen to the programmes from a radio station while working on the computer.

All India Radio started its services on internet on 1st May 1998. With this, it was possible to extend the coverage of programmes to all parts of the world including USA and Canada.

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