Radio Programs

Radio broadcasting is teamwork that involves a combination of creativity, technology,

and social mission. For a better understanding of the practical aspects of radio production, one
should know about the program types, their characteristics, qualities of program producers and
those who work behind the production process.
These are types of radio programs; Radio programs can be categorized into two broad categories:

1. News Programs
2. Non-News programs

News Programs
1. News Bulletin
2. Radio Newsreel
3. Radio Documentaries
4. Current Affairs Programs
5. Talks
6. Discussions

1. News Bulletin
News bulletins have assumed increasing importance in radio broadcasting in recent years. In
the early days of radio, there was seldom more than one bulletin a day. Many stations today have
several long bulletins interspersed with hourly or even half-hourly news summaries.
News bulletin is usual to give the most important story first and the least important story last.
The two main factors you have to consider are the overall order or balance of the bulletin and the
pace. But the news editors have the freedom to re-order stories to add variety and balance to
the bulletin as a whole.
2. Radio Newsreel
Radio Newsreel is a news magazine program in radio covering major current news issues,
broadcast once or twice a week. It is similar to magazine programs 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 program or item in a magazine program 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 program. It can be like the masthead (title) of a magazine. A
magazine program also has a name and one or two presenters or anchor persons who link the
whole program. In the beginning, the titles of the day’s program will be given by the presenters
after the signature tune. They also give continuity and link the whole magazine. Magazine
programs are generally broadcast for a special or specific audience. Recorded actuality and such
other features as interviews with people can also be included in radio newsreel.

3. Radio Documentaries
Documentaries are based on real people and issues. Radio documentaries have an only
sound-the human voice, music, and sound effects. A radio documentary is a program devoted to
covering a particular topic in some depth based on real sounds and real people and their views
and experiences. They are based on facts and are presented in an attractive and dramatic manner.
4. Current Affairs Programs
As the title suggests, matters of day-to-day life featuring people in all walks of life are placed
in this category.

5. 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.

6. Radio discussions

In radio, this technique is used 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 everyone gets enough time to speak and all issues are discussed.

Non news programs / Entertainment programs

1. Musical Programs
2. Radio Drama
3. Docudrama
4. Skit
5. Radio Bridge
6. Jingle

1. Musical Programs

There are plenty of options when it comes to live musical broadcast shows in radio. It
may include talk, an interview, or live-event coverage. Light and entertaining musical shows are
a fantastic way to engage your listeners in real-time events, by taking live calls and messages.

I. Chart Shows

Chart shows are a classic program type that you can add to your line up. Music chart
shows are a countdown of the top-rated songs for the week or the month. You could create a
chart of your own based on audience opinion and listener stats, or opt to broadcast a more well-
known chart, such as a Billboard chart.

II. Entertainment Programs

Entertainment segments can provide some light fun to your online radio programming.
These shows can include stand-up comedy clips, funny reviews, call-in quizzes, and fun
competitions for your listeners. These segments could serve as an entertaining change of pace
between music and talk segments.

III. Late Night

 In online radio, late-night programming is incredibly flexible. Late evenings usually have
fewer listeners tuning in, which could be a great time to debut new DJs who are still finding their
groove. Late-night programs are often music-centric, though It often depends on a station’s late-
night listener stats.

IV. Morning Wake-Up Shows

The Morning Show is another staple in the world of radio. This is your chance to help
your listeners wake up and get pumped for the day ahead. For area-specific stations, morning
programs are a great opportunity to cover recent events, news, traffic, and weather, to prepare
your listeners for the day.

V. Music Shows / Genre Specific Programming

Music shows are just that – centered around music. The average online radio music
program may consist of an hour or two of nothing but great tunes. Music shows can be specific
to a genre (disco, country), a decade (70’s, 80’s), or even a theme (movie soundtracks, workout
music, etc.).

VI. Request Shows / Call-In Shows

Request shows are an excellent way of engaging your listeners and enabling them to feel
like they are a part of the show. These are usually live online radio shows that allow listeners to
share real-time opinions or make live, on-air requests and shout-outs.

2. 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 suggestively. 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.
3. Docudrama

Docudrama is a fictionalized drama based primarily on actual events. This is a specific genre of
scripted drama in film where actors are used to re-create events that actually happened in real
life. A docudrama blends melodrama and documentaries mostly through the use of fact-based
reenactment or dramatization of actual people, places and events. These known “stories” are
shaped through rigorous research into a nonfiction drama. No matter how good your research is,
a docudrama must still be an interesting compelling story that not only captures the intended
audience attention but also holds the facts together.

Docudrama is an extremely rare phenomenon in radio but it is a best option to convey factual
information in a lighter way.

4. Skits

Skits are short funny performances or a brief satire. Radio skits are used for both entertainments
and information purposes.

5. 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.