Unit-2

1. Writing for Radio

Radio is an attractive medium among the various mass communication media

because of its special characteristics. Radio is a sound medium. It has no visuals.
Therefore, while writing for radio it is important to keep in mind that we have to
create visuals through sounds only. Sound includes spoken words, music, sound
effects and silence (pause). Including these elements of sound writing for radio
needs some specific skills in such a way which could easily understood by its
audience. This can be achieved by using simple familiar words and expressions as
used in daily conversation by the people.
We will also consider how news can be written for an audio medium like radio, over
which an item is heard only once; and the listeners do not have the facility to refer
back to a news item, if they have not followed it in the first instance. Radio news
must be easily understood.
1.0 Characteristics of Radio
Unlike the live medium of the stage, where there are live performers
(speaker, actor, etc.) and live audience, radio is a 'sightless' medium. In
radio, the performer does not see his/her audience (called listener) and the
listeners cannot see the performer, the talker, the actor, etc. That is why
radio is sometimes called the blind medium.
Since it is a blind or sightless medium, the performer (announcer,
newsreader, discussant, narrator, etc.) has to creatively conjure up images
of his/her listeners. The listeners too have to imagine the performance
creatively. But the performer must spark off the imagination of the listeners
with expressive performance or communication. Here are some important
characteristics of radio:
1. Medium of Sound and Voice: Radio is a medium of the voice. The
performer can use only his/her voice in a broadcast. The producer mixes
voice with music and sound effects. The performer must imaginatively
give cues or intimations only through his/her expressive voice.
2. Link between Speaker and Listeners: Microphone is the instrument
through which a radio broadcaster speaks to the listeners. And speaker
is the instrument through which a listener listen the programs
broadcasted by the radio station.
3. Intimate Medium: Being an intimate medium the best subjects for radio
broadcasts are those which intimately concern the listener like the
 personal, the private and the innermost feelings. The manner of
expressing or articulating the words must also be intimate because the
conditions in which broadcasts are received are very informal.
4. Mobile Medium: You can have it at home, take it to the picnic resort,
listen to it while driving, has it on land or under the sea, in public or in
private. Hence, it is a convenient medium. It can accompany you and
entertain you anywhere as a never-failing companion.
5. Quick and Inexpensive Medium: Radio is a medium of immediacy. It
can report the events almost instantly, as they are happening, hence, it
is a medium of the "here and now". It costs much less to set up a radio
station, produce programs and receiving sets.
6. Radio is conversational: Conversation means as we converse face to
face with our close friend. Just in friendly environment. Radio is a friendly
medium. Therefore, you have to talk with your listener as you talk with
your close friends.
7. Impact at once: Unlike Newspaper or Internet, it’s not available for
weeks at a time. You have one, and only one, opportunity to make an
impact on the audience.
Limitations
8. Depends only on sense of hearing: The foremost limitation of radio is
that it entirely depends on the sense of hearing. Broadcast is not
reinforced by the powerful medium of sight. Comprehension and
assimilation, therefore, require more efforts. For instance, it is almost
impossible to convey the beauty or finer points of works of art such as
paintings, sculptures or intricate handicrafts merely by trying to describe
them.
9. No second chance to listen the programme: Repeat broadcast of the
content at the same time is impossible. If you have missed any content
or not understood any part, you have no choice to re-listen. Therefore, it
has to be clear the first time, because there is no second chance.
10. Radio is a linear medium: Means you can’t arrange the sequence as
per your choice or convenience. You have only choice to tune another
station.
1.1 Fundamental of Writing for Radio
1. Use of spoken language: As the programs on the radio moves fast
without the facility of recall, whatever is broadcast must be clear, precise
and to the point. Sentences should be short and direct without sub
clauses.
2. Constraint of space: There is a great constraint of space in radio,
hence broadcast must be put in crisp and easily understood language.
3. Use of simple words: There should be no need for a dictionary while
listening to a radio. It should be in words which are common in everyday
conversation.
4. Use of words creating an image in mind: Like a novel, the words
chosen should create visual images in the mind.
5. Short sentences: The attention of an average radio listener can’t be
held for long. Avoid a sentence which is longer than 18 to 20 words.
Otherwise, most listeners will not be able to follow it. The best thing to
do is to split the long sentences. You must always put only one idea into
one sentence.
6. Limit the words in one item: The items to be broadcast on radio also
have to be short, generally not more than 90 or 100 words an item. Long
items can only bore the listeners.
7. Present tense: Where possible, use the present tense. Broadcasts on
radio should appear to the listener to be happening at that moment.
8. Avoid tongue twisters or sound clashes: Avoid sound clashes such
as “the building was built by a local builder”, instead say “the storehouse
was the work of a local builder”.
9. Writing for ear- not for eye: First and the foremost truth about writing
for radio is that you are writing for ears not for eyes. It simply means that
whatever you are going to write it will be heard and it will not be read by
the audience.
10. Telling Story: Telling a story is an effective method for writing for radio.
If you find it difficult to put your thoughts down on paper clearly and
simply, use the trick of telling someone out loud what you want to say.
11. Writing for mass audience: While writing for radio another important
truth must be kept in mind that you are writing for masses, not for the
intelligentsia of the society. Communication means to convey the
message in a way that the target audience (common man including
illiterate persons) not only listen to it but also understand it and enjoy it.
For securing this purpose it is necessary that the message must be
constructed coming to the level of the audience.
12. Importance of read and re-read: While drafting an item, read and re-
read it to find out the difficulties in it.
13. Clarity and organization: Clarity, good organization of your thoughts
and themes, and a vocabulary that your listeners will understand are all
important.
 2. News Bulletin: Types and Elements
The News Bulletin has been the traditional format of presenting radio news.
The news bulletin covers national and international news, human-interest
stories and sports news, which generally round off the major bulletins. News
casting comprises collection, selection, scripting, editing, production and
presentation of news bulletins.
The News Bulletin is written in crisp, precise, to the point manner and in
simple words. Care is taken that the news report is objectively, accurate,
balanced and clear. In preparing the news bulletin, command over the
language is a must in order to explain the complex issues in simple terms
to a common listener. News Bulletins also contain correspondents' voice
dispatches and excerpts from the statements of leaders or eminent
personalities having news value are included in the news bulletin. These
dispatches are 'live' as well as recorded. With the availability of satellite
newsgathering facility, the news bulletins are able to incorporate more 'live'
dispatches from the field. These news bulletins are prepared by the News
Service Division (NSD).
1.2 Types of News Bulletins
Types of news bulletins can be categorized by duration such as -

1. 15 minute (main news): The 15-minute in morning (Samachar Prabhat

and Morning News), day news (Day News and Dopahar Samachar) and
in evening (Evening News and Samachar Sandhya) in English and Hindi
respectively, which are broadcast at 8.00 a.m. and 8.15 a.m. in morning,
2.00 pm and 2.15 pm at mid day and 8:45 p.m. and 9.00 p.m. at evening
every day. Morning news includes a commentary and headlines in the
day's newspapers in addition to the news.
2. 10 minute or 5 minute hourly bulletins round-the-clock: They can be a
mix of local, national and international news, as well as sport,
entertainment, weather and traffic reports, or they may be incorporated
into separate bulletins.
3. 2 minutes news flashes are special bulletins are aired whenever
necessary.
A 15 minute news bulletin begins with headline, followed by main news,
consisting of three 'bunches' with two breaks in between and repeat of
headlines/main points at the end. A 10 minutes bulletin has one break.
There is no break in a five minutes bulletin. 'Bunching' means the placement
of items and it plays an important role in making the bulletin lively and
interesting. The first bunch is generally packed with hard news.

Another type of news bulletins are based on the audience profile. There are
three services – (a) Home Service, (b) Regional Service and (c) External
Service. In this continuation there one other category is (d) Specialized
Bulletin. Each of these services puts out news bulletins in various
languages.
a) The Home Service in Delhi originates news bulletins in English and
Hindi for broadcast on the national network.
b) Regional news bulletins are broadcast from regional centers
established at state capitals of India. Some news bulletins in the
regional languages are also broadcast from Delhi in the respective
regions.
c) The External Service Division (ESD) looks after the news bulletins to
be broadcast abroad.
d) Exclusive daily bulletins on sports, reports on the stock exchange,
and special bulletins during parliament session, election period or
natural calamity or disaster etc.
(a) Home Service (National Bulletin)
There are three main bulletins in English and Hindi, broadcast in the
morning, afternoon and evening. The morning bulletin in Hindi is called the
‘Samachar Prabhat’ at 8:00 am and ‘Morning News’ at 8:15 am in English.
It is divided into four segments i.e. the ‘main news’, ‘a topical commentary’
and 'a look at the newspapers' and finally the ‘main points’. The segment, 'a
look at the newspapers' has been designed to provide the listener with an
overview of the lead and other front page stories, editorials and sports
stories in the national dailies. The compiling editor is assisted by two editors,
one looks after the segment on Commentary and the other 'a look at the
newspapers'.
e day.
The five minute duration at 6:00 pm bulletin in English and the 6:05 pm
bulletin in Hindi, give a resume of important happenings during the day.
They are treated as a preview of the evening main news bulletins.
There are also hourly bulletins of five minutes each giving the listeners the
latest news.
A radio bulletin must have variety and should include Political, Economic,
Cultural, Sports, Science and Technology and other important items.
Regional, national and international events, parliamentary news and
important court cases should also find their due places in the bulletins.
Weather and human-interest items also need to be included.
Continuity in the bulletins needs to be ensured and transition from one set
of related items to the other should be smooth without jerks. In moving from
one story to another, which is not connected with the previous one, the
transition should be smooth. For example; 'The World Trade fair opened in
Delhi today' or 'In the Mumbai stock market today....'or 'In the Wimbledon.
The word 'meanwhile' is also used appropriately to facilitate such
demarcation of items.
As far as possible, voice casts of correspondents on important events
should be used. Being a spoken medium, voice casts help to enliven the
bulletin and break the monotony thus make it lively and interesting. While
giving a voice cast, a correspondent tries to take the listener on the scene.
In an event like a big fire, floods, accidents, the correspondent gives a
firsthand account about what she/he saw and how it was being there, on the
site. The voice cast is ideally of 40 to 45 seconds duration, however in some
cases, it can go up-to one minute. Mostly, it is pre-recorded, but it can also
be live. A studio-based voice cast can be edited tightly.
(b) Regional Bulletin (Language Bulletins)
Language bulletins broadcast from Delhi and Regional stations are widely
listened. The language bulletins broadcast from Delhi have a national
character to give the listener a feel of the important national and
international events in his/her language. The bulletins, however, do include
important regional items.
The master-copy is compiled in the General News Room in English and
normally there is one script for each language bulletin. The compiling editor
is required to ensure that items of interest for a particular region and
particular state are highlighted in the language bulletin of that region/state.
Sometimes, if the regional item is very important, it can be the lead or a
headline in that language bulletin. Language bulletins are broadcast from
Delhi thrice a day and each one carries ten minute duration. They have the
same format as English bulletins of similar duration i.e. four headlines, one
break and repeat headlines.
(c ) External Bulletins
The News Services Division of All India Radio broadcasts three types of
External bulletins. English bulletins targeted at foreigners and Indians living
abroad, foreign language bulletins like Chinese, Burmese, Russian and
French for foreigners and Hindi and other language bulletins for Indians
living abroad. Indian languages such as Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Punjabi,
Sindhi and Urdu are spoken in our neighborhood and bulletins in these
languages have a wide listenership.
A common misconception among people is that external bulletins should
carry more foreign news. In these days of satellite television the notion that
we will be the first to break a news, say about African region to the people
of that area may be entirely misplaced as other local sources are better
equipped to tell them about the happenings in their regions.
The external bulletins present the perceptions and reactions of the people,
leaders and the government of the country from where the bulletin originates
in respect of happenings in the other country/countries. The external
bulletins need to highlight the social, political and economic developments
at home to provide adequate background information on these issues and
also explain the programmes and policies of the country. External bulletins
have the added responsibility of countering the misleading information
campaign being carried out by some foreign networks. Care is also taken to
highlight the Indian viewpoint on various issues.
(d) Specialized Bulletins (Exclusive Bulletins)
These include the human interest bulletin such as youth bulletin, sports
news, stock exchange report, special reports on hazards etc. which
generally carry soft stories. In addition, special weather bulletins are also
broadcast for the benefit of various mountaineering or coastal area
expeditions. There are special bulletins which need considering.
a. News flashes
A news flash is when the newsreader breaks into a program on-air to
read an important, urgent news story, such as a major disaster or the
death of a national leader. The news flash should only be used on
extremely important stories.
Urgent news which arrives in the studio as the bulletin is going to air
should be read at the next most suitable break in the bulletin, although it
usually makes sense to use it at the end of the bulletin, just before any
closing headlines.
The newsreader should have the story as soon as possible, so that they
can decide where in the bulletin to use it. If you intended ending the
bulletin with a light story and the flash comes through of a major air
crash, you must drop the light story.
It is possible to interrupt a non-news program for a news flash, although
you must warn people in the studio that you are coming with the flash.
The best method of introducing a flash is for the program presenter to
introduce the newsreader with words like: "Now we interrupt the program
to cross over to the news-desk for some urgent news."
The newsreader should then read the story in their usual tone, speaking
clearly and repeating details. If you only have one sentence, you can
 read it twice to get the message across clearly. You should end with
words like: "Those are all the details available at the moment. We will
give full details in our next bulletin, at six o'clock."
b. Weekend bulletins
You may need to treat weekend news bulletins in a slightly different way
from weekday bulletins, because there are usually fewer stories
available.
You will need to re-assess newsworthiness at weekends, perhaps
running stories which you would not use at other times. Your listeners
will understand this. In fact, they may even welcome a change from a
diet of death, disaster and politics.
You may want to make your weekend bulletins shorter and perhaps
include a segment on sports news. You may want to save lighter stories
during the week to run at the weekend, as long as you still cover the
major events as well.
1.3 Elements of a News Bulletin
Radio bulletins are usually made up from three types of material:
1. News Script (Written stories)
2. Voice dispatch (Voice reports from journalists, either recorded or live)
3. Actuality (Recorded sound of the event).
4. Music
1. News Script (Written stories)
The basic criterion for selecting news stories for a news bulletin is that the
information should be new, unusual, interesting, significant and about
people. Each of these criteria will help you to decide what stories you should
include in your bulletin and where you should place them within your 05, 10
or 15 minutes bulletin. It is usual to give the most important story first and
the least important story last. Some extra factors such as the balance and
pace of bulletin can also be considered while writing a proper news bulletin.
Try to avoid seeing the bulletin simply as a collection of individual, self-
contained stories. If you put a string of economic stories (however important)
at the start of the bulletin, you risk losing your listeners' interest.
They expect a balance of items, some heavy and some light, some about
major political events and some about ordinary people. Of course, the actual
mix of stories, their tone and pace of delivery will depend to a degree on the
format of your station; serious national broadcasters tend to use more
serious stories, delivered in a more deliberate style whereas youth-oriented
music station bulletins might be lighter and brighter with more stories about
popular culture.
Pace is the length, speed and tone of a story as it appears to the listeners.
Some stories have a fast pace. The report of a fire, for example, will usually
be written in short sentences, using short snappy words to convey simple
ideas. It will have a fast pace.
By comparison, a story explaining some involved political controversy may
need slightly longer sentences with words expressing more complicated
ideas. The story itself may need to be slightly longer. The whole effect is
one of a slower pace.
Too many long complicated stories will slow the pace of the whole bulletin
and allow the attention of your listeners to walk away. Too many short, sharp
stories may leave listeners confused, unable to keep up with the pace of
changing stories.
The ideal bulletin will have a steady pace throughout to maintain interest,
with variations in pace during certain sections; slower at times to let your
listeners catch their breath or faster at other times to pick up their lagging
interest. To achieve balance and pace, you should rank stories in order of
importance then look at the order afresh, to see that you have a good
balance of items and variations in pace.
2. Voice dispatch
Apart from giving scripted stories, an important part of a radio reporter’s job
is to give voice dispatches which have become an essential part of radio
bulletin. The purpose of a voice dispatch is the correspondent’s voice is to
supplement, add colour and authenticity to the basic news. An eye-witness
account or an on-the-spot report complete with background sound can be
very convincing. Writing a voice report is different from writing straight news.
In a voice report you can add something to the news that is more personal.
3. Actuality
This is usually the sound of someone speaking, perhaps taken from an
interview or a speech. A short segment of actuality is called a grab. Grabs
are used in a similar way to quotes in a newspaper story. In some countries,
grabs are called cuts or inserts. Short grabs of actuality are a useful part of
news bulletins for the following reasons:
 They can often tell the story more effectively than a script. If your
story is about a violent protest outside an embassy, a 10-second grab
of demonstrators chanting and shouting will convey the atmosphere
better than any words.
 They can add variety to the pace of the bulletin, breaking up a long
section of reading by one voice. On the practical side, they allow the
newsreader to take a 30 or 40 second rest.
  They are often a chance to let people within your community speak
on the radio. People like to hear their own voice on radio
occasionally, or the voices of people they know.
 Using a grab of someone speaking can convince listeners that the
person really did say a certain thing. They might not believe your
report that the Government is resigning. When they hear the Prime
Minister announcing it, they have to believe.
Actuality grabs should be kept short (between 20 and 40 seconds), clear
and well-edited. A minute-long grab of a dull voice will slow the pace of your
bulletin and may force listeners to switch off.
Grabs must be introduced, stating clearly who will be speaking. You only
need to identify a person after paying the actuality (called back-announcing)
if the grab is long and the voice is not familiar.
Grabs in languages other than your own should be overdubbed with a
translation. This means that fading down (reduce) the sound of the original
speaker until it can only just be heard, then play the voice of the translator
over it.
You can occasionally use grabs in languages other than your own without
overdubbing, but only if you know that your listeners will be able to
understand them. A short grab in simple language may be usable without
an overdub, especially when it is used to show the emotion behind a speech,
rather than the content.
It is occasionally possible to open the bulletin with dramatic piece of
actuality, than explain it with a back-announcement. Such a grab must be
dramatic, short and make sense to your listeners. For example, a radio
journalist used a 10-second grab of guns firing and people screaming during
the assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, then back-
announced: "The guns which destroyed the hopes of peace in the Middle
East as President Anwar Sadat of Egypt was assassinated."
Only use such opening grabs on special occasions, otherwise they lose their
effect. Also, it is not good to play the grab before the opening theme, as it
will confuse your listeners.
4. Music
A special opening theme should be used to announce the bulletin and may
occasionally be used within the bulletin, perhaps to separate different
segments. We call such short music inserts stabs or stings.
Your opening theme should be short and dramatic. It should either end
before the presenter starts reading or should be faded out under their
opening words. Many record companies now produce selections of
electronic or instrumental themes especially for use as stabs.
 Any stabs within the bulletin should echo the opening theme as a link
throughout the bulletin. However, too many stabs will annoy the listener and
reduce the amount of time available for real news.
Never use music as background to a news bulletin. It is distracting and ruins
any variations in pace within the bulletin.
It is possible to use a closing theme at the end of the bulletin, although this
should be different from the opening theme (you do not want to fool your
listeners into thinking that this is the start of the bulletin). The best
compromise is to use the opening bars of a theme at the start of the bulletin
and use the closing bars at the end.
1.4 Structuring the News Bulletin
The start is the most important part of radio bulletin. It determines whether
or not your listeners will stay tuned. Just as the intro is the most important
part of a news story, the lead item is the most important one in the bulletin.
If your listeners find this boring, they will assume that there is nothing better
to come and go out to dig the garden.
If you are faced with a choice between two stories of equal strength for your
bulletin lead, choose the story which is more interesting to a larger audience.
Generally, home stories are given preference. But if there is some foreign
news, for example the death of a foreign VIP, overthrow of any foreign
government, or a major air disaster naturally that becomes the lead.
If your obvious lead story is rather dull, you should write it in such a way as
to add life. Keep the sentences short, the ideas clear and simple. Although
you should try to write every story well, you should give special attention to
your lead story. This is the one by which listeners will judge the bulletin.
Selecting the Headlines
Having prepared the bulletin, the editor has to decide which items apart from
the lead story are to be headlined. There is only one criterion: which are the
items that will interest the largest number of listeners. Headline them and
that will ensure a good audience for you. Headlines should be brief. As a
rule, they are repeated because quite often many listeners tune in late and
only from the repeat headlines do they know the important news of the day.
Caution: while editing a radio bulletin, you must take care to see that all
items which figure in the headlines are included in the bulletin. Sentences
that are read after the headlines must give details about the main news
items.
Once you have decided on the order of stories, you should write some
headlines for the bulletin. It is usual to start a long bulletin by headlining the
major stories. This may not be necessary for a short, three-minute bulletin,
but for longer bulletins your listeners will want to know what kind of stories
they can expect.
Your listeners will use the headlines to judge whether or not the bulletin is
worth listening to, so write your headlines to promote the stories in the most
powerful way possible.
It is good practice to headline the first two or three most important stories,
and also one or two dramatic stories which come later in the bulletin. Many
stations also like to headline the final story, on the assumption that, if they
make the headline attractive enough, listeners will stay tuned to the entire
bulletin until they hear that story.
You should write headlines for dramatic stories in such a way that you hint
at the drama without giving away all the details. Remember that if you tell
everything in the headlines, listeners have no need to hear the rest of the
bulletin.
When writing headlines about announcements or humorous stories, it is
best to be mysterious, to keep the real information secret until the listeners
hear the story itself. Such headlines are sometimes called teasers, because
the tease the listeners' interest.
Body of the bulletin
This is the detailed version of the news bulletin whose headline has already
been read out by the start of the news bulletin. This part of the news bulletin
may contain an actuality, voicer or wrap depending upon the requirement of
the news item. In five-minute news bulletin, however, actuality, or other
insertions are not possible to be made a part of the bulletin owing to the time
restraints.
Another important thing that the news writer needs to focus is the
Chronological order of the events. If the event being covered extends to
dates or different times in the same day, the chronological order is to be
maintained. It means that the different parts and portions of the same news
item must be arranged according to the order they have taken place.
If there are other important foreign stories that day, they can go in the first
bunch and the home stories can come in the second and the third bunch.
Generally, editors prefer to end the body with sports news or with a human
interest story.
Breaks
“Breaks” can also be called as the news room. A “break” in a bulletin comes
after about five minutes and is meant to give a little pause, which gives
welcome rest to the audience as well as prepares the listener for more news
to follow.
 Closing stories
Sometimes called tail-enders, closing stories are almost as important as
lead stories. They are the last stories your listeners will hear and remember
from the bulletin. You need to choose them carefully. However, because
many listeners do not maintain their attention throughout the whole bulletin,
you should not keep your best stories to the end.
Light or funny stories make the best tail-enders. They add relief and a
change of pace to heavy bulletins. They should be written in a more informal
way than other stories, possibly with a play on words which your listeners
will appreciate.
Closing headlines
With longer bulletins, you can use closing headlines to remind your listeners
of stories they may (or may not) have heard 10 minutes earlier. Again there
should be the major stories of the bulletin, excluding the tail-ender, which
they should have just heard anyway.
Unlike opening headlines, which should attract your listeners to listen to the
bulletin, closing headlines are simply there as a service, especially to
listeners who may have tuned in late.
Each closing headline should be a summary of the main point of the story,
written in one sentence. Any longer and they become a repeat of the story
itself. Do not simply repeat the opening headline or intro of each story as a
closing headline. This is laziness which does not serve your listeners. Never
repeat teasers as closing headlines: give the details.

1.5 Packaging a News Bulletin

There are many practical techniques which will make the job of preparing
news bulletins easier and more professional. If you use these techniques,
they will help you to overcome many of the problems which inexperienced
journalists can encounter.
Ranking stories: One of the major problems in bulletin preparation is
ranking the stories in correct order. Just follow some simple steps.
First read through all the stories available. Then go through them again,
making three lists (or selecting the stories on to three piles). These
categories should be:
1. Important stories which you must use;
2. Stories which you can use, but which are not so important;
3. Stories which you cannot use, for any reason.
Then, look at the stories in category one. Calculate roughly how much news
these will give you (if each story will be approximately 40 seconds long and
you have four of them, they will take about 2 minutes 40 seconds to read).
Now choose enough stories from category two to more than fill the
remaining time. Together with your essential category one stories, decide
the order in which you want to use them, taking into account their
importance, length and pace.
You can combine stories on similar topics, either running them as one story
or as two stories linked with words such as "Meanwhile" or "Still on the
subject of ...". Do not combine too many stories, because they will become
a shapeless mass and you will lose the impact of separate intros.
Reading speed: It is very useful to know the reading speed of the
newsreader who will read the bulletin. Once you know how long it will take
you (or the newsreader) to read one line of type, you can time your bulletin
by counting lines, rather than by timing yourself each time you practice.
The script
Most newsrooms today use computers to produce news stories and features
which newsreaders can either print out or read directly from a screen in the
studio.
If your newsroom uses printed scripts they must be typed neatly, with any
last-minute changes clearly crossed out. If you make more than a couple of
crossings-out, re-print that script.
Start a new paragraph for each sentence and type double-spaced. Type
only one story per sheet, as this will make it easier to find stories if you want
to drop or insert them during the bulletin. Use good quality paper which will
not rustle as you move it.
Never turn a page from one line to the next and certainly never hyphenate
words from one line to the next.
Never staple the pages of your bulletin together. You must be able to pull
the sheets aside noiselessly as you read them. Stack the stories neatly on
one side after you have read them; do not throw them on the floor.
Even if you read “off the screen”, much of the above advice still holds though
the challenge now is how to manage the scrolling of the script and the re-
arrangement of stories while you read. As mentioned earlier, television
newsreaders usually read from an autocue operated by another member of
the production staff. Radio newsreaders seldom have such help so have to
present their bulletins single-handed.
Whether you work in radio and television, if your news stories and bulletins
are well-prepared in an orderly manner, you will make your work easier and
serve your audience more effectively.
 3. News writing: Opening, Headlines,
Body and Closing/Conclusion

News writing is done with a view to providing information that is correct,

objective, fair, balanced, accurate, precise, and to the point. The news
writing skill can be acquired by dint of hard work, dedication, understanding,
sustained and prolonged practice over a period of time. For being
successful, a news writer must have a nose for news, besides being
equipped with qualities of head and heart. In order to do effective news
writing, one should be particularly skilled and discriminative at keenly
observing, hearing and seeing things, events, and people, keeping notes
and making mental record finding information sources. It also involves
asking relevant questions; checking, crosschecking, and double-checking
information. It requires the capability of fairly and impartially analyzing and
interpreting information so collected. For news writing, one has to inculcate
a strict discipline of writing in the required style, with a view to conveying
maximum information using minimum words.
All news items received from its’ own reporters, correspondents, monitoring
service and from news agencies pour into the News Service Division (NSD).
The AIR News Room in New Delhi feeds news for some 146 Home and
External news bulletins. How is that done ensuring uniformity and speed?
To meet this requirement, AIR has introduced a system of what is called
"News-Pool", which is prepared in English. All incoming news, after editing,
is put into the pool which is split into news categories such as Home,
Foreign, Parliament and Sports. Inclusion of an item in the pool means: (a)
the news which is broadcast worthy, (b) it has already been written in
broadcast style and (c) any linkages and back-grounding required has been
done.
The entire pool copy is distributed among all editors compiling different
bulletins. The editors preparing the pool copy also look after the important
developing stories and constantly go on revising and updating them. They
also prepare round ups of important events and happenings such as riots,
floods, disturbances, and whatever is in the news.
The news room has four shifts during a day and each shift issues its own
pool copy, during morning, day time, evening and night. Compiling editors
working on the language bulletins look after a group of bulletins like regional
 languages of East and South India. Similarly, the external bulletins are also
combined.
The compiling editors further select and prune the news items, keeping in
view the duration of each bulletin and the interest of the target audience.
They prepare the bulletins and together with the headlines, send them to
the Language Units and the External Services Units where they are
translated and put out in their language.
Translation of news stories in different languages should not be mere
transliteration. These should be re-written keeping in view the direction,
style and flow of the language into which the translation is done. Also the
format of the language bulletins should be different. For instance, Ganesh
Puja needs prominent place in Marathi Bulleting and Durga Puja in Bengali.
After preparing the news stories, the editor has to decide which items apart
from the lead story are to be headlined. There is only one criterion – which
items will interest the largest number of listeners. Headline them and that
will ensure a good audience for you.
Headlines should be brief. As a rule, they are repeated because quite often
many listeners tune in late and only from the repeat headlines do they know
the important news of the day.
1.6 Structure of a Radio News Story
Like newspaper radio news story also follow the inverted pyramid style of
news writing. In news writing the lead, or the climax, comes first, then other
elements of the story in diminishing order of importance. While drafting an
item, read and re-read it to find out what is the news in it? And that is your
lead or intro of the story. Once you have located the intro, rest of the item
takes shape quickly. Leave optional points towards the end of the story so
that if your editors are running out of time, they can delete these without any
difficulty.
Headline: A headline is normally a brief summary of the main points of the
story and must be completed within a line comprising word not more than
48 in any way.
Body: This is the detailed version of the news item. This part of the news
story may contain an actuality, voicer or wrap depending upon the
requirement of the news item.
Details: While penning down the body of the news story a news writer must
not forget to include any important point of the news item. All the details
must be arranged in the body.
Paragraphs: If the news item is lengthy then the story must be written in
paragraphs. In this way the newscaster will be at ease while reading out the
news item.
1.7 Guidelines before writing a News Story
After receiving the news items from various sources, writing of a news story
is a highly professional work. A new comer needs a lot of practice over it.
However, while writing a news story following guidelines can be keep in
mind:
Cross check the fact: As a journalist, you should have a good idea of the
authenticity of the claims made or news presented in the story. It is always
wise to ask: Do you have the strongest sources for this information? Are you
using reliable primary sources? Some newsrooms have policies about how
many sources should be cross-referenced to validate information. Even with
the deadline pressure of broadcast and the uncertainty of many untested
facts, accuracy should be relentlessly pursued.
Add perspective: A shared objective in both print and broadcast involves
the injection of perspective – the overview – into the story. Journalists do
this by tying in old stories, historical facts, new angles, sidebars, and their
own personal memories of the same story. Relating the newest breaking
events to trends is essential to good reporting but must be undertaken with
caution. Faulty memories, slipshod filing systems, or untrustworthy Internet
information can add unbalanced perspective and can damage the story’s
credibility.
Sensational language/loaded words: The addition of opinionated
adjectives, sensational adverbs, powerful verbs, zany bits of narrative, or
the bizarre opinions of secondary sources – all these constitute dangerous
ground for a responsible journalist.
Brevity while editing news story: Brevity is essential as a minute of
broadcast time can take about 100 words, thus giving an editor the choice
of about 1000 to 1100 words (in a 10-minute news bulletin) to cover world,
national and regional news. There is a great constraint of space in radio
hence broadcast news must be put in tight, crispy, clear, descriptive, direct
and easily understood language.
Attribution of Sources: To maintain role of radio as a credible source for
news, it is essential that the writer tell the listener the source of information.
Never start a story with a starting statement and then add the source at the
end. The listener in his excitement may miss it. Avoid identifying the source
of the statement within the sentence, unless it is essential to break up long
quotations.
Below are suggestions to help you determine when attribution is
appropriate:
• Use it for Credibility. By naming your sources of information, you enable
your listeners to judge the value of your facts. The audience knows a foreign
policy statement that originates at the government authority has more
credibility than a foreign policy statement from the manager of the local
market. In stories with contested facts, attributions let the audience decide
about credibility.
• Use it to Show Doubt. Similarly, if you have doubts about the quality of the
information, it is traditional journalistic practice to alert the audience to this
fact. Anonymous telephone information inserted in a story should be
identified as such. Exclusive stories from other media should credit those
organizations, unless you can cross-check the information. Also, the source
for any information from a suspect organization, one with a big name but
only four members must be identified.
• Use it to Support Opinion. Attribution is clearly needed if what you are
reporting is opinion or speculation.
• Shorten Attribution or Discard It to Save Space. Use of attribution in
broadcast is not the same as in print. Because story space is severely
limited in newscasts, it is often necessary to condense the source of
information or to eliminate it altogether. In broadcast, long government titles
are often shortened, e.g. “State Department officials,” “Police
spokesperson,” or “lawmakers,” especially when that information is of
routine value.
Often, a writer might exclude the reference altogether, as in the case of
routine sources that mean little to the outcome of the story. If the Consumer
Price Index goes up or down, there is little question where the information
comes from, so why bother with the attribution?
However, always use attribution in crime stories. Make a point of using
attribution to demonstrate that you are relying on authoritative sources.
When describing a crime to which a person’s name may be linked, it is
irresponsible not to use attribution.
Where to put attribution: Although newspapers and wire services
traditionally put the attribution at the end of a sentence, broadcast puts it
first. Here is an example of print placement.
“The United States and France will soon meet in new negotiations over the
GATT trade agreements, according to a highly places State Department
source.”
In broadcast, the attribution always goes first.
“A State Department official is saying the U.S. and France will meet to
discuss trade agreements.”
Placing the attribution first gives the audience a chance to judge source
credibility as the facts are heard, rather than waiting for a delayed attribution.
Radio news story is written for “right now” broadcast. Therefore, it is not
necessary to include the name of the day in each story rather the word
‘following morning’, ‘today’, ‘yesterday’ or ‘tomorrow’ etc. suffices.
Sometime listener is not attentive and probably he may miss to hear the
name and will then spend the rest of the story wondering who you are talking
about. Therefore, delay most names (of place, people, and things) until the
second or third sentence. Of course, if the name is widely known and is an
attention-getting device on its own, then it is permissible for it to begin the
story.
Titles and Names: In conversation, as well as broadcast writing, use titles
before names unless the structure becomes awkward. Putting the title first
makes the copy flow instead of breaking it up with a lot of unnecessary
commas.
If the name is not very familiar, hard to pronounce or not needed for
understanding the story or not necessary to disclose his name, a common
name can be used in the place of proper name, such as businessmen, or a
shopkeeper, or a leader, doctor etc.
Do not substitute for names without first making sure that the name itself
won’t mean anything to the listener and that the title is more important than
name.
Short and Direct Sentence: Keep it short and fast. Write short sentences
with one basic idea in each. We are trying to cram information into peoples’
ears, one short line at a time. Long, complicated sentences full of big words
don’t make you sound smart. Say what you mean, throw away all
unnecessary words, and try to maintain a conversational style.
• Write in the present tense, whenever possible: Broadcasts on radio should
appear to the listener to be happening at that moment. Instead of saying
"the new generator was switched on yesterday" say "The new generator has
been switched on". Instead of saying "The Prime Minister said today that
the country's economy is booming", write 'The Prime Minister says the
country's economy is booming".
Simple words: Words should be common in everyday speech. For example,
"The work has started" and not "the work has commenced", "The play has
ended" and not "terminated". There is no place for "officialese" in bulletins
(officialese is the language used in official press notes). The words chosen
should create visual images in the mind. For example, "Roads are under
water" or "The telegraph poles have been uprooted" or "The bridges have
been washed away" sound better than "The communications have been
disrupted". Words like "hospitalised" or "minimised" have no place in a radio
bulletin. Instead say "admitted into the hospital" or "reduced to a minimum"
 Technical and unfamiliar words: Unless it is necessary avoid the technical
and unfamiliar words. While using technical words explain technical and
unfamiliar words.
Sound clashes words or sentences: Avoid sound clashes such as "the
building was built by a local builder". Instead, say "the storehouse was the
work of a local builder". The arrangement in news writing is the reverse of
the literary style of writing.'
1.8 Importance of Re-writing and Reading Aloud
Carefully reading out loud will catch errors and point out sloppy writing. This
emphasis on “hear” copy has been carried to its ultimate by the news
services. It should be a thumb rule that any copy received from the any wire
agency, news agency or outside must be considered as raw material from
which the reporter tailors a story to fit broadcast needs.
If deadline and small newsroom staffs make it impossible to rewrite all of the
wire copy, an attempt must be made to at least pre-read the material before
going to the air to make sure it makes sense when readout loud.
Rewriting help a news operation out-perform its competition:
1. It gives station a different sound, and gives a new version.
2. It gives the opportunity to correct mistakes the wire service may have
made.
3. It allows to up-date stories, placing the most recent development in
the lead.
4. It gives the chance to consolidate various items under one
comprehensive lead.
5. Generally radio news is broadcast from a radio station number of
times many times hourly or sometimes more in a 24 hour day. Some
of the items may fresh and rest of the items may carry-over from
earlier reports. Therefore, rewriting keeps freshness in old copy.
Rewriting stories accomplishes two goals in addition to the mentioned
earlier: it presents new angles and developments and it makes the news
sound fresher, giving your station a “different” sound that its competition.
There are three basic rules which should be emblazoned in prominent
letters on every newsroom wall:
1. Rewrite every story of the same event emphasizing the newest angle
or development.
2. Rewrite every item of a “running or continuing” story making sure that
as a minimum you rewrite the lead.
3. Rewrite all wire copy in terms of local news and audience needs.
 It takes a skilled writer to rewrite a news item without distorting the essence
of the story. The writer must be able to take a story and dig up an angle or
a new twist that makes the story different than the one aired the previous
hour. When you begin to rewrite an earlier story there are a number of points
that you should emphasize in your new version:
1. New information not available when the first story was presented.
2. Causes and details not includes in the first report.
3. Results and consequences of the first story.
4. Opinions about the event
5. The significance of the event in light of local development.
Latest developments surrounding the event should always be emphasized
in the lead. And since radio specializes in what is happening ‘now’, the best
lead in a rewrite is a present or future tense slant.
While rewriting a copy writer must ask a number of questions before starting:
1. In the case of stories appearing in media outside the local area, is
there a local angle that can be played up?
2. Are there any other news stories that can be combined with the story
to give an overall view of the event?
3. Failing the availability of other similar stories, can a comprehensive
lead be written which will tie this report to others?
4. Did the original play up the real feature or is it buried some place in
the article?
5. Is the original written in such a manner that it will be of interest to our
audience?
1.9 Difference between writing news for Radio and Newspaper
The basic difference between newspaper and radio is that the former is
designed for the eye, while the later is for the ear. This gives newspaper
reporters a slight advantage when they sit down at the typewriter, fingers
poised to bang out a story. They don’t have to be particularly concerned
about the complexity of their sentences. Even if a sentence includes four or
five dependent clauses, the reader can simply read the phrase over and
over again until it makes sense.
The broadcast writer does not have this luxury. A story is read and heard
only once. If the listener is confused by a particularly complex sentence, he
is out of luck. He can’t ask the newscaster to repeat some confusing point.
The listener has to be able to understand the story the first time: there is no
chance to repeat.
 Since broadcast journalism is designed for the ear, it is important you write
what has been called “hear” copy rather that “see” copy which is the
hallmark of newspaper.
Newscasts are written in informal and conversational style in which a person
ordinarily speaks. Sentences are kept relatively short and straight to the
point. The simple declarative statement is preferred.
Complex sentence structure, little-known words and other literary
techniques are been used carefully, so that it can be understood in one
stance. Because, there is no chance to consult dictionary or re-listen the
unheard portions of news bulletin unlike a newspaper where you can read
or re-read and consult dictionary if any word is unfamiliar.
1.10 Preparation of News Copy
While writing a radio news copy, the style book of the broadcasting station
needs to be followed. Broadcast organizations all over the world have their
own style rules for their copy. Style rules help the editors in producing a
copy, which has consistency and reflects the style and values of the
organization.
Headlines: In a radio bulletin, the number of headlines is generally
restricted to five for a fifteen minutes’ bulletin and four for a ten minutes’
bulletin. Headlines should be crisp, concise to the point and always backup
the story. A good story can be killed by a dull and vague headline. Basically,
a good headline should tell the listener what the story is about, provide the
information in quick and easy form and, persuade the listener to listen to the
full story.
Length of a news story: The length of a story is important in radio news.
Ideally, a story should not generally be more than hundred words, however,
stories like parliamentary news, policy statements, political crisis and
election news can be a few exceptions. The most relevant and interesting
part of the story should constitute the lead sentence. Efforts are made not
to cramp too much information in one item. If the item is too long and
complicated the interest of listener may begins to fade. As a news reporter
you should ensure that the listener is not bombarded with difficult and long
expressions which may lead to switching off the radio set.
Number and Dates: While including Number and Dates, the following steps
should be taken into consideration:
 Numbers from 1 to 11 should always be spelt (one, two, three... nine);
otherwise they may get lost in the copy. However, numerals from 12
to 999 can remain as it is, as they are easy to read. Thousands, lakhs
and crores should be spelt out.
  In case of financial figures, the currency should follow the figure, say,
ten crore rupees and not the other way, rupees ten crores.
 Figures like 990 can be rounded off to 'about one thousand'.
 Exception to this rule: When the story doesn’t exist without the exact
numbers. e.g. “Gas prices will rise to two rupees and eighty-five paisa
by next month, an increase of more than…”
 Dates should be written as they are read, 'the sixth of January', and
year should always be written in full 1994, 1997 and not '94, '97 etc.
Honorifics: In radio, honorifics are also used with great care.
 Mr., Mrs. and Miss are used in English and Shri, Shrimati and Kumari
in Hindi and other Indian languages.
 The designation always precedes the name. It is correct to say
'President Mukherjee', or 'The President, Mr. Mukherjee', but never
‘Mr. Mukherjee, President'.
 Some names carry the surname first and do not require Mr. or Mrs.,
'Sheikh Abdullah', 'Maulana Azad', 'Mir Qasim'. Honorifics like, 'His
Majesty', 'His Holiness', or 'His Excellency' are not used.
 Officers of the defence services are identified by their rank before
their names and Judges as 'Mr. Justice'.
 Dead persons are mentioned without any honorific 'Jawahar Lal
Nehru', 'Lal Bahadur Shastri', 'Rajiv Gandhi' rather than 'Late. .. ...'
Abbreviations and Acronyms: Abbreviations are normally avoided and a
word should be written the way one wants it to be used. Acronyms like
UNESCO, SAARC, NAM, which are familiar to listeners and pronounced as
a word are acceptable. If one has to use an abbreviation, the best way is to
spell out the full name, "The World Trade Organization", and then W-T-0, so
that listener easily relates with it.
1.11 Editing of a Radio News Copy
A good editor should have the skill, knowledge and experience to produce
a good copy. The task of a radio editor requires:
 Checking and correcting all errors related to facts and expressions in
the copy; condensing the copy by eliminating unnecessary verbiage
and;
 Clarifying by rewriting the material and make it confirm to the spoken-
word style.
Checking the Copy: First of all you must satisfy with the newsworthiness
of the copy. If a story does not make sense to you, it cannot make sense to
 the listener. This simple rule is often forgotten. The story must answer all
questions that might arise in the listener's mind. You should check and
double check all the facts, because once a wrong news items has been
broadcast, there is no way to retrieve the item. Reference material and
library should be used whenever required.
Clarifying: Editing works on the premise that there is always room for
improvement in any story. A second critical eye can always help in making
a story better. The editor must answer the following questions in order to
improve the story:
 Has the story been written in a simple conversational style?
 Does it include all the important and interesting points?
 Is the story easy on the ears and conveys the meaning clearly?
 Will the listener be able to understand the story if s/he has not heard
the previous bulletin? Is there any point left to the imagination of the
listener?
 Is there any scope to trim the story further without losing any
important points?
Condensing: We have already stated that time is the biggest constraint in
a radio bulletin. A good editor always insists on simplicity and brevity. As a
beginner, you should first understand the story, than cut out whatever is
irrelevant. The aim should be to produce a compact copy, which cannot be
trimmed or edited any further. Words or phrases that might not be needed
in the story should be edited. Repetition of names and designations should
be avoided. Editing becomes a second habit with experienced editors
whose pen is often drawn magnetically to superfluous words and phrases.
However, there are times when a brief story may need some flesh and
background details have to be added.
1.12 Preparation of a News Bulletin
Once the story is rewritten and edited, it is put in the pool, indicating the
pool’s number, date and shift. For example, during the day shift, the number
can be DP I for home stories and DP II for foreign based items. Here, DP
means Day Pool. During Parliament session and elections, separate
Parliament Pool and Election Pool are made. These stories are numbered
as DPP (Day Parliament Pool) and DEP (Day Election Pool). While
compiling the bulletin, the pool copies can be further edited and integrated
with other stories.
These news items need to be arranged in a bulletin. The structure of ten
minutes News Bulletin is as indicated below:
 Headlines;
  Body of the bulletin;
 A break midway, where the news reader identifies the station;
 Body of the bulletin; and
 Repeat of headlines/recap of major news items.
The position of an item in the bulletin depends upon its news value; the lead
story should be of prime interest to most listeners. The order of news is a
matter of judgment under the theory that a listener wants to hear all the top
news first. There is no need to follow mechanically an order of foreign and
home items, although related items should be taken together. Transition
from one item to another item should be intelligently done to keep the
listener tuned from start to finish.
1.13 Typing a Broadcast Copy
The broadcast copy should be typed in triple space as this is easy on the
eye, readable and allows room for corrections. Also, use a large enough font
for easy reading 12 point minimum.
Ideally, there should be about ten words per line. The length of lines should
be consistent, so that by counting the lines at the time to read a story can
be determined.
Generally, only one story should be typed on one page. However,
connected stories, which have to go together, may be typed in one page. In
order to facilitate smooth reading of a bulletin some care needs to be taken
while typing the broadcast copy:
 A sentence should never be split at the end of the page;
 If a complete sentence does not fit on a page, the whole sentence
should be typed on the next page;
 Efforts should be made not to split words at the end of a line; and
 The spellings should be double-checked as wrong spellings could
affect the flow of a bulletin.
 Many a time, some corrections need to be made in the copy at the
last minute. Such corrections must be typed or written in capitals -
exactly when they are supposed to be read.
 The News Reader must be shown these corrections in advance, so
that s/he rehearses them and don’t fumble while going on the air.
 4. Writing and Packaging for Radio
Infotainment Programs

‘Infotainment’ word is a combination of two words i.e. information and

entertainment. The basic objective of radio is to provide information, education
and entertainment. Therefore, in radio there are programs comes under the
category hardcore information programs like news, announcements,
documentaries, news reel etc. while there are programs such as film based
programs, cultural programs and many other human interest programs are
called entertainment programs and programs like traditional educational
programs, awareness programs, skill development programs etc. are comes
under the category educational programs.
Passing the time choice of audience has been changed. They want some
integrated programs which may inform people with entertainment or in
entertaining way. Therefore, a new terminology ‘Infotainment’ has developed.
1.14 Formats of Infotainment Programs
Radio broadcast varied programs fulfilling the basic objectives - to inform, to
educate and to entertain. These covers news, news based programs,
announcements, educational programs, awareness programs, film programs,
cultural programs, music programs, plays etc. But the infotainment programs
provide information in an entertaining manner. Therefore the radio is able to
fulfill the varied needs of the audience and a large audience may associate with
the radio station.
The basic formats of infotainment programme are:
1. Talks
2. Talk shows
3. Discussions
4. Interviews
5. Newsreels
6. Commentaries
7. Radio Reports
8. Quiz
9. Poetry Recitation and Symposia
10. Book Reviews
11. Features and Documentaries
12. Magazines
1. Talks
Talk is a straight delivery of words by a particular speaker. Radio talks are
generally of short duration i.e. 5 to 10 minutes. Talk can be an effective format
to present an opinion on an issue or a problem. A talk can cover any subject of
human interest on contemporary issues such as economics, politics, science,
sports, social, art, culture, festivals, anniversaries etc.
This format can be effectively used for treating a subject in an absorbing and
interesting manner. It is the speaker who makes the listener interested through
his/her presentation style and manner.
Talk can be presented at random without writing a script. But most radio
program producer prefers a written script to ensure that the theme gets properly
covered and vetted and conforms to the channels’ policy. All the important
talking points pertaining to the subject of the talk, the key phrases, quotes, if
any, and the substance of introductory and concluding remarks are put down in
a proper sequence. Scripting facilitates the talker to conform to the scope of the
programme. The script also helps to adhere to the time limit imposed by the
station's programme schedule.
Production of talk includes following steps:
a. Selection of Theme
b. Identification of Talker
c. Vetting the Script
d. Rehearsing
e. Recording the Talk
f. Briefing the Announcer
The delivery of the talk should follow a smooth and easy pace to facilitate the
listener to keep pace with the exposition. Flowery sentences and phrases jitter
the smooth pace of exposition and the flow of communication, hence need to
be avoided. It is always advisable for the talker to mark points of punctuation
and emphasis. Repetition of words and phrases sound odd phonetically hence
need to be deleted.
A radio talker has to overcome the psychological limitation that s/he is not able
to look into the eyes of the audience and get their response, which is a crucial
factor in a person-to-person communication.
As regards the speed of the delivery, the golden mean is 120 words per minute
- marginally plus or minus. While delivering a radio talk, the talker should not
distort the natural breathing pattern.
The microphone reveals much more than the literal meaning of the speech. It
reflects the personality of the talker, although s/he is not physically present
before the audience. It magnifies even minor faults and flaws that are not
noticeable in normal hearing-situations. The mike is placed only a few inches
away from the speaker's mouth, a situation that pertains in actual life only when
one speaks intimately to a close friend or is in a small family group. Listeners
of radio programmes, though they are physically located at great distances are
able to get the same kind of feeling. The modulation of electrical impulses
highlights faults such as roughness in texture of the voice, in-distinctiveness,
nasality or slowness in the speech of a talker. Often a good exposition of the
subject matter is messed up in its effect on account of faulty delivery.
Thus, the Radio talks require excellent broadcasting skills on the part of the
talker. This could be cultivated by training, preparation and practice to a great
extent. It is quite a painstaking duty for the radio producers, who have to
constantly look out for suitable talents who can be groomed as successful
broadcasters.
2. Talk Shows
In this format, two or three speakers are invited to speak on a given topic, and
the audience present in the studio questions them. This may be termed as an
extension of interview format in which one person talks with one expert. In talk
shows, the experts may be more than one, and the persons to ask the questions
are also more than one. Experts are called to speak on various social issues,
topics of public interest.
People from different walks of life or from the related field, as per the objectives
of the programme are invited to participate and ask questions. Experienced and
articulate anchor persons conduct the Talk shows and navigate the programme
with style and with a sense of humour to make it interesting and lively.
3. Discussions
In sharp contrast to the talk, which is presented by one person, a discussion
generally includes 2-3 participants and a moderator. A discussion presents
analysis of an issue from different angles and brings forth more than one
opinion on a given subject. The subject may be based on issues such as
politics, society, culture etc. But it must evoke the interest of a listener and
sustain it. The duration of the discussion varies from 15 to 30 minutes
depending upon the topic, utility and the number of participants.
The role of the moderator is crucial for the success of discussion. S/he conducts
the discussion, introduces the subject as well as the participants. S/he
facilitates the presentation of diverse viewpoints and provides equal opportunity
to each participant to express views. The discussion is concluded by summing
up the main issues raised in the programme. Discussions can be categorized
into four broad types:
(a) Panel Discussion: which allows informal exchange of views freely even
to the extent of frequent interventions by participants.
(b) Symposium: in which every participant is given an exclusive opportunity
to present his/her view point with an anchor person presenting it.
(c) Debate: in which arguments and counter arguments between two
opposing points of views are presented.
(d) Mixed: which start with a narrative, then intercepted with spot interviews
and finally capped with discussion.
The ‘Discussion’ format is used when a theme has several dimensions and
there is scope for wide divergence of opinions. It involves an informal exchange
among three or four participants.
A discussion is anchored by a moderator who balances varied and sometimes
diagonally opposing points of views. The moderator plays the host, outlines the
subject and introduces the participants. S/he then calls upon each participant
to express views and respond to point made or to counter an argument. S/he
navigates the discussion through interventions on its chartered path and finally
synthesizes divergent points to sum up the discussion.
Although the skills of an anchor or moderator are crucial for a smooth flow of
discussion, producer of the programme acts as a remote control. The producer
asks the moderator to give equal time to all the participants, start or wind up the
discussion etc. by passing over slips or through gestures. If the discussion
exceeds the allotted time, the producer edits it in post-production to conform to
the time limit.
4. Interviews
An interview requires the participation of two people; the interviewee and the
interviewer. Interviewee is the subject expert who may be a political leader,
scholar, adventurer, dancer, actor, comedian etc. An interviewer raises
questions and queries about the subject, personality or issues to elicit more
details for the audience.
The interviewer always keeps the objective of the interview in mind. S/he brings
the expert to focus on those points, which are related to the objective. The
interviewer asks appropriate supplementary questions, hence; the ability to
listen attentively and to think quickly are essential attributes of an interviewer.
The interviewer needs to do his/her homework thoroughly and study the
background of the interviewee to bring forth new, interesting and vital
information. It is important to note that the interviewee is the main focus of the
interview and the questions are framed in such a manner that the listener's
doubts or queries are addressed. The technical aspects, microphone
placement, background noise etc. should also be kept in mind while producing
an interview.
The interviewer navigates the interview by outlining the topic set out for the talk
and by posing intermittent questions and comments. S/he also gives important
cue to help the interviewee to follow a certain track. Interviews are classified as
of three types; opinion, information and personality interviews.
 Opinion Interviews: Opinion interviews are undertaken when diverse
opinion on a subject is required. The host interviewer asks a similar set
 of questions to different people and tries to construct a kaleidoscope
(complete image) of opinions on a certain theme. S/he stimulates the
discussion by putting up the problem in a proper perspective. These
interviews are conducted by the interviewer while standing on a street
comer and picking up people at random for their reactions and opinion.
These interviews are also conducted through telephonic conversations
as part of a programme.
 Information Interviews: Interview format is also undertaken to elicit
information from a person, who is a known authority on a particular
subject or is intimately connected with an event. Here, the interviewer
places the concerns and queries of a lay-listener to get information for
the audience.
 Personality Interview: Interviews with celebrities or even lesser known
from various fields such as politicians, scientists, artists etc. has
contributed to it substantially.
Attributes of a Good Interviewer
An interviewer needs to keep many factors in mind before planning an
interview. The interviewer has to pull out a lot of background information,
undertake research, and identify the areas to be covered in the interview. The
questions are framed in such a way as to probe the interviewee keeping in view
public interest at the same time allowing his/her an opportunity to explain one's
stand. A balanced approach with a blend of humour makes the programme
interesting. The following are some of the attributes of a good interviewer:
Adequate research on the subject matter is a prerequisite of a good interview.
The interviewer should make a thorough preparation before s/he talks to the
interviewee.
The interviewer must chalk out a sequence so that the questions follow a certain
track and the information flows in an organized fashion. The questions should
serve to facilitate conversation by providing a logical sequence from one point
to the other.
The questions must be short, direct and must be able to elicit information at
length. It must not be such that the interviewer trots out the information and the
interviewee is left with the option of saying either 'yes' or 'no'.
The interviewer should constantly try to keep the spotlight on the interviewee
rather than projecting his/her own personality and appear as if s/he knows more
on the subject than the interviewer.
S/he should be an attentive listener and give appropriate and participatory
responses to what the interviewer is saying.
Responses such as, "yes-yes/l see, huh-huh" etc. should be avoided as they
sound jarring and distracting.
A good interview does not sound like a question-answer session but in the
nature of conversation.
The interviewer should always be conscious of the interest of the audience by
asking relevant questions. The information intake has to be commensurate with
the interest of the audience in that particular matter. It must be appreciated that
the listener is interested in getting the information or views in the words of the
interviewee and the interviewer's role is in facilitating the articulation on the part
of the interviewee.
The interviewer's role is that of a host in the programme. S/he must, therefore,
sound to be courteous, kind and reasonable even while putting probing
questions in order to stimulate or to provoke the interviewer. A mere didactic
approach to questioning does not sustain the listeners' interest in the
programme. The interviewer must sound interested in the subject to expect the
distantly placed listeners to listen to his/her programme.
The interviewee must be advised to use a language which is simple and select
words which the listeners could easily grasp. Even if such words are used, the
interviewer needs to get the interviewee explain the terms. Very often, the
interviewer raises questions to clarify the information provided by the specialist
and wherever necessary, interprets the information in the local dialect for the
benefit of the farmers. This technique has been found good for special audience
programmes.
5. Newsreels
Newsreel programme provides an opportunity to handle the news story in detail,
including voice dispatches, interviews and actual background sound. Usually,
a newsreel programme of ten minute duration has four to five news items. The
newsreel should have a good lead and proper lead-ins and throw lines for each
and every cut. The editor writing the narration should ensure that transitions
from one cut to another are smooth and repetitions are avoided as far as
possible. The ten minutes programme should have three or four headlines
written in snappy style. There are a number of ways to enliven a newsreel
programme by including music etc.
Newsreel is in the nature of a news report. It is generally of ten minutes duration.
In sharp contrast to the news bulletin which is broadcast live, newsreels are
always recorded. In a news bulletin, news items are dealt in crisp and concise
manner. Newsreel deals a story in greater detail by including voice dispatches,
interviews and actual background sound. It may also include spot reports,
eyewitness accounts, comments, reactions and extracts from speeches. Thus,
Newsreel supplements news bulletin and provides background of the news.
6. Commentaries
In contrast with television, a radio listener 'sees' the event through the word
picture given by the commentator. Radio commentary is faster than television,
as the radio commentator has to give the details, which the TV camera
provides. A radio commentator has to mention whether the sky is clear or
overcast, what is the colour of the dresses of the teams playing the match or if
a batsman in a cricket match is wearing a helmet or not and so on.
Radio commentaries are of two types – (a) Live OB commentaries and (b)
News commentaries.
(a) Live OB (outdoor broadcasting) Commentaries
These are un-scripted talks, which enable the listeners to feel the pulse of the
event, absorb into that environment and have the emotional satisfaction of
imaginary participation. The ethos of the event is built up into the programme
by inserting actuality sound effects from the locale of the event, narration by
commentators and spot interviews with actual participants in the event. It takes
a lot of effort on the part of radio stations to organize such live commentaries
on events taking place at near and distant places away from the studios.
Radio commentary whether it is on sporting event or the Republic Day Parade
or a religious procession; requires the skill of keen observation and quick
responses. A commentator should have keen observation skills, attentive mind
and good articulation. It is said that the radio commentator has to see through
the eyes, think with the mind and speak through the tongue. The advice
normally given to a commentator is: simplify your description, so that everyone
can understand; use spoken-word in present tense; keep your tone soft and
friendly; and describe the environment, weather, ambience, mood and reaction
of the spectators.
(b) News Commentaries
News bulletins and news commentaries both report the happenings. The basic
difference lies in terms of the purpose or objective of the programme. While a
news bulletin presents news without editorial comment, the news commentary
on the other hand tries to present the theme in perspective, take stock of
divergent shades of opinions expressed about the happening and finally
synthesize them adding editorial comment. Some important elements of the
news commentary are: narration of factual aspects of the story; laying focus on
the personalities involved; giving a mount to the story by putting it into historical
perspective; taking stock of diverse opinions expressed and prognosis made
about future course of events; and finally commentators' own piece of
editorializing.
7. Radio Reports
A Radio Report is based on outside recording (OB), including excerpts from
speeches, eyewitness accounts with actuality, interviews, and statements by
the local authorities etc. Radio report uses a narrator in order to link up pieces
of actuality sound pertaining to an event. The presenter's job is to put this
material into a coherent perspective, filling the gaps. The chronology of the
event should not get distorted despite various parts being presented in a
different order. The producer here resorts to the technique of "back and forth"
in order to give prominence to important segments of the event.
Keeping in view the primary purpose of communication to keep the listener
informed, radio report brings to the listeners an account of functions,
happenings, accidents, visits of important personalities, or any cultural show or
exhibition. This format can be effectively used to cover various functions in an
institution. The duration of a radio report is usually of 10 to 30 minutes
depending upon the importance of the event.
8. Quiz
These shows entertain as well as inform and educate the audience. Quizzes
can be presented in a variety of ways e.g. a set of questions put to teams of
contestants, others involving participation of audience invited in the studios.
Excerpts from sound recordings of eminent speakers, leaders, musicians are
often played back to the quiz participants for identifying the voices. Excerpts
from instrumental or vocal music recordings are also played back. In a game of
competition, anxiety is build up. Panels of celebrities are sometimes involved in
judging the answers or for responding to questions. A successful quiz
programme blends suspense, conflict and humour in ingenious ways. The quiz
master is the soul of such programmes and his/her enthusiasm and
navigational skills are crucial to the success of the programme.
Quiz programs are generally studio-based. The participants are invited
according to the topic selected for the quiz. The Quiz Master, who conducts the
programmes puts questions to the participants, gives them reasonable time to
answer the questions and announces the correct answers. The level of the
questions is kept appropriate to the level of the target group. The duration of
the quiz programme is generally kept 20 to 30 minutes. The time, duration and
nature of questions vary according to the target group.
9. Poetry Recitation and Symposia
Poetry recitation is a part of oral and social traditions of our society. Renowned
poets and upcoming poets are invited for such broadcasts. Mushairas and Kavi
Sammelans of 30 or 60 minutes duration are planned, recorded and broadcast.
Poetry recitation has its special attributes and form, which is quite different from
the prosaic form of our speech and conversation. Lyricism is also an ingredient
of poetry, an effect is created by its inherent rhythm and meter. It easily lends
itself to musical presentation. Poetic expressions are capable of condensing an
entire philosophy or concept in a few words or couplets. The effect of the poetry
is achieved through emotive impulses delving deep into the meaning of the
words. The style of recitation adds to the impact of the poetry.
A radio producer lays equal emphasis on the content as well as the presentation
of the poems with due regard to the popularity of the poet. S/he also arranges
poetic symposia - kavi sammelan on special occasions where the poets present
their poems before an invited audience. There are occasions when the
producer arranges recitation of poems of poets of yesteryears.
10. Book Reviews
Book reviews form an important segment of radio programming. These are
primarily targeted at the intellectual minority among its audience, who are keen-
to acquire knowledge through such reviews. A book review touches upon the
broad features of the book under review, and the reviewer's critical comments
on the work. With the reading time shrinking, the book review programme
serves as a capsule on the latest publications. It usually adopts the talk format,
however, interviews with the authors or discussions are also included in
reviews.
11. Features and Documentaries
The term 'feature' is used to indicate both studio-based features and
documentaries. There is a very thin line of demarcation between a radio feature
and a documentary. The feature is a radio programme, in which emphasis is
laid on imaginative presentation of facts, while documentaries are based on
actualities.
A radio documentary is based on documentary evidence - written records,
attributable sources, actual happenings etc. Its purpose is to present a
balanced recorded truthful account of something or someone. What is invented
is an imaginative documentation of facts and actualities. The two words
associated with documentaries are variety and actuality.
While 'documentation' or 'actuality' is the mainstay of a radio documentary, the
radio feature writer can take a lot of creative freedom. There is also a hybrid
form of feature which combines studio material with actuality. There is scope in
a feature for imaginative treatment of facts or even abstract concepts, while a
documentary would confine itself to facts. For example, an imaginary
conversation in heaven between Mahatma Gandhi and Pt. Nehru on what is
happening in India today could form the subject matter of a feature. According
to Robert McLeish, the feature need not be wholly true in the factual sense - it
may include folk songs, poetry or drama to help illustrate its theme.
Types of Features and Documentaries
There are mainly two types of features: narrative features and dramatized
features.
Narrative Feature: The thread of narration runs through the entire programme
in which dialogues are avoided. It includes extracts from a variety of sources
including books, memoirs, reports, dispatches, library recording etc. A narrative
feature is possible on any subject in which the producer can access material
recorded or printed and create a word picture, through appropriate use of the
accessed material and suitable narration.
Dramatized Feature: It has the characteristics of drama but unlike plays which
deal with fiction, it aims at imaginative presentation of the facts. A dramatized
feature is not merely a talk script read by three or four voices but there is
emphasis on dialogues and presentation by drama voices.
Radio Documentary is generally of two types; the informative and investigative.
Informative Documentary: It can be on any subject or theme, person, event,
activity or institution undertaken to widen the horizon of the listeners. It tries to
involve the audience both emotionally as well as intellectually by presenting a
wide spectrum of information.
Investigative Documentary: As the title itself suggests, Investigative
Documentary investigates some issues. It takes up special problems like street
children, bride burning, drug addiction, corruption in public life, bogus
universities etc.
Planning of Features and Documentaries
A radio feature or documentary, like any other radio programme, has to seize
the attention of the audience. For that, it is crucial that the feature has a strong
introduction. The introduction would also depend on the type of radio technique
you adopt. Often sound and music, and not necessarily, the spoken-word, that
can make the beginning of a programme attractive and compelling. You have
to use your creativity and ingenuity to come out with very attractive openings of
a radio feature.
Stages of planning
(a) Conceptualization
A radio person has to be on constant search for new ideas for conceptualizing
programmes. The producer has to be very observant and look around for ideas
for features and documentaries. While talking to people, interacting with
experts, travelling or walking in the streets, bright ideas may flash across his/her
mind which may be useful for developing programs. Ideas are also gathered
while attending a lecture, watching a play or a sporting event or even while
buying things in the market. Some of the topics may be from your memory,
others may stem from an experience or something you strongly feel.
Government departments, NGOs and some private organizations periodically
bring out reports which contain information. A study of these reports and
professional journals provides a great deal of information. Our country has a
rich cultural heritage. An access to the calendar of special occasions, festivals
and anniversaries can help in generating ideas. These occasions can be used
for imaginative presentation of events/personalities in a historical perspective.
In addition to being observant, cultivation of the reading habit for a media
practitioner is also essential. It not only provides information thus adding to
ones knowledge, but it gives birth to new ideas needed for programme
generation. Constant updating of information helps the producer to plan
features and documentaries on new areas of human activity. Clippings from
newspapers on strange things happening to ordinary people can also provide
rich ideas for programmes.
The tips to new producers are:
i. Keep a notebook handy to note down ideas as and when they strike.
ii. Be observant while travelling as good programmes originate while
travelling. Whatever is being read should be read with concentration as
any interesting article or news item may give idea for a feature.
iii. Talking to different people can generate new ideas for features.
iv. Always have an open mind and be receptive to ideas.
v. Research
(b) Defining the Scope
The scope of the programme is a statement of the objectives of the programme.
It may contain at the most about 200 words. It starts with a working title which
can be changed later if you come across a better and catchy one.
Ensure that the topic chosen is not only relevant to the target audience but also
be comprehensible to them. For this, it is imperative that you should have clarity
in ideas about the subject and the treatment propose to give to the subject. This
means defining the objective and the scope of such programmes.
(c) Plan of Action
Chalk out a plan for production process. For the smooth production of a radio
feature documentary, you have to do a lot of paper work. You have to intimate
the organization or individuals concerned about the date and time and schedule
of recordings so that the persons are available at the time of his/her visit. Even
if you speak to someone personally or over the telephone, it is always advisable
to write and confirm the appointments so that there are no last minute glitches.
You must outline a checklist of all activities, including the sound effects to be
recorded, the interviews to be conducted and the information to be collected.
In the case of studio based features, you have to prepare the list of recordings
available in the library, material which is to be recorded in the studios, the
artistes to be invited for voicing the script, the date and time of recording etc.
For O.B. recording you have to organize the O.B. recording equipment,
manpower and transport, dates of OBs, persons to be interviewed, dates of
recording of narration, editing etc.
(d) Scripting of Features
The three cardinal principles of spoken-word namely simplicity, lucidity and
euphony are to be kept in view while writing the script. A feature is possible
without a single OB recording as 'inset'. If there is no recorded inset in the
programme, the script has to be presented by two or three drama voices. The
script will then lay emphasis on dialogues. Each voice must establish a
separate identity. A good beginning attracts the listeners while a good ending
enables the listener to contemplate on the subject which lingers on in his/her
mind.
(e) Production of Features and Documentaries
Production includes a number of activities ranging from recording to titling the
programme. Each activity is important but the emphasis differs in the production
of features in comparison to the production of documentaries.
 Recording: It is as important in the case of documentaries where
meticulous planning helps in the successful recording of sound effects
and interviews. The soul of a documentary lie in the outdoor recordings
while features depend on material including recordings already available
supplemented by fresh recordings in the studio or outside.
 Interviews: In case of features and documentaries, as distinct from other
formats, the producer is an explorer who tries to dig out more and more
information from the interviewee. Inquisitiveness and power of
observation are essential for a producer.
 Listening of Recordings: Once the recordings have been made, on your
return to the studios, you should listen carefully to ensure that you have
all the recordings required. The benefits of listening to the recording are:
 It helps in finding out whether there is any flaw, technical or otherwise
in the recordings and taking corrective measures;
 It helps you to know what exactly you have in stock. If sound effects
are not adequate or
 It helps in writing the script.

(f) Transcription of recorded material

Transcription means rendering of speech in writing. It is advantageous if the
recordings are transcribed as it becomes easier for the producer to do the
editing in the script itself thus saving a lot of studio time. If the entire footage is
transcribed, it helps in preparing the script as you would bow what exactly
someone has said. Accuracy can be maintained writing the linking narration or
the script. Transcription also helps in minimizing the time of editing in the studio.
(g) Scripting of Documentary
Once you have listened to the entire footage, it is the time to write the script of
the documentary. Scripting for a documentary includes a concise introduction
of the subject, narration which serves a 'lead-in' to recorded
statements/interviews/sound and an appropriate conclusion. While a good
introduction helps to attract and hold the attention of listeners, the narration tells
the story in a cogent way. A good narration adds a sparkle to the taped
'actuality'. The body of the script comes out as a smooth flowing story which is
easily understood by the listener.
(h) Narration
Narration helps to drive the programme forward in a logical way; it helps to
preface the voiced passages and recorded insets. It brings different elements
together and moulds them in an organic whole. You should try to make the
narration short, pointed and avoid verbose language and cliches. The narration
may be done by a single voice or two or more voices.
(i) Titling the Programme
It would be an ideal situation that a documentary feature is produced first and
then scheduled for broadcast. This enables the producer to consider titling the
programme after the production process has reached an advanced stage. The
producer notes down a number of titles and finally chooses the one that is the
most appropriate, catchy and sounds pleasant.
(j) Post Production
Post production involves the inter-weaving of the title music, background music,
dialogues, narration, sound effects and other recorded insets into an organic
whole. Editing of the recorded material is an important segment of post
production. Editing eliminates the portion which is not relevant, unnecessary or
technically not good. However, s/he has to ensure that the pitch and the
recording levels of the cuts chosen merge naturally and do not sound patchy.
Content-wise, editing makes the programme a compact mosaic of ideas, views
and comments.
Before mixing is done, 'clean cuts' of the recorded materials are kept. Different
cuts have to be faded-in and faded-out. Background music has to be faded-in
at low level. Duration is another important aspect which the producer keeps in
mind at the stage of scripting, recording of voices and selection of cuts. If
required, footage is edited to adhere to the duration specified. Editing should
be done with a high sense of responsibility and the producer needs to ensure
that nothing is edited to dilute what is contained in the recordings.
(k) Selection of Music
Music is an important element of features and documentaries which can add
colour to a spoken-word programme. Music is also used:
 as a theme of a programme;
 as a bridge between two scenes or segments;
 to break monotony; and
 to accentuate action.
While using music, the producer has to keep in mind that the music should
serve any of the function enumerated above. Title and background music are
selected with great care. The programme usually ends with the same
instrumental or orchestral music used at the beginning which is known as title
music. The title music is generally an orchestral piece, short and catchy. The
producer has to ensure that the title music supports and is compatible with the
content of the programme. The producer may choose the title music from the
recordings available or opt for a fresh composition.
Background music is used whenever there is need to portray the moods or
environment. A sad mood in a feature can be highlighted by the use of
instrumental music of the appropriate raga. It would be of interest to the
listeners if the programme begins and ends.
In the use of effects and music, it must be ensured that they are authentic. It is
always better to use especially composed music if resources and facilities
permit. While using music from a CD, you have to ensure that you do not violate
copyright. It takes time and experience to select the right type of music.
(l) Selection of Sound Effects
Everyone keeps a number of pre-recorded sound effects known as 'stock
effects'. Nowadays sound effects are available on CDs also. However, as far
as possible you should select sound effects which are local and sound genuine.
If you need the sound effect of a crying child you must record the effect yourself
and avoid using recorded or stock effects to provide an authentic touch. While
using sound effects, you should use your imagination to innovate and
experiment.

12. Magazines
A magazine in the print medium is referred to as a 'periodical publication usually
illustrated, containing contributions of various writers'. A Radio Magazine is a
periodical compilation based on 'good material chosen and skillfully assembled
in the right order'. It is a distinct entity made up of "bits and pieces" each
complete in itself. Thus attribute of 'completeness' distinguishes it from other
collage types of programming. The magazine may comprise various items in
different formats including a review, an eyewitness account or dispatch from
the field, a report, an interview, a talk, a short discussion or a news summary.
A judicious selection of the items in different formats invests the magazine with
a character and idiom of its own. A topical and fast-moving magazine with a
variety of carefully selected items involves the listeners emotionally as well as
intellectually.
The program title, which stem from the composition of the programs aims at
registering in the listeners' mind. It helps the listener to relate with the previous
programme, at the same time gives a clue to the content of the magazine. The
signature tune helps to identify the programme; it is an invitation to the audience
to listen.
The placing of the programs at fixed transmission time also provides an element
of consistency to the magazine. In addition, the presenter builds a relationship
with a listener and invests the magazine with a distinct personality of its own.
The presenter introduces the items and links them throughout the programme
in his/her own distinct style. This also provides consistency to the magazine.
Thus, a good magazine programme should give a sense of a well structured
programme.
A. Planning a Radio Magazine
Planning of a radio magazine includes target audience related content planning,
selection of the production team, planning of the content, selection of items and
appropriate formats etc. The production of magazine constitutes the following
steps:
i. Defining the Target Audience
While planning a radio magazine, first producer must decide the broad theme
of the magazine such as sport, science, politics, general etc. then according to
the theme define target audience such as household ladies, working ladies, sr.
citizens, youths etc. After deciding the theme and target audience identify their
cultural background, interest, need and choices. One can assess the interests
of the listeners by surveying other radio programmes, which are popular or not
so popular.
Whatever the targeted audience of the magazine is being broadcast, the
planner needs to interact with experts in the specific area e.g. science,
litterateurs, sports, contemporary issues, political, music, researchers and so
on.
ii. Selection of Production Team
Production team generally includes a producer, a scriptwriter, anchor person or
a narrator. Each has a specific role to perform though sometimes it may not be
possible to have separate persons for each job.
iii. Producer
The producer identifies the production team who can write scripts and present
the magazine. After having detailed discussions the content, treatment and
presentation of the program, a panel of content providers and anchor persons
needs to be prepared.
A producer involves a guest editor for writing an editorial for a particular edition
focusing on a particular issue. An editor can also be invited to present a critique
on a book or a literary event or development.
iv. Script Writer
The scriptwriter of a magazine must have a thorough understanding of the
subject to be able to present any item in a simple, straight and interesting
manner. However, it is the responsibility of the producer to check facts in the
script as anyone can commit mistakes.
v. Anchor Person
It is important that the person who voices the programme has a friendly and
pleasant voice and has the required skills to become an anchorperson.
vi. Planning the Content
Before planning the content of a program the interest and requirements of the
listeners have to be kept in mind. However, at times, even if the listeners in the
area are not likely to relate with the events or happenings, the producer may
like to include current national/international topics in the program. Each topic
should be preceded by an introduction or followed by an explanation so that the
listeners get educated about it and a new area of interest is created for them.
The magazine should include some items of topical interest while other items
could be produced and kept in store for use in any edition. These could be
biographies of renowned personalities, Noble Laureates or other award
winners. In addition, series on birds/animals or sports or some short stories of
great writers could be dramatized and kept. A magazine can be planned around
one theme also. e.g. a particular raga in a music magazine, or cricket in sports
magazine. Such topics require extensive research in order to present varied
aspects in different ways and formats.
Some fixed items in a general magazine could be:
a) issue of the month with reports from different regions;
b) an interview with an eminent personality (biography in different formats,
viz. docudrama, interview);
c) a short feature on an institutional celebration;
d) history of a particular sport or place;
e) a book review; and
f) a formal lesson.
 However, before deciding to include any item, the producer must be able to
clearly answer the following questions to choose the right issue in the right
format:
 why am I including this item?
 what purpose is it going to serve?
 what are the listeners going to gain out of it?
 how will they gain?
vii. Selection of Format
A radio magazine offers tremendous flexibility to innovate and experiment in
order to make the program interesting as well as creative. Choosing the
appropriate format for different items in the magazine is an important skill for
the producer. For a monthly magazine, the producer has to wait until the last
week of the magazine for topical items. A good producer, however, plans the
programme in such a way that sudden developments in the field can also be
incorporated at a short notice.
B. Production of Radio Magazine
The items of a radio magazine can be recorded in the studio or outdoors
according to the format. While recording mike perspective should be kept in
mind as they hold good for recording magazines as well. Whether an item is
recorded in the studio or is O.B. based, good technical quality is essential. No
matter how valuable your item is or whether you have pulled a scoop in
recording a great personality, if the words are not clearly audible, all efforts
would go waste. Therefore, a good producer, reporter and anchor person must
have the basic knowledge of handling mikes and recorders to use them to
his/her advantage.
a) Sequencing of Items
Sequencing involves the selection of inter related items and prioritizing them.
The producer should conceptualize a sequence of the items so that the interest
of the listeners is hooked and sustained till the end of the programme. It helps
the scriptwriter to do the linking narration in a cogent manner. It is good to give
a brief of all the contents in the beginning of the edition and plan some
interesting items towards the end so that the listener looks forward to it. An
effort should be made to spread the items evenly so that the content load of the
programme does not become heavy. A serious information item may be
followed by an interlude or something which is not so serious to give some time
to the listener to reflect on what s/he has heard. This could be done with music
interludes, interesting informal linking announcements, sound effects,
introduction of the next item etc.
A question can be raised on the basis of the contents of that program or a
common phenomenon in the lives of people. The answers can be given in the
same edition after some gap or after building curiosity with the help of
appropriate music. This could be followed by another question for which the
answers are solicited from the listeners within two-three weeks' time. A prize
for the best respondents could also be announced.
b) Sound Effects
Sound effects serving as a background convey to the listening audience an idea
about the place of action or its ambience especially when the input is a recorded
article in the studios. The sound effects must be genuine actuality recordings.
c) Signature Tune
Signature tune or title music conveys the style of the program and establishes
the mood and ambience to attract the listener. The music creates an aura that
suits the subject of broadcast e.g. signature tune of a sports magazine will be
distinctly different from that of a cultural or business magazine.
C. Launching of a Magazine
Once the program has been produced, it has to be launched with a rich
publicity. Wide publicity for at least one month in advance is required before
launching a magazine. A monthly or fortnightly programme is more likely to be
missed or forgotten as this needs more publicity than a weekly/ biweekly or
daily programme.
Advertisement copy should clearly bring out the points as to how a listener
would benefit by listening to the new programme being introduced and its
contents. You may also use some clippings from the first edition for publicity.
Meaningful, catchy and easily understandable title needs to be selected for the
magazine. Listeners will thus get involved with the programme right from the
planning stage itself.