MDP 204

PUBLIC RELATIONS WRITING

CHAPTER 9
WRITING
WRITING FOR
FOR RADIO
RADIO

PREPARED BY:
JOEY CHEAH SHU XU

SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM & PUBLIC

RELATIONS
FACULTY OF MEDIA STUDIES
CHAPTER 9: WRITING FOR RADIO
LEARNING OUTCOMES
TOPIC

At the end of this chapter, students will be able to:

 Write public relations material for radio

 Identify several methods to get radio public service announcements on

the air

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CHAPTER 9: WRITING FOR RADIO
TOPIC OUTLINES
TOPIC

Introduction

9.1 Reaching Broadcast Audience

9.2 Writing for Radio

9.3 Types of Radio Announcements

9.4 How to Get Yours PSAs on the Air

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CHAPTER 9: WRITING FOR RADIO
9.1 REACHING BROADCAST AUDIENCES
TOPIC

Reaching Broadcast Audiences

 Several methods for the PR writer to teach broadcast

audience:

 1. news releases (covered by previous chapter)

 2. radio and television tapes and actualities
 3. interviews and talk shows
 4. public service announcements or corporate advertising

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CHAPTER 9: WRITING FOR RADIO
9.2 WRITING FOR RADIO
TOPIC

Writing For Radio

 Must be absolutely clear and simple, and able to be

understood by:
 the listener and
 broadcaster who will be airing it

 Most flexible of media:

 Rely on the imagination of the listener to fill in visuals
 With appropriate sound effects, you can have elephants
perform on stage or lions in your living room

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CHAPTER 9: WRITING FOR RADIO
9.2 WRITING FOR RADIO
TOPIC

Writing For Radio

 Length of radio spot:

 Can be vary
 Standard lengths for radio spots are as follows:
10 seconds – about 25 words
20 seconds – about 45 words
30 seconds – about 65 words
60 seconds – about 125 words

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CHAPTER 9: WRITING FOR RADIO
9.3 TYPES OF RADIO ANNOUNCEMENTS
TOPIC

Types of Radio Announcements

 Generally 2 types:

 1. spot announcement
 2. as- recorded spots

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CHAPTER 9: WRITING FOR RADIO
9.3 TYPES OF RADIO ANNOUNCEMENTS
TOPIC

Types of Radio Announcements

 Generally 2 types:

 1. spot announcement

Simplest type – involving no sound effects or music bed

Meant to be read by station personnel
Usually send in package of two, three, or four spots
General in nature, geared to a specific program, or tied
to some specific time of the year
Radio scripts must be consistently formatted

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CHAPTER 9: WRITING FOR RADIO
9.3 TYPES OF RADIO ANNOUNCEMENTS
TOPIC

Types of Radio Announcements

 Generally 2 types:

 1. spot announcement

Rules for spot announcement:

Head up your spot with the name of the originating
agency and its address and telephone and fax
number. Include a contact
Title your spot and give the length at the beginning
Never more than 1 page in length

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CHAPTER 9: WRITING FOR RADIO
9.3 TYPES OF RADIO ANNOUNCEMENTS
TOPIC

Types of Radio Announcements

 Generally 2 types:

 1. spot announcement

Rules for spot announcement:

Usually five or six 10-second spots per page
Two 30-second spots per page
One 60-second spots per page
End all with #####
Type all radio spots in upper case, double-spaced

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CHAPTER 9: WRITING FOR RADIO
9.3 TYPES OF RADIO ANNOUNCEMENTS
TOPIC

Types of Radio Announcements

 Generally 2 types:

 1. spot announcement

Rules for spot announcement:

Typically write as a series
Necessary to develop a theme that carry over
from spot to spot
Best accomplished by the use of key ideas and
phrase, repeated in each spot

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CHAPTER 9: WRITING FOR RADIO
9.3 TYPES OF RADIO ANNOUNCEMENTS
TOPIC

Types of Radio Announcements

 Generally 2 types:

 2. As-recorded spots

Ready to be played by the stations receiving them

Usually sent in the format:
That normally used by the particular stations or
 on reel-to-reel tape, which will probably transferred
to the proper station format

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CHAPTER 9: WRITING FOR RADIO
9.4 HOW TO GET PSAS ON THE AIR
TOPIC

How to Get Your OSAs on the Air

 The best way to ensure your spots get on the air is to follow
the media outlet’s guidelines for PSAs

 Some of the things that you should look for in these guidelines
are as the following:

 1. The media are deadline oriented

If you don’t work within their deadlines, they won’t run
your PSAs
Find out their deadlines and plan as far ahead as you
can

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CHAPTER 9: WRITING FOR RADIO
9.4 HOW TO GET PSAS ON THE AIR
TOPIC

How to Get Your OSAs on the Air

 Some of the things that you should look for in these guidelines
are as the following:

 2. most stations are typically run shorter spots

Usually only 30 seconds
Find out what lengths they will run, and produce your
PSAs in that length

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CHAPTER 9: WRITING FOR RADIO
9.4 HOW TO GET PSAS ON THE AIR
TOPIC

How to Get Your OSAs on the Air

 Some of the things that you should look for in these guidelines
are as the following:

 3. submit rough versions of your scripts or ideas to the

stations if time permits
Ask for their advice to make sure your need meet theirs

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CHAPTER 9: WRITING FOR RADIO
9.4 HOW TO GET PSAS ON THE AIR
TOPIC

How to Get Your OSAs on the Air

 Some of the things that you should look for in these guidelines
are as the following:

 4. find out whether any of the stations will produce your

spots for you
Some will, if you provide the script and it suits their
needs

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CHAPTER 9: WRITING FOR RADIO
9.4 HOW TO GET PSAS ON THE AIR
TOPIC

How to Get Your OSAs on the Air

 Some of the things that you should look for in these guidelines
are as the following:

 5. competing stations may not want to run spots produced

by a compatitor station, especially if use the station’s
“personalities”
However, if a station merely produces your spots for
you, find out if you can run them on other stations

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CHAPTER 9: WRITING FOR RADIO
9.4 HOW TO GET PSAS ON THE AIR
TOPIC

How to Get Your OSAs on the Air

 Some of the things that you should look for in these guidelines
are as the following:

 6. find out when each station is likely to run PSAs

Eg: during Hari Raya, Chinese new year, Deepavali,
and National day

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CHAPTER 9: WRITING FOR RADIO
ACTIVITY
TOPIC

This activity will be carried out in the next class.

1. Write a 30-seconds Public Service Announcement entitled “Say

No to Cigarette”. The objective of the PSA is to increase
Malaysian awareness about the harm of smoking to the smoker
and his or her family.

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CHAPTER 9: WRITING FOR RADIO
SUMMARY
TOPIC

 As Overall:

This chapter covers:

 2 types of radio announcement:
 1. spot announcement
 to be read by station personnel

 2. as- recorded spots

 to be played by the stations receiving them

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CHAPTER 9: WRITING FOR RADIO
NEXT SESSION PREVIEW
TOPIC

NEXT SESSION YOU WILL LEARN…

Chapter 10:
Writing for TV

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CHAPTER 9: WRITING FOR RADIO
LIST OF REFERENCES
TOPIC

Bivins, T. H. (2005). Public relations writing: The essentials of style

and format. (5th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Seitel, F. P. (2011). The Practice Of Public Relations. (11th Ed.). USA:

Pearson.

Wilcox, D. L. & Cameron, G. L. (2012). Public Relations Strategies

and Tactics. (10th Ed.). USA: Pearson.

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