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Introduction
to Broadcasting MCM
411
VU
LESSON
42
COMPARISON
BETWEEN RADIO AND TV
BROADCAST
Little
idea prevailed at the time
of experiments on radio waves
early last century that
the
invention
of radio would soon lead to
another even stronger
transmission of images
alongside
the
sound on the same
electromagnetic waves.
The
interest of scholars was so
immense in furthering the
transmission system by using
air
waves
that within 20 years of the
successful radio operation,
they were able to
materialize
their
thinking of creating a box
like radio set but
which could also show
images. By the mid
1920s,
television in its initial
form had appeared.
Both
remarkable inventions in the
field of electronic media
took the world by storm in
the years
to
follow and to-date there
has been no looking back.
The fact remains that
the electronic
media
is assuming new dimensions
simply because of the
enormous success of radio
and TV
over
the last 80 years.
Here
below we shall make an
attempt to find what is
common between the two
distinct areas
of
modern day communication
systems and where do they
differ.
The
common playing
fields
The
two areas of telecommunication
radio and TV have much
in common. Both use
electromagnetic
air waves to transmit their
signals. Apart from using
terrestrial transmission
method
both qualify to use
microwave technology to link
distant transmissions. Both
are
capable
to use satellites for
beaming their signals to any
part of the world.
It
is very common for radio
and TV to exploit sound and
music effects to enhance
value of
their
products. Radio in particular is
purely depended on voices
and sound effects. It
hardly
has
another way through which it
could communicate to listeners. TV
uses both, sound
and
voice
but goes a step further of
showing images.
Inside
a radio station or a TV broadcasting
house, one can notice
common factors easily.
The
presence
of sound proof studios,
availability of microphones, sitting
arrangements, and a
highly
disciplined movement of staff
across the stations is but
something which a visitor
can't
miss
to notice.
On
the formats of production,
both show common approach.
For both there is an
indoor
production
of different programs news,
talk shows, and dramas
and on music and an
outdoor
arrangement to cover a range of
programs including sporting
events, meetings,
seminars,
interviews, road shows,
documentaries and features
etc.
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Introduction
to Broadcasting MCM
411
VU
The
Difference
The
areas where radio and TV
broadcast shows difference
are many.
Script
Script
of any program is written in a
very different way for
the two areas of
electronic
communication.
A TV play would have a far
different script from the
one written for a
radio
play
on the same topic. The
availability of visual means to
the script writer of a TV
play
creates
all the difference. The
news script is also
different as a radio news
reader has to
describe
the whole event through
words and not to pause
long whereas news reading
(script)
for
TV newsreel is punctuated with
long pauses when footage of
some event is shown.
The
script
for story telling to
children, or of interviews and
talk shows for the
two areas is
noticeably
different from each
other.
Direction
A
radio producer is always
concerned about the presence
of talent, studio and
the
microphones.
The voice quality and
audio expressions are his
prime concern along with
the
sound
effects if they are required
in a program. In comparison, director of
a TV program is
more
concerned about the sets,
color scheme of the scene,
lighting arrangement,
positioning
of
the microphone and entry of
talents at various points of
the program. The
anchorperson
should
be more confident and
sitting at a position from
where he/ she can
control the
participants
of a program. The participants
are making proper point of
view from camera
perspective.
He would take serious view
of the nodding of heads and
other gestures of
people
within
the camera frame for
that should not go against
the concept of the
program.
In
another manner, from viewers
or listeners point of view,
you need to sit in front of
the TV
sets
to watch it but in case of
radio you can put it in a
pocket and listen to
programs of your
interest
while jogging at a park,
driving or even lying on the
bed with lights off
and resting.
But
TV seems overwhelmingly outplaying
radio on various counts.
First, the impact of
visual
communication
is far more than to what
you hear only. For
instance if you hear a news
item
about
an accident, you may forget
it soon, but if you have
seen horrifying images of
the same
accident
on TV news you may not
forget the impact on your
mind for years.
Insignia
The
TV screen is doing magic. By
watching a program on TV, you
can always see
the
broadcasting
station's insignia in some
top corner and know
what station it is. It is
not possible
on
radio unless an announcement to
this effect is made.
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Introduction
to Broadcasting MCM
411
VU
Match
progress
As
you watch a drama on TV, you
can find the latest
score of a cricket match, or
over by over
report,
at some lower corner of the
screen without being
interrupted from watching
the drama.
Slow
motion
In
games and in some film
reports, the repeat of
action in slow motion is one
of the most
interesting
features of the TV
broadcast.
Tele
text
These
days some TV channels also
give in text form latest in
the stock market, timings
of
trains,
flights and inter-city
buses, weather reports and
many other activities
through tele-text
services,
or simply displaying details
pertaining to all these
activities in text form
somewhere
on
the screen. These reports
may stay on the screen
longer or flash at regular
intervals of
time.
News
ticker
You
can easily mark a ticker, a
scroll bar at the bottom of
the TV screen, continuously
running
during
what ever the program is
going on, to tell you
latest routine news, and
indeed about the
breaking
news.
Clock
A
digital or analog clock
would tell you about
time.
Announcements
A
program is not finished,
yet, an announcement of other
programs is displayed...
more
announcements
are also possible this
way.
All
this is not possible on
radio.
Since
print media has survived
after the birth of a strong
media in the form of radio,
it seems
radio
will also survive due to
its peculiar nature after
the enormous popularity of
the visual
medium
in the field of electronic
communication.
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Introduction
to Broadcasting MCM
411
VU
Similarities
Both
electronic media ... electromagnetic
waves
Sound
and music effects........
common
Use
of studios ... mikes ... radio
open......tv hidden.....boom or collar
should not block
the
view
on tv.
Script
... different for the
two
Directors'
concern radio voice/ sound
mikes types, tv lights,
colors, sets, contrasts,
script
Looks
of anchorperson and sitting
within the frame.
Outdoors.....common
different running commentary.....TV
selective.
Radio...no
pauses (FM)... TV... pauses in voice,
visual
News
only voice ... tv visuals so
can do with few
lines
TV
gestures (nodding, hand
movement) radio no
such
Radio
gives you more room
for imagination, varying
from person to person as
beautiful, color,
rage,
losses, ... but TV shows you
much more.
Radio
you may forget (impact) Tv
difficult if you see the
accident.
Radio
would continue as medium as
newspapers survived after
radio, TV seems
making
advancement
but TV is an advanced form of
radio visual added to
voice... technical
aspects
are
more in common as compared
between radio and
newspapers
You
can hear and see a
program on tv but side by
side you can see
the station insignia,
clock
for
timing, weather report
temperatures, stock market
rates, cricket match score a
scroll below
telling
you all the latest
and above all a breaking
news --- something not
possible on radio.
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