REVISION:CURRENT AFFAIRS, RADIO FEATURE, MUSICAL PROGRAMS

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Introduction to Broadcasting MCM 411

LESSON 22

REVISION

Why to broadcast?

The foremost thing coming to mind is why it is so essential to broadcast something. Well,

growth in the size of societies requires some mechanism to keep people informed about a

number of developments taking place around them to make their life organized, smooth and at

times, to relieve them of their routine anxieties. Such rapid communication helps societies to

improve their quality of life as well.

Invention of Radio:

Discovering radio waves (1864) An amazing piece of math's

Marconi's first wireless signal (1893) Three dots that made history

The first transatlantic radio message (1901) Cornwall to St. John's

Alum Bay, Isle of Wight (1897) Marconi's first wireless station

CLASSIFICATION OF PROGRAMS:

Almost all the leading broadcasting houses have put their presentations in these distinct

categories namely:

News

Current Affairs

Programming

CURRENT AFFAIRS:

Talk Shows

Discussions

Interviews

Seminars

Live Shows

OUTDOOR BROADCASTING:

VIP Movement

Suddenly Assigned Events

Collecting Reactions

Road Shows

Regular Public Events

CURTAIN RAISERS:

Political

Financial

Sports

Academics

Introduction to Broadcasting MCM 411

RADIO FEATURE

Personality Features

Features on PLACES

Features on Events

Occasional Radio Features

MUSICAL PROGRAMS:

Classical music

Semi classical music

Light and Film music

Folk Music

National songs/ Arifana Kalam/ Qawwalies

Popular Music

Musical Conferences

RADIO DOCUMENTARY:

Narrative

Musical

Dramatized

Insertions

DISC JOCKEY

The radio program production knows no limit. After having produced items of news, current

affairs, outdoor, dramas, features, interviews, music and documentaries there still remain

desire and room to do yet more. Radio produces almost on daily basis a range of programs

other than the ones mentioned just above, usually labeled as disc jockeys. The need of such

programs was felt when most radio stations decided to be on air for round the clock or more

than half the day. Earlier when the radio transmission was meant for limited hours of a day, the

length of radio program was also limited. There was little variety in the nature of programs. But

by going on air for longer spells of time, and with the involvement of commercial activities, the

radio stations felt a pressure to devise programs which must fill the time appropriately

VOICE IN BROADCASTING:

Speech:

Accent

Loudness

Stress

Stretch

Pauses

NOISE:

In a common way noise refers to sounds and voices. But in communication it means

altogether different. Anything, in any form, which distorts or hampers true meanings of a

message, is understood as noise. If we talk in general, we notice that more than often a

message does not reach the receiver the way it is intended by the sender, that is, it loses a

part of meaning, or the whole meaning, some where in the way. This situation frequently

Introduction to Broadcasting MCM 411

results in creating misunderstandings between the sender/ broadcaster and the receiver/

listener.

Physical Barriers

Psychological barriers

Semantics

RADIO STUDIO:

A studio is a primary requirement of a broadcasting house. It is a room-like structure from

outside but from inside it is different. The first thing which makes it diverse is the special

treatment given to its walls which are covered with a variety of substances to ensure that no

sound passes through them. That is why they are called sound-proof. To make sure that no

sound is produced even if some one is walking on the floor of the studio, special leather

covering, or a carpet is put on it. The doors are so tightly closed that any sound produced

outside is not heard inside.

Studios are fitted with proper microphones, recoding system, lights and booths for producers

to control recordings or transmissions.

Here below are details of different forms of frequently used studios:

News Studio

Music Studio

Drama studio

VIP Studio

Studio for Talk Shows

RADIO DRAMA:

History of Drama

Radio Techniques

Ethics

Playwrights

Script

Special effects

ADVERTISEMENT

Income Generation

The Money, the Entertainment the Revolution

Advertisers' Approach

Types of Ads

Insertion Orders

Sponsors a new marriage of convenience

FM A New Generation in Broadcasting

Advantages & Disadvantages

FM Broadcasting Products

Handling the Broadcast

Introduction to Broadcasting MCM 411

MICROPHONE  from human voice to electrical pulse

Amplifier

Modulator

Transmitter

Writing Script for Radio Broadcast:

NEWS Script

- Proper language (understood by most listeners)

- Simple words (at times difficult to find)

- Small sentences

- No jarring / jumbling

- Paragraphing

- Slugs

- Ethics

- Legal

- Proper terminology in IR...proper references

Script for Interviews

Like news, you can't afford a mistake of names, background, reference and the subject matter

while interviewing a person. The only safety is you first write down a script carrying questions

and all the references about the interviewee. In panel interviews sometimes supplementary

questions have to be scripted as other are putting questions in real time. Normal practice is to

employ people who should conduct research work on a topic or the personality before

questions are constructed. Some station engage top ranking researchers for this purpose. All

this exercise aims at making interviews one of the most attractive piece of broadcast. If you

have to hold an interview of a celebrity from the showbiz, it is pertinent to know a great deal

about the achievements of the star and then set questions. It is a poor show on part of a

broadcasting house, or the interviewer, to ask a celebrity to narrate his/her achievements.

Script for Talk Shows / Discussions

The opening remarks about the topic and the necessity to run a program, introduction of the

participants and the questions are all lying on the table as a script to begin a program. At

times some lines are so hard and fast, that the anchorperson has to rehearse them well

before the time. But much of the talk shows is the same as in the programs like interviews.

The anchorperson of talk shows must be equipped with information related to the person or

the topic. For example if the discussion is to take place on globalization of economy, the

compere must be familiar with the concepts of free market economy, the various rounds of the

World trade Organization to up date various provisions for the global trade, and at the top of it,

Introduction to Broadcasting MCM 411

country's position on certain developments in the world trade, reaction of the business

community and the possible amendments which may remove obstacles in a smooth

international trade. From here on the discussion must start to find new ideas on various

aspects of the top under discussion. If this is not done this way, then the program would be

repeating things which are already in the knowledge of listeners.

Script for Documentaries & Radio Features

For all documentaries and radio features, a script must be ready before other formalities are

fulfilled. In documentaries the script may carry historical data as well. One thing which must be

taken care of is the choice of words which should be simple and understood by common

people without much botheration.

Script for Live Shows

Though it seems, the talent is saying something off the cuff, it is not so. All one is saying at the

mike in front of a huge gatherings like the live-shows, or awards giving ceremonies, is not only

strictly scripted but properly rehearsed for one can't afford to slip and cause embarrassment to

the producer and the station when VIPS and other bigwigs are around.

Script for Disc Jockeys

All Programs children, women, forces, farmers, light-talk, film songs-based, announcements,

messages etc. are not without scripts. Since these programs carry a fair amount of talking,

pieces of advice, jokes, what to do and what not and ordinary statements/announcements, the

talents need a copy of script. Even a shift announcer is given a script to make announcements

for the programs and news bulletins to follow. The same script is also held by the producers to

make sure that a program goes according to the script.

Script for Dramas

Needless is to say that a drama needs a script; it has to be. In fact there is no concept of a

radio play without a script. Not only a formal script is required to produce a drama, the drama

script is so frequently punctuated with marks like cues and cautions; pauses, loud speech,

whisper, snobbish and the background musical effects.

These are the scripts, which are not only rehearsed for hours but sometimes for days; to the

satisfaction of the director before recordings begin. The following point should be kept in mind

while dealing with a script for dramas:

One-liner

Few Characters

Brief lines

All sound effects mentioned (radio script)

Introduction to Broadcasting MCM 411

Story sequence well defined and easy to understand

Turning points fully emphasized

INTERACTIVE BROADCASTING

Interactive means getting a reaction of an action. In the terminology of broadcasting it refers to

asking something from a broadcaster/guest speaker and getting a quick reply.

Online

E-mails

Interviews

Views in News

Internet radio

Very drastic change is on its way in distance-listening which is likely to shake up the whole

present day structure and nature of broadcasting; the internet radio stations. There are

already many, though their penetration is not much but with the type of technologies available

in multimedia, this broadcasting style is likely to take the world by storm.

Pod-casting

Pod-casting should not sound strange if you are a Netizen. This is creating your own radio

station on the net with almost negligible cost- on software and little arrangement on what you

intend to broadcast. And no license taxes or checks applicable so far. It seems a fun at

present, tomorrow it will involve a commercial interest and by any business yardstick, will be a

formal way of broadcasting.

At present you only need to posses ample knowledge of RSS (Really Simple Syndication) files

which is a format which helps in making programs which you could allow your subscribers/

friends to access on your website. An added knowledge on MP3 format will be a great help

also. These two types of audio files do the whole business for you to run a broadcasting

facility on the Net.

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