COMPARISON BETWEEN RADIO AND TV BROADCAST:The Difference, Script

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Introduction to Broadcasting MCM 411

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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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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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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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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