ZeePedia

COMPARISON BETWEEN RADIO AND TV BROADCAST:The Difference, Script

<< ANCHORPERSON:Appearance and Confidence, Job Opportunities
TERRESTRIAL TO SATELLITE TO CABLE TV:Cable Network, CD Channels >>
img
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.
126
img
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.
127
img
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.
128
img
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.
129
Table of Contents:
  1. BROADCASTING:Historical Facts about Radio, Wireless and Radio
  2. CLASSIFICATION OF PROGRAMS:NEWS, Language, Sensationalizing
  3. CURRENT AFFAIRS:Talk Shows, Discussions, Seminars, Live Shows
  4. OUTDOOR BROADCASTING I:VIP Movement, Suddenly Assigned Events
  5. OUTDOOR BROADCASTING II:Pakistan Day March Past, General Elections
  6. CURTAIN RAISER:Political, Financial, Sports, Academics
  7. RADIO FEATURE:Personality Features, Features on Events
  8. MUSICAL PROGRAMS:Classical Music, Light and Film Music, Folk Music
  9. RADIO DOCUMENTARY:Narrative, Dramatized, Imagination, Close to places
  10. DISC JOCKEY:Women in Focus, Daily/ Weekly Division, Making Titles
  11. VOICE IN BROADCASTING:Speech, Accent, Loudness, Stress
  12. NOISE:Physical, Medium itself, Problem at sender’s end, Semantics
  13. STUDIO:Drama Studio, Studios for Talk Shows/ Discussions, Music Studios,
  14. RADIO DRAMA I:Stage Dramas, Early Radio Dramas, Ethics, Classification
  15. RADIO DRAMA II:Selection of director, The Playwrights, Script, Voices
  16. ADVERTISEMENT – INCOME GENERATION:Similarities, More Analysis
  17. ADVERTISERS’ APPROACH:Dramatized, Dialogue based, News
  18. FM – A NEW GENERATION IN BROADCASTING:Low Cost, The Difference
  19. MICROPHONE TO TRANSMITTER:Amplifiers, Modulator, Transmitter
  20. WRITING SCRIPT FOR RADIO BROADCAST:NEWS Script, Interviews
  21. INTERACTIVE BROADCASTING:On-line, E-mails, Interview, Views in News
  22. REVISION:CURRENT AFFAIRS, RADIO FEATURE, MUSICAL PROGRAMS
  23. HISTORY OF TELEVISION:Early History, The Black & White Images, Color Television
  24. PAKISTAN TELEVISION (PTV):The Excitement, Timing, Live Broadcast
  25. BROADCASTING LAWS:Laws in the 19th century, Press Council of Pakistan
  26. REPLICAS OF RADIO BROADCAST:The Staff, News Reading, Programming
  27. NEW SCRIPT WRITING AND DIRECTION TECHNIQUES:TV Script
  28. SETS:Permanent Sets, Hot & Cover Sets, Special Sets, Economical
  29. CAMERA SHOTS – THE VISUAL LANGUAGE:Angle Shots, Movement shots
  30. LIGHTS IN VISUAL BROADCASTING:Light Temperature, Light and Distance
  31. INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR:NEWS and Interviews, Dramas and Music
  32. BROADCASTING AND MEDIA IMPERIALISM:The truth in the debate
  33. ENVIRONMENT OF TV BROADCAST:Optical Illusions, POV, Depth of Field
  34. BUDGET:First Part, Second Part, Third Part, The Sponsors
  35. COMPARISON AND CONTRAST OF DIFFERENT RADIO AND TV FORMATS:TV NEWS
  36. CURRENT AFFAIRS – FROM RADIO TO TV:Seminars, Interviews
  37. PRE-PRODUCTION:Brain Storming, Scripting a new program, Approval
  38. PRODUCTION & POST-PRODUCTION:Booking Shifts, Rehearsals
  39. TV ADVERTISEMENTS – MONEY WITH ENTERTAINMENT:Early Phase, Getting Spots
  40. ENIGMA OF MORE CHANNELS:The Investment, Fresh Ideas, Closure of channels
  41. ANCHORPERSON:Appearance and Confidence, Job Opportunities
  42. COMPARISON BETWEEN RADIO AND TV BROADCAST:The Difference, Script
  43. TERRESTRIAL TO SATELLITE TO CABLE TV:Cable Network, CD Channels
  44. CAREER IN BROADCASTING:Production, Direction, Lighting Director, Script Writer
  45. REVISION (LESSON 23 TO 44):Broadcasting Laws, PEMRA, Budget