Radio Production PDF - January 2025

RadioProduction January 2025  A resilient medium? ! Radio transmissions came about in the early years of the 20th Century – 1906 onwards ! A new medium which took the world by storm ! The possibility of broadcasting a message over large distances without wires !...

RadioProduction January 2025  A resilient medium? ! Radio transmissions came about in the early years of the 20th Century – 1906 onwards ! A new medium which took the world by storm ! The possibility of broadcasting a message over large distances without wires ! The concept of immediacy  Advantages of the medium ! Enhances imagination ! Portable ! Relatively cheap ! Immediate Disadvantages of the medium ! Lack of visuals ! Transient medium – message is governed by time and not space ! Applies primarily to one sense (aural) ! Message can easily be lost Development of radio in Malta ! Until 1991 – state monopoly – 2 national radio stations ! The Broadcasting Act – liberalized the airwaves and allowed private station setup ! Popularity of FM frequencies ! Total of 13 nationwide FM stations ! More than 30 community radio stations ! 2007- Setting up of the DAB+ system  Regulation ! The Broadcasting Authority (1961) regulates broadcasting ! Broadcasting Act is the main legislative framework for broadcasting regulation ! The need for a licence to broadcast in Malta ! Authority can impose a series of measures on stations that break the law  Legislation (cont) ! Broadcasting Act has a total of 41 articles and 5 schedules ! A further 34 Legal Notices (subsidiary legislation) ! Broadcasting law is extensive and deals with various aspects ! Third Schedule deals exclusively with advertising Basic components of a radio message ! Voice ! Music ! Sound Effects ! Silence  Dimensions of the Voice ! Volume ! Pitch ! Rate (normally around 3 words per second ! Quality (nasality, breathing techniques etc) ! Pronunciation What do listeners want? ! Entertainment/Infotainment (Music) ! News and information (traffic updates, weather) ! Less of a priority ! Talk radio ! Sports ! Religious  Feedback on radio ! A two-way process communication ! Feedback is immediate ! The widespread use of social media in the industry (an extension to the medium) ! The ability to handle feedback (+ve and –ve)  What makes a good radio script? ! Clear and concise language (conversational) ! Use of the present tense ! Creative use of sentence ! Absence of bias, stereotype, racial comment ! (RESPECT the microphone)  Some useful hints ! Never print/write on both sides of a page ! Avoid using CAPS in a script ! Avoid the use of abbreviations (IOC/RFI etc) ! Limit number of words per line to 9-12 ! Generous line spacing ! Ask for voice tests for your guests  Advertising on radio ! Usually the main source of revenue for a station ! A maximum of 15 minutes per clock hour ! Alcohol related ads allowed between 9.00pm-6.00am ! Gambling adverts can be broadcast between 9.00am-2.00pm and after 7.00pm ! Tobacco and related products – outright ban ! Subscription based medicine – outright ban  Who are my listeners? ! Most radio stations are commercial concerns ! A relationship between listeners and advertising ! Best slots for audiences: Early morning 7.00-9.00am Lunch time 12.00-1.30pm Drive time 4.00-7.00pm Listenership falls sharply after 8.00pm  How to measure audiences ! Market research (quantitative) – Audience ratings ! Surveys conducted by independent bodies such as the Broadcasting Authority ! Stratified scientific sample representative of the population (gender, age, locality) Research Trends ! Around 60% of the population listen to radio on a regular basis ! Bay Radio has been the most popular station for the past ten years ! Largest market share is in the region of 25% ! Foreign stations less than 1% ! DAB+ stations – small percentage (uptake of DAB+ receivers still not popular) An evolving medium ! Radio has survived despite new technologies ! The concept of on-demand services (podcasts) ! Convergence to the visual medium ! A global audience ! Providing what the audience wants Radio vs Podcasts Traditional Radio Podcasts Schedule On-Demand Mass Appeal Niche Live Pre-Recorded Regulation Unregulated Short Life Long Life  The future of radio ! Did video kill the radio star? ! Radio is still a popular medium and has survived the challenge of new technology ! Embracing change and diversification= ◾SURVIVAL ! Thank You